Heat, humidity, and mosquitos—these are the conditions that inspired the design of 20th-century Florida houses. Features of what came to be known as the “tropical home,” such as Florida Rooms and screened patios, were outcomes of a fantastic range of local architectural experiments that persisted even after innovations like air conditioning redefined the relationship between indoor and outdoor climates. Cool off at the Jewish Museum of Florida (JMOF) as architect and historian Allan Shulman surveys the vital forces, from technology to romantic ideas about the tropics, that shaped the region’s architecture.

Presented in conjunction with JMOF’s exhibition Giller & Giller: An Adventure in Architecture as part of The Wolfsonian’s Mark Mamolen program series on American homes, investigating how the design of living space powerfully expresses individual personality and social values.