Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Rudolph’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.
Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some are owned by others, including the Paul Rudolph Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.
In his will, Paul Rudolph gave his Architectural Archives (including drawings, plans, renderings, blueprints, models and other materials prepared in connection with his professional practice of architecture) to the Library of Congress Trust Fund following his death in 1997. A Stipulation of Settlement, signed on June 6, 2001 between the Paul Rudolph Estate and the Library of Congress Trust Fund, resulted in the transfer of those items to the Library of Congress among the Architectural Archives, that the Library of Congress determined suitable for its collections. The intellectual property rights of items transferred to the Library of Congress are in the public domain. The usage of the Paul M. Rudolph Archive at the Library of Congress and any intellectual property rights are governed by the Library of Congress Rights and Permissions.
However, the Library of Congress has not received the entirety of the Paul Rudolph architectural works, and therefore ownership and intellectual property rights of any materials that were not selected by the Library of Congress may not be in the public domain and may belong to the Paul Rudolph Estate.
LOCATION
Address: 5528, 5540, 5544, 5546 Avenida del Mare
City: Siesta Key
State: Florida
Zip Code: 34242
Nation: United States
STATUS
Type: Residence
Status: Built
TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1948
Site Area: Varies
Floor Area: Varies
Height:
Floors (Above Ground): Varies
Building Cost:
PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: John E. Lambie Jr. / Lamolithic Buildings, Inc.
Architect: Ralph S. Twitchell
Associate Architect: Paul M. Rudolph
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:
SUPPLIERS
Contractor:
Subcontractor(s):
Lamolithic/Lambie Development
The project scope is to design 5 speculative homes for John Edward Lambie Jr. (1899-1958) - President of Lamolithic Buildings, Inc. - using his ‘Lamolithic’ concrete technology. The term ‘Lamolithic’ is a combination of Lambie’s name and the word “lithic,” which means made of stone. The company is also known as Lamolithic Industries.
John Lambie and Ralph Twitchell know each other since 1938, when Twitchell’s interest in poured-concrete roof slabs for homes led them to collaborate and develop a metal form system for poured-concrete decks and walls. This system became known as the ‘lamolithic’ construction system. It was first used by Twitchell on a speculative home design for Lu Andrews in 1939 and the Lido Beach Casino in 1940.
John Lambie Jr. is a member of the St. Boniface Episcopal Church. Mr. Lambie is later involved in the 1956 St. Boniface Episcopal Church project.
The lots on which the 5 homes are built are part of a larger transfer of property that occurred on Oct. 31, 1947 between F.J. Archibald, trustee for Eloise J. Archibald, and John Edward Lambie Jr.
The ‘Lamolithic’ houses are poured concrete houses with rooftop water reservoirs for a cooling system - the steel-reinforced concrete flat roof has a layer of crushed shell spread over it, which collects rainwater. There are several water outlets imbedded in the roof and these can be turned on when dampness is desired. The trapped water then keeps the house cool by absorbing the sun’s rays and resultant evaporation cools the roof and keeps the interior of the structure from overheating. According to marketing literature, this construction makes the house 20 degrees cooler in the summer, calling the technology ‘SOLARCOOL’
The homes also have insulated north walls and glass-faced south walls to maximize heat retention, making them inexpensive to heat in the winter.
On March 21, 1948 the houses are featured during an open house from 2:00 - 5:00 PM led by Jon E. Lambie Jr. and Sam Johnson. The exclusive sales agent is Fred W. Bell.
In April 1949, the property is transferred from the Lambie family to R.E. Sprague and Pauline Sprague.
John Lambie Jr. passes away on June 19, 1958. Funeral services are held at the St. Boniface Episcopal church.
5528 Avenida del Mare
Site Area: 6,361 ft² (590.95 m²)
Floor Area: 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,170 ft² (108.69 m²)
Floors: 1The property is sold on June 01, 1986 to Thomas Bannon.
On October 21, 1992 the house is sold for $103,500 USD to Nancy Smith.
A patio, swimming pool and privacy wall are installed on the property in 2013.
5540 Avenida del Mare
Site Area: 7,140 ft² (663.32 m²)
Floor Area: 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,003 ft² (93.18 m²)
Floors: 1The first occupants of the home are Adolph Orion Infanger (1897-1996) and Louise E. Infanger (1898-1992).
In 1985 a hot tub is installed on the lanai.
The property is sold on September 01, 1985 for $65,000 USD to Steve J. Tetreault. Tetreault discovers the house when he is 25 years old and living in Siesta Village and the rundown house had a “For Sale” sign in front. “It was totally overgrown and in bad repair,” Tetreault says, “but it spoke to me on an unconscious level.”
The home is renovated with the help of Mr. Tetreault’s friend Norman Hervieux, former head of the interior design department at Ringling College. Hervieux makes small changes to the original design, adding a circular swimming pool and wood deck in 1994.
Walls to enclose the front of the house are added in 2004. The house is repainted (it was painted pink and turquoise by the previous owner).
A new roof and AC is installed in 2013.
The property is put up for sale in late August of 2015 for $800,000 USD by Martie Lieberman of Premier Sotheby’s. It is sold in two days to Margaret Anne Simmons on August 31, 2015 for $825,000 USD.
A fence with two gates is installed on the property in 2016.
In 2021, the Sarasota County Commission approves the historic designation of the property, adding it to the Sarasota County Register of Historic Places. The members concurred with a staff recommendation that the house met two criteria outlined in the applicable section of the county code: The house is associated with the post-World War II development of Siesta Key and the Sarasota School of Architecture, and it is “a noteworthy example of the post-war International Modern Style of architecture,” a memo said. The application for the historic designation is prepared by David Baber and Lorrie Muldowney, the former manager of Sarasota County Historical Resources.
5544 Avenida del Mare
Site Area: 7,144 ft² (663.7 m²)
Floor Area: 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,911 ft² (177.53 m²)
Floors: 2The property is sold on July 01, 1976 for $9,750 to Robert W. Beaudry (1929-1991) and Sylvia D. Beaudry.
The property is transferred on August 24, 1991 to Sylvia D. Beaudry.
The property is transferred to the Sylvia D. Beaudry Revocable Trust on April 18, 1994.
5546 Avenida del Mare
Site Area: 7,875 ft² (731.61 m²)
Floor Area: 2 beds, 1.5 baths, 1,303 ft² (121.05 m²)
Floors: 1The property is sold on July 01, 1979 for $40,000 USD.
The property is sold on August 03, 1989 for $92,000 USD.
The property is sold on October 27, 1993 for $129,900 USD by Robert J. Infanger and Jody F. Infanger to Nancy Smith.
A privacy wall, deck and detached garage are installed on the property in 1998.
The property is sold on July 15, 2009 for $515,000 USD by Nancy Smith to Mark Imantis Bogart and Lorrie A. Bogart.
“This project was Rudolph’s first opportunity to experiment with the site planning relationships of multiple, adjacent dwelling units, a subject that would continue to be of great interest to him throughout his career.”
DRAWINGS - Design Drawings / Renderings
DRAWINGS - Construction Drawings
DRAWINGS - Shop Drawings
PHOTOS - Project Model
PHOTOS - During Construction
PHOTOS - Completed Project
PHOTOS - Current Conditions
LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
RELATED DOWNLOADS
PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Andrew Weaving. Sarasota Modern. Rizzoli, 2006.
Charles R. Smith. Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn: A Bibliography. The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1987.
Christopher Domin and Joe King. Paul Rudolph: The Florida Houses. Princeton Architectural Press, 2002.
“Chronological List of Works by Paul Rudolph, 1946-1974.” Architecture and Urbanism, no. 49, Jan. 1975.
“Four Concrete Beach Houses Provide Hallmarks of Luxury On A Small Scale.” Architectural Forum, no. 89, 89, Oct. 1948.
John Howey. The Sarasota School of Architecture 1941-1966. MIT Press, 1997.
Michael McDonough. The Beach House in Paul Rudolph’s Early Work. University of Virginia, Dec. 1986.
Patty Jo Rice. Interpreting Moods in Sticks, Stones, and Sunshine: The Life and Architecture of Ralph Spencer Twitchell. University of Southern Florida, May 1992.
Rachel Brown Hackney. “Lamolithic House Makes History.” Siesta Sand, 28 May 2021.
Robert Plunket. “A Paul Rudolph-Designed Beach House Stays True to Its Heritage.” Sarasotta Magazine, 30 Sept. 2015.
---. “For Sale: A Truly Cool Lamolithic House on Siesta Key.” Sarasotta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2015
“Rudolph and the Roof.” House and Home, no. 3, 3, June 1953.
Timothy Rohan. The Architecture of Paul Rudolph. Yale University Press, 2014.