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Nina and Michael Marco have reconstructed the 1955 Sewell C. Biggs Residence in Delray Beach, Florida, using Rudolph’s original plans and photographs discovered after they bought the house in 2018. The six-year project restored the elevated steel-and-glass design and added living space, while addressing present-day hurricane and coastal flooding standards.
Nina and Michael Marco have spent six years reconstructing the 1955 Sewell C. Biggs Residence, a Paul Rudolph-designed home in Delray Beach, Florida, using original plans and photographs they found after buying the property in 2018. Working with architect Jeffrey Silberstein, they restored the elevated steel-and-glass house and adapted it to meet current hurricane and coastal flooding standards.
The project began with a discovery in a bedroom closet: a red velvet bag containing 1950s photographs of the house and Rudolph’s hand-drawn plans. The Marcos, who run Casa de Marco Design, used that material to guide the reconstruction. The original home measures 1,600 square feet and had two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The renovation rehabilitated and raised the house’s steel structure, retaining its elevated, rectilinear glass pavilion and exposed beams. Jalousie windows allow air to circulate through the home. The Marcos also enclosed the previously open area below the raised structure with sliding glass panels, creating a ground-level space for living, dining and entertaining—a concept present in Rudolph’s drawings.
A new two-story, glass-enclosed breezeway connects the original residence to a contemporary addition. Designed by Jeffrey Silberstein, the connector includes a kitchen and powder room; the addition provides two more bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a two-car garage. The property also has tropical landscaping, a terrace and a contoured swimming pool.
Preserving Rudolph’s Coastal Design
The work shows how the owners reconciled a mid-century modern design with the practical requirements of a coastal site. The project preserved defining features—including the raised steel frame, open glass pavilion and breezeways—while changing the structure and its ground-level use to address present-day safety needs. The source describes hurricane codes and coastal flooding standards as central challenges, though it does not detail the specific measures or approvals.
For readers interested in historic homes, the project also illustrates one way to add space while keeping an older building legible. The glass breezeway provides a visible connection between the original house and new construction, and the addition supplies bedrooms and a garage without replacing the historic residence. The reported result is a home intended for contemporary use that retains Rudolph’s architectural form.
Plans Found After the Purchase
The Marcos bought the former Biggs Residence in 2018. They found the archival material in a closet after the purchase, turning the project from a conventional renovation into a reconstruction guided by the architect’s own drawings and period photographs. The source identifies the house as a Paul Rudolph original dating to 1955.
The renovation took six years, according to the report. In addition to restoring structural and architectural elements, the Marcos selected materials associated with the period, including terrazzo, aluminum and natural stone. Italian oyster-pebble terrazzo features on the kitchen island. Family heirlooms, vintage Lalique glassware and original house photographs appear among the interior furnishings.
The restrained palette uses warm neutrals and natural wood indoors, with Sherwin-Williams Extra White on the exterior. The report says the choices were intended to sit within the tropical landscape and let the steel beams remain visually prominent. It does not provide a detailed account of the home’s preservation designation or review process.
““From day one, our mandate was simple: honor Rudolph’s design no matter how difficult, time-consuming, or costly.””
— Michael Marco
Code Work and Completion Details
The report does not give a specific completion date, a project cost, or a breakdown of the structural work used to meet current requirements. It says the steel structure was rehabilitated and raised for coastal flooding standards and that the project addressed hurricane codes, but does not identify the applicable code provisions, permits, or review decisions.
It also does not say whether the home is open to visitors or provide details about its present ownership or use. The account describes the finished design and the Marcos’ intentions, but offers no independent assessment of how the modifications perform in severe weather.
The Home’s Long-Term Stewardship
The renovation account presents the reconstruction as a completed six-year project, but does not announce a further construction phase or a public opening. Nina and Michael Marco say their aim is to preserve the residence so it can be used and appreciated by future generations. Long-term maintenance will matter for a coastal home with exposed steel, extensive glazing and outdoor features, though the report does not describe a maintenance plan.
Further details about code compliance, preservation oversight and the project’s completion date would clarify how the historic design was adapted in practice. No additional milestones or plans are specified in the source material.
Key Questions
Where is the Biggs Residence?
The Sewell C. Biggs Residence is in Delray Beach, Florida.
Who designed the original house?
The 1955 residence was designed by architect Paul Rudolph.
What did the Marcos find in the house?
After buying the property in 2018, Nina and Michael Marco found a red velvet bag in a bedroom closet containing 1950s photographs and Rudolph’s hand-drawn plans.
How did the renovation change the property?
The project rehabilitated and raised the original steel structure, enclosed the lower level with sliding glass panels, and added a glass breezeway connecting the house to new rooms, a kitchen and a two-car garage.
What details about the safety upgrades are available?
The report says the work addressed hurricane codes and coastal flooding standards, including raising the steel structure. It does not specify the code provisions, permits or engineering measures used.
Source: rss
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