Refining Elegance In A Place Where All Roads Lead To The Beach

In Alys Beach, on Florida’s west coast, time stands peacefully still. Bright blue skies are the backdrop for the crisp, white walls of this resort community’s architecture.

Inspired by the buildings of Bermuda and Antigua, Guatemala, the award-winning homes of this 158-acre luxury-lifestyle community trace their roots to the master planning of New Urbanism pioneer Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ). Designed for walkability, interaction, and environmental efficiency, the community’s roads and paths lead to the white sand beaches and azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as to a number of parks and gathering places.

“It’s a very distinctive architecture, and very fresh in this area,” says Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, who co-founded Khoury & Vogt Architects with her husband, Erik Vogt.

“With the architecture inspired by Bermuda, our construction and architectural palette is relatively limited, in that we deal mostly with block. Even our roofs are concrete,” Khoury-Vogt notes. “We look for ornaments to help soften that look—from brick mold around the window, to exposed rafter ends on the underside of the roof, to shutters. All of these elements help soften the architecture and make it more visually appealing when somebody’s walking down the street.”

She specifies Atlantic Premium Shutters to complement the architecture. “The functionality and architectural correctness of the shutters are extremely key, and their design is an integral part of the expression of our Bermuda-inspired design,” Khoury-Vogt says.

Throughout the community, Bahama, Louvered Colonial, and Raised Panel shutter styles from Atlantic’s Architectural Collection add to the spirited ambiance.

“A top benefit for us is the shutters’ fiberglass construction,” she says. “They have a great look; they weather very, very well in this corrosive, salty-air environment; and they don’t have to be stripped, primed, and repainted every ‘x’ number of years.”

Manufactured by Atlantic Premium Shutters, a division of The Tapco Group, the shutters’ comprehensive 40-color spectrum includes seven shades of green and six shades of blue.

Many homeowners opt for Atlantic’s custom-color capability. “We have worked with Atlantic to make sure we matched the color of the shutter with the color of the brick mold in all of the windows, and that was a very easy process,” Khoury-Vogt says.

Oftentimes, homeowners choose a combination of Bahama and Louvered Colonial styles. Both offer full functionality, and the Bahama shutters are a natural coastal fit with simple elegance and a practical design that allows refreshing Gulf breezes into homes while limiting direct sunlight.

Occasionally, shutters are also used within courtyards, where a window opens onto the courtyard and the homeowner wants an additional level of privacy.

Wherever they are installed, Khoury-Vogt appreciates the shutters’ architectural correctness and full functionality.