The current owners of the historic Burkhardt Residence by Paul Rudolph (1956) on Casey Key south of Sarasota, Florida commissioned Quennell Rothschild & Partners to create a new landscape design for the four-acre site, incorporating a new guesthouse and an addition to the main house, both by architect Toshiko Mori.

The property spans the barrier island with frontage on the Gulf of Mexico and Little Sarasota Bay and includes numerous specimen Live Oaks. The new planting features a range of indigenous plant materials that appropriately reflect the microclimates of the Florida ocean and bay waterfronts.

The guesthouse, which was mandated to be raised 16-feet off the ground to protect it from hurricane storm surges, was carefully positioned to be sheltered among the existing trees. The site for the guesthouse was selectively cleared to reveal the beautiful branching structure of the Live Oaks and the straight stems of the native Sabal Palms which visually mimic the architecture of the guesthouse piloti.  The preserved groves of trees were underplanted with Wild Coffee, Cocoplum and Zamia, giving the landscape spatial definition and privacy from the adjacent main house. The path to the beach, paved with sand, is lined with native plants such as Railroad Vine, Beach Sunflower, Sea Oats and Marsh Hay.

The addition connects to the original Paul Rudolph structure by means of a steel pergola that is wreathed in African Rubber Vine. Garden beds planted with species of Aloe, dwarf Bird of Paradise, Simpson Stopper and Rosemary accompany the pergola.  On the bay frontage, existing plantings of native Mangrove were protected along the shore edge and tree wells of dry-laid native stone preserve the natural grade of the surrounding Live Oaks.

The guesthouse project was given the New York Chapter AIA Award of Merit in 2000.