Champion Homes overcomes unpredictable Florida weather with duplexes on piers
Tarpon Harbour, a 137,092 sq. ft. residential duplex development comprised of 106 living units (212 boxes), was completed in 16 months.
These unique oceanfront homes on sea level property were each set on an 8’ tall concrete 16”x16” pier foundation to ensure compliance with 180 mph wind codes (including impact glass so that storm shutters are not necessary) that can withstand hurricane-force winds.
Project Team
Manufacturer: Champion Homes – http://www.championhomes.com/
Builder: Pabian Properties
Tarpon Harbour is a 137,092 square foot residential duplex development, in Marathon Key, comprised of 106 living units (212 boxes). This unique oceanfront project was completed in 16 months due to a team effort by Champion Home Builders and Pabian Properties, LLC, a Florida Keys builder and Champion customer. Challenges for this project included building oceanfront homes on sea level property. Each duplex was set on an 8’ tall concrete 16”x16” pier foundation engineered and built by Pabian Properties. This ensures the Champion homes constructed to 180 MPH wind codes (including impact glass so that storm shutters are not necessary) can withstand hurricane-force winds, as well as avoid the 100 year flood plain to remain above storm surge waters.
An added bonus to this design is parking under the homes for residents, as well as greatly reduced insurance rates for wind, flood and fire policies (a one-hour fire ceiling is installed under each home by Pabian builders which also hides R-19 insulation provided by Champion in each of their homes). Tarpon Harbour was not only built on schedule but also within budget. A 16-month $30,000,000 project of this quality would be impossible to complete using any alternative building methods.
Experienced labor in the Florida Keys is very sparse. Pabian Properties has a team of local modular builders and mechanical sub-contractors that were able to coordinate delivery of the Champion homes. Pabian worked with Champion’s interior finish crew often delivering and setting five homes per week. There is only one two-lane highway in the Keys and this had to be closed for a sheriff’s escort to the Marathon site for home delivery in the middle of each night. Champion stayed ahead of schedule, staging homes in south Florida for timely deliveries.
Tarpon Harbour is a long-term rental project comprised primarily of two- and three-bedroom workforce rent-restricted housing, as well as blended market rate homes. Rentals of any type are in great demand from Key Largo to Key West and this project helps to fill a part of this void. Due to a lack of ANY rental housing in the Florida Keys, buses have been designated to shuttle workers from Miami – a five hour daily commute.
Tarpon Harbour was an Entry of Distinction in the 2017 Jerry Rouleau Awards for Excellence in Marketing and Home Design, Modular/Panelized Home Design – Multifamily category, presented by the Building Systems Councils and the Log and Timber Homes Council.
Pier construction will not only keep tenants and buildings safe during inclement weather, but will also provide additional parking spaces.
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Article credit to Best American Living
