- January 8, 2026
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Standing in front of the Oulina, billed as Lakewood Ranch’s first modern-architecture home, builder John Cannon is dwarfed by his creation.
That might be apropos, since Cannon is quick to point out that the design and construction of Oulina, which was built at 7999 Sunset Pines Dr. in Kingfisher Estates of Waterside, has been touched by more than a thousand people.
The creative juices that went into the home stretch beyond John Cannon Homes' design and construction teams. Cannon said that his company's collaboration with the Ringling School of Art and Design, prominent Sarasota architect Guy Peterson, along with other artistic entities, have made this project "unique" to Lakewood Ranch.
"The house itself is a work of art," Cannon said. "We have worked hundreds of hours on this home, and I can't even count the number of revisions we did."
Even though the home was sold for $5.7 million in November to Rocky Shamrock LLC of Naperville, Illinois, Cannon has retained "creative control" for the next two years.
The thought is that potential buyers can tour the home and perhaps adopt features they would like in their future home. Also, Cannon said his staff always asks potential buyers, "What would you have done differently?"
"We didn't build this model to sell it," Cannon said. "This is an idea home. This unique partnership showcases how art and architecture can come together to elevate the home experience."
The one-story home has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and a four-car garage. It is 4,720 square feet with a 2,110 square-foot pool area and 7,730 square feet under roof.
Artist Joseph Patrick Arnergger, a Ringling School of Art and Design graduate who now works for JCostello Creative of Hilton Head, South Carolina, painted a mural in the workout room of the home, and Clive Daniels created the furniture.
John Cannon Homes bills the creation as having "clean, minimalist lines, with the first flat roofline in Lakewood Ranch, and open, large areas that integrate dining, kitchen and living spaces seamlessly. Light is a design element combined with glass, steel, concrete and wood in unusual ways. The home embraces openness, light and artistic integration."
Project Manager Brett Bennett said he wanted to be involved from the first moment he heard about it.
"I had done a similar one and I knew this would be a moving target for new products and new layouts," he said. "This took a lot of thought between all of us, working with the design contractors and the framers."
John Cannon Homes Marketing Manager Amy Brown added, "We wanted to do something to give the community flair."
When you approach the home, it all starts with the roof.
"Ninety percent of the homes here have a pitched roof," Cannon said. "We did a flat roof, but actually it has a slight slope, making sure it drains properly. I build so the customer doesn't have problems in the future. Everything is meant for longevity.
"I hope people think we are a trendsetter."
He noted the home is unique with so many exciting features that during a tour of 200 Realtors at the home, they were all taking selfies.
While he loves that those who tour the home are bound to come up with ideas for their own future projects, he hopes there is an overall warmth to the visit.
"I want it to be, 'Wow! That just felt good. It felt warm and inviting, an accumulation of things," he said.
The Oulina is one lot of a 13-lot purchase in Kingfisher Estates by John Cannon Homes.
"The site is tremendous," Cannon said. "Lakewood Ranch (Schroeder-Manatee Ranch) has given us the opportunity to develop these lots. We have worked through every detail."
The Oulina was immediately targeted to be special with Cannon giving a message to his team.
"I asked them all to up their games," he said. "This was just doing something a little different. They all are extremely proud of it."
Design changes continued to be made after construction began.
"You can't see everything that goes into designing a home on paper," he said.
Design-Build Specialist Blaise Bright has worked with John Cannon Homes for 28 years and he said the current project has been exciting.
"This home has multiple memory points," he said. "The pool, the outdoor living. This is groundbreaking. We get sophisticated buyers from the Chicago area, from New York, and this home hits them right between the eyes. This was something different and new, and the trades all wanted to put their stamp on it."
