Rare St. Petersburg "bird cage" home hits the market

Before Florida had air-conditioning, architects had to get creative to design homes that beat the heat.

• Enter the mid-century "Vision-Aire" home, designed to maximize air flow from Tampa Bay breezes.

---

Why it matters: Only 13 of the homes were built — and one just hit the market.

The big picture: Better known as "bird cage" houses because of their unique design, the homes are clustered in Pinellas Point.

• They were built facing southeast to capture bay breezes with lots of outdoor space, wide overhangs for shade and jalousie windows for ventilation, per the Tampa Bay Times .

What they're saying: "Don't fight Florida's climate!" read an old sales brochure, per the Times. "Take the good things Florida offers."

Zoom in: The 1,400-square-foot home for sale at 711 Pinellas Point Drive S has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 600 square feet of screened-porch space, split between two levels. It's priced at $800,000.

• It was built in 1954 and designed by architect Glenn Q. Johnson, who drew from his experience stationed in the Philippines during World War II, according to the listing .

And yes, it does have air conditioning. Per the listing, the HVAC was updated in 2019.

The "bird cage" effect. Photo: Courtesy of Tony Sica, Sica Media Photo: Courtesy of Tony Sica, Sica Media Photo: Courtesy of Tony Sica, Sica Media

Sign up for Axios Tampa Bay for free.