Located in Cedar Key on a site that one hundred years ago was marsh, the design/build project Drift responds to both seascape and landscape, the coastal conditions and the downtown context, the wet and the dry. Traditions of boat-building and boat structure inspired the design of Drift, creating a strong link to this place so that the memory of the shoreline is pulled back into the town’s center, and a conversation is cast with local boat-builders, including those at the nearby Cedar Key Arts Center. The project’s structure resists strong winds while its capacity to float adapts to storm surges and tidal fluctuations. Drift ultimately responds to Cedar Key’s desire for a flexible community space. Come to this space to read a library book or access the library’s Wi-Fi, to enjoy an outdoor movie on a summer evening, and to relax in solitude or together with friends.

This project was designed and built in Fall 2017 by the Advanced Graduate 3 Design Studio in the School of Architecture at the University of Florida. Participants included:

Students: Ileana Aybar, Javier Garcia-Nieto, Trevor Halcomb, Heather Holle, Jamie Lindsey, Nick Lyons, Joshua Rosenstein, Tamara Safadi, Jasmine Simmons; Visiting Professors: Sami Rintala and Philip Tidwell; and Professor Charlie Hailey. The studio thanks Sue Colson, Molly Jubitz, Frank Offerle, the Cedar Key Arts Center and Boat Builders, the Crystal River Boat Builders, Rick Cooke, the Cedar Key Library, the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce, the Ivan Smith Foundation, and the community of Cedar Key.