Project Statement

The Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida was for decades a golf destination, known for its Jack Nicklaus–designed courses and private villas. With the rise of Disney, Universal, and other resorts, the property was reimagined as Evermore, a family-focused alternative to traditional park lodging. Unlike typical vacation rentals, Evermore offers a hybrid experience that blends the comforts of private homes with the amenities of a resort. Bordering Disney World, it provides access to all major attractions; however, its defining feature is a new eight-acre freshwater lagoon bordered by beaches and framed by a new “town” anchored by a new Conrad hotel to the north, with flats and homes flanking the east and west.

Our task was designing the South Beach meeting, food, and entertainment venues linking the lagoon to golf as a respite to a day at the parks. Of our four projects, The Boathouse is destination, launching point, and visual focal point for the lagoon...and Evermore. The building serves beach activities below but is primarily a wedding chapel/reception and meeting space above. While the client initially envisioned a recognizable boathouse based on historic familiarity, our challenge was to avoid theming prevalent in the parks and create a tropical, yet modernist character found in Florida and Caribbean beach/pier buildings, where beauty and uniqueness are discovered in the expression of structure and authentic materials and their pavilion-like connection to the water. The result was a reinterpretation of a traditional form that strips away ornament to reveal the beauty of structure, which is wrapped in cleanly detailed glass to create a crystalline beacon across the lagoon. A subtle interpretation of deep repeating folded plate “zig-zag” roof forms prevalent in mid-century Florida architecture (in leu of expected dormers) creates rhythm and emphasizes the Great Hall’s open, airy feel from across the lagoon while maintaining the soring linear east/west chapel-like character of the building.

Rather than flatten the site as the master plan proposed, we preserved the natural hill and trees between new lagoon and golf, creating a buffer that shields beach activity while framing a promenade path over the rise that reveals the golf course. The two-story Boathouse tucks support spaces into the grade along the south, opening to a covered pier and functioning much like a classic boathouse at water level. The arrival sequence emphasizes drama and connection: the upper foyer and great hall are expressed as two glass volumes under one roof, joined by a covered outdoor bridge. Between them, a monumental stair descends to the pier, retail, rentals, and an executive meeting room facing a slip that houses a restored 1956 Chris-Craft Capri boat for special occasions. This functional, yet classic southern dogtrot opening creates both a memorable wedding stair and a visual link from golf to lagoon.

Inside, the great hall soars with chapel-like proportions, framed by bowed glulam trusses and a“veil” of cypress slats suggesting the hull of a boat. A crisp cupola floods the foyer with daylight, cascading across a wood sculpture that hints of repeating oars. At night, the glowing form and curved veil create a striking silhouette across the lagoon. Today, the Boathouse is not only Evermore’s visual focal point but also a distinctive wedding destination—complete with the unforgettable departure by classic boat.