Turtle Bale at Alys Beach:Where Creative Minds Converge (StyleBlueprint July 2019)

A tiny town in Florida’s panhandle region, which made its first appearance as a destination known for fresh design approached with an unmatched level of deliberateness and care in 2003, Alys Beach is home to arresting architecture that is rivaled only by its natural surroundings.

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More than a decade since Alys Beach debuted, it has continued to grow in line with the vision of the family and the original masterminds. Most recently, Ben Page of Page|Duke Landscape Architects lent a hand in the overarching design of the community with their landscaping touches that complement the original landscape designs of Kendall Horne and illustrate the still-growing nature of the town.

Architecture and landscape working together 

The charm of Alys Beach lies in the open views and sightlines to the ocean, and architects and landscape architects were careful not to interrupt those views. “We saw landscape a huge component of introducing organic features throughout the town, and as the town has matured, the landscape has played an important role,” Marieanne says of the relationship between architecture and the landscape.

“Ben Page approached the project with a goal of “embroidering the tapestry that has been created with thoughtfully human-scaled civic spaces,”

The pair has spent more than eight years working on this project, an opportunity they are grateful for. “It is an honor to be a part of this,” Jason says earnestly. “We are working with some of the most incredible architects in the world. In a lot of ways, these architects are charged with celebrating the landscape and we want to also design outdoor spaces that celebrate their architecture.”

Jason and Ben approached the civic spaces with the objective of creating unity amongst the neighbors, which is essential in a town with homes designed around central courtyards, as opposed to the front porches more common in beach towns.

Turtle Bale Green, which stretches north from the ocean on the western side of the town, follows the storyline of the surrounding ecological area and Alys Beach’s turtles.

“There is an imperative to be super sensitive to the existing environment of animals, and the sea turtles are a big deal here,” Ben explains.

Using the turtles as inspiration, Jason and Ben conceived a family-friendly space with natural elements guided by what is native to the area in celebration of the turtle that is accessed via a pedestrian walkway.

A casual application of formal materials was used to counterbalance the formality of the architecture. Sand live oak, rosemary and coastal dune grasses are found in areas close to the ocean, cabbage palm and saw palmetto are used along the walkways, and date palm trees shade the pedestrian path.

“The exquisite color of the water and the existing structural aspects of the landscape are incredibly elegant,” Ben says explaining the natural landscape their designs are meant to complement. “The ecological zones, which are very much protected by the community, established what plant communities we used.” For example, you will only find sand oak near the beach, the harsh environment in which it thrives.

Kentucky-based artist Dan Dutton of Rivera-Dutton Sculpture Studio

In the park itself, a mound of turfgrass was designed to resemble a turtle’s shell and invite play. In addition to greenery and native plant life, water and sculptural elements were included in the landscape design of Turtle Bale Green, further celebrating the majestic sea turtles.

Kentucky-based artist Dan Dutton of Rivera-Dutton Sculpture Studio was tasked with creating the turtle sculptures, something he was eager to do.

“The work began with drawings, watercolors and small models, made in clay, that we glazed and fired in our ceramic kiln. As the project evolved through many discussions and experiments, the scale, context and story of the sea turtles began to develop, finally settling into the form of two large adult turtles, and three newborn ones, just emerging from their eggs,” Dan shares of the process. “It was at the point of emergence in the story when the eggs took on a dramatic significance and introduced an element of fantasy and whimsy, held in place by a formal design for a gridded pavilion and a fountain.”

It is Dan’s hope that the turtles will “bring joy to all who see them, and a renewed sense of how precious and beautiful these wonderful creatures are.” For Ben, he hopes that the sculptures are fun and educational for the entire family. “Someone might become a marine biologist,” he says, smiling. The turtles will be joined by bunnies and large palm tree sculptures by Jim Budish, which will live in another open area later this season.

“Because the Family Design Committee has remained such a stalwart steward of the initial design intent of the Alys Beach community, it has been a joy for our office to work with them toward the realization of a portion of that original dream. We believe the Turtle Bale Springs and Turtle Bale Green projects are poised to become another jewel in the necklace of rich outdoor experiences available to the residents of Alys Beach,” Ben explains.