Rethinking Resilient Luxury: Insights from Naples
Last month’s Institute of Classical Architecture & Art symposium in Naples underscored a dramatic shift in coastal living. As President of ICAA Florida, I explored how our industry is transforming waterfront development from aesthetic indulgence to strategic resilience.
The 2024 hurricane season proved what engineers have long warned: building to minimum codes isn’t enough. With construction costs rising and insurance premiums jumping 30-50% in coastal areas, the conversation has evolved from “keep me close” to “keep me safe.”
In my latest article for Arbus Magazine, I examine how classical design principles can inform this evolution, why natural barriers matter as much as structural ones, and the critical education needed for newcomers from northern states who may not grasp Florida’s coastal realities.
Here’s the full article:
Resilient Luxury: The New Coastal Reality
By Marsha Faulkner, President of ICAA Florida Chapter and Founder of Studio M Interior Design
As Florida’s coastal communities confront increasingly volatile climate patterns, the conversation around waterfront development is shifting dramatically from “keep me close” to “keep me safe.” Drawing from recent insights at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art-Florida Chapter’s (ICAA-FL) symposium in Naples, this article explores how the pursuit of coastal luxury must evolve to meet our changing environmental reality.
When clients discuss building their dream home on Florida’s stunning coastline, they often envision panoramic water views and seamless indoor-outdoor living. What many don’t anticipate—especially those relocating from other states—is the complex reality of coastal construction in an era of climate volatility. As an interior designer who frequently collaborates with architects and builders on waterfront projects, I’ve witnessed how this reality transforms our approach to coastal luxury.
This February, the ICAA-FL hosted a symposium in Naples titled “Enduring Foundations: Naples Coastal Architecture for a Resilient Future.” The panel of experts—including architects, engineers, and urban planners—confronted a sobering truth: our traditional vision of coastal living from the panhandle to the Florida Keys is undergoing a necessary transformation.
From “Low and Close” to “High and Safe”
“We’re selling the blue,” noted one panelist, referring to the water views that draw people to coastal living. “But low and close comes at a price. There is a vulnerability to that. And a responsibility.”
This vulnerability was starkly illustrated during the unprecedented 2024 hurricane season on Florida’s west coast. The severity and frequency of storms forced a fundamental recalibration of how we approach coastal design. As one expert at the ICAA-FL symposium explained, “Conversations went from ‘keep me close’ to ‘keep me safe.'”
The shift is more than theoretical. Recent CoreLogic data reveals that hurricanes have triggered dramatic changes in insurance landscapes and construction requirements. In hurricane-prone areas, coastal property insurance premiums have increased by 30-50%. For high-end projects, many clients now must be cash buyers, as financing has become increasingly difficult to secure in high-risk regions.
“If we’re not going to move away from the coast and we’re not going to stop building in these beautiful areas, well, at the very least, let’s strengthen the homes,” notes Jon Schneyer, Director of Catastrophe Response at CoreLogic.
The Reality of Building Better
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has outlined three primary solutions to flooding challenges:
- Protect
- Accommodate
- Retreat
While each approach has merits, the symposium highlighted a clear consensus: building higher and further back from the water is increasingly necessary. “Low and close had a good run, but it’s a dream that has died,” remarked one panelist. “It’s hard to give up your small local city flavor and pivot to safer, higher neighborhoods.”
This necessary evolution creates both challenges and opportunities for design professionals. Projects in vulnerable areas now often must build habitable spaces up to one story off the ground—a requirement that necessitates innovative design approaches to maintain aesthetic appeal while ensuring structural integrity.
The building codes that once seemed restrictive are now understood as essential safeguards. CoreLogic’s analysis of Hurricane Idalia’s August 2023 impact states, “Modern building codes are an effective means of mitigating hurricane-derived property damage.” Their research found that in Florida, buildings constructed after implementing more stringent codes in 2003 sustained significantly less damage from recent hurricanes.
Educating the Newcomer
Perhaps no audience is more in need of education about coastal realities than newcomers from other states. Florida’s population growth continues to accelerate, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting that four of the nation’s five fastest-growing metropolitan areas in 2022-2023 were in Florida.
As an interior designer, I frequently find myself in conversations with clients who are relocating from other parts of the country, eager to build their dream home near the water but unprepared for the realities of coastal construction.
“If I was moving to Montana to build a home,” I often explain, “I would want to know about the impact of snow & ice on my home—how it would affect the cost, maintenance, and mitigation strategies. The same applies when moving to Florida’s coastal communities.”
The challenge is helping clients understand that increased building costs aren’t simply a matter of expensive taste but essential investments in resilience. As one ICAA-FL panelist bluntly stated, “It’s going to be expensive. Know that and accept it.”
The Consequences of Cutting Corners
The stakes of inadequate construction in coastal areas couldn’t be higher. During the ICAA-FL symposium, an engineer described the force of hurricane winds as “imagine driving a fully loaded Coach bus into a building at full speed, backing up and doing it again and again—over and over for as long as the storm passes.”
This vivid imagery helps explain why no material system is perfect and why multiple layers of protection are necessary. The 2024 hurricane season saw unprecedented challenges on Florida’s coastal communities, with storms causing extensive damage to structures not designed to withstand such forces.
Particularly vulnerable are homes built before the implementation of modern building codes. CoreLogic research found that nearly 80% of homes exposed to hurricane-force winds in Florida and Georgia during Hurricane Idalia were built prior to 2003, making them significantly more susceptible to damage.
Natural Solutions and System Thinking
Beyond structural considerations, the symposium highlighted the critical importance of natural solutions. Mangroves, for instance, provide an estimated $50 billion worth of protection to southern coastal properties. Proper dune restoration and beach management programs are also essential components of community resilience.
These natural buffers, however, require time to establish and can be devastated by storms. “Mangroves died by the thousands in these storms,” noted a panelist, emphasizing the vulnerability created when unprecedented weather incidents compromise natural protection systems.
The solution requires thinking in systems rather than individual structures. Coastal cities must develop comprehensive beach management programs, and homeowners must understand their place within these larger ecosystems.
The Path Forward: Beyond Minimum Standards
Building codes represent the minimum standards for safety, incorporating the latest technology and research. However, in coastal areas, meeting the minimum is increasingly insufficient. The “Keep me safe” mindset informs coastal inhabitants of their decision-making and desires to go above and beyond minimum standards.
“Building codes are the minimum of the latest technology,” explained one expert at the symposium. “Do you want to build higher than the minimum standards? Do you want to be 10% better, 50%? What’s the goal?”
This question points to the fundamental choice facing anyone building on the coast: How much resilience is enough? The answer varies by location, budget, and risk tolerance, but the trend is clear—building merely to code is increasingly seen by clients as inadequate in high-risk coastal areas.
Professional Expertise as Essential Investment
Perhaps the most important insight from the ICAA-FL symposium was the critical importance of engaging qualified professionals who understand coastal challenges.
“Work with reputable professionals and believe what they tell you,” emphasized one panelist. This means hiring architects, engineers, and interior designers with experience with coastal construction and understanding both the regulatory landscape and the practical realities of building in hurricane-prone areas.
As the President of ICAA Florida Chapter, I believe classical design principles offer valuable insights for addressing today’s resilience challenges. Classical architecture has always addressed environmental concerns through site-specific adaptations, natural cooling strategies, and materials selected for longevity. Classical structures that have withstood the test of time have something to teach us if we choose to listen.
These time-tested approaches, combined with modern engineering solutions and innovative materials, offer a path forward for coastal luxury that doesn’t compromise safety or aesthetics.
Moving Beyond Complaints to Solutions
A recurring theme at the symposium was increased complaints about the costs of building to higher standards without care or understanding the underlying rationale.
“Safety is not a choice,” emphasized one panelist. The hard truth is that building on the water, whether as a homeowner creating a single-family residence or a developer constructing a mixed-use property, carries a responsibility to understand the parameters and build something safer than the bare minimum. “Adhere to the sound reasoning of moving back from the shoreline to mitigate the damage of storm surge. Building higher does not mean simply taking an existing structural design and lifting it from 10 feet to 20 feet off the ground, as this increases wind loads. Developers have to make compromises.”
For those unwilling to accept these realities, the best advice may be to reconsider coastal living altogether. However, for clients willing to invest in proper design, materials, and construction techniques, Florida’s coastline can still offer extraordinary living experiences—ones that harmonize with rather than fight against natural forces.
THE SOLUTION: A Path Forward
As design professionals, our responsibility extends beyond creating beautiful spaces to educating clients about the realities of coastal construction. Based on the ICAA-FL symposium insights, here are the essential components of a resilient approach to coastal luxury:
- Know the area you’re moving to and understand its specific challenges
- Work with reputable professionals and believe what they tell you
- Strive to build better than the minimum code requirements
- Accept that coastal construction will be expensive and budget accordingly
- Consider long-term resilience as an investment in both safety and property value
In my experience at Studio M Interior Design, the most successful coastal projects begin with honest conversations about these realities. By understanding the true costs and requirements upfront, clients can make informed decisions that lead to homes that are not only beautiful but truly enduring.
The future of coastal luxury isn’t about denial but adaptation. By combining classical design principles, cutting-edge engineering, and environmental consciousness, we can create homes that aren’t just built to weather storms—they’re designed to provide enduring beauty and comfort in harmony with their natural surroundings.
Marsha Faulkner is the President of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art-Florida Chapter and founder of Studio M Interior Design in Jacksonville. A 2024 Architectural Digest Featured Design Pro, her work has been recognized with multiple awards from the American Society of Interior Designers and featured in publications including Florida Design Magazine and House Beautiful.
