Which Lake Nona neighborhoods did Phil Kean build?

Two: Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, where the firm designed and built both 2017 New American Home showcase houses, and Laureate Park, where it has also built custom homes.

Was The New American Home built in Lake Nona?

Yes. Both The 2017 New American Home and The 2017 New American Remodeled Home — the National Association of Home Builders' national showcase houses for the International Builders Show — were located in Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. For the first time in the show's history, one firm, Phil Kean Design Group, served as architect, interior designer and builder for both.

Is it Phil Kean Designs or Phil Kean Design Group?

The firm is Phil Kean Design Group, often abbreviated PKDG, and it is commonly referred to as Phil Kean Designs. It is based in Winter Park, Florida and operates as an architecture, construction, interior design and kitchen and bath firm.

What does a design/build firm do differently?

A design/build firm handles both the architecture and the construction under one contract, rather than the buyer hiring an architect and then separately hiring a builder. That removes the gap where design and construction blame each other when something does not work. The trade-off is that the party designing the house is also the party pricing and building it, so there is no independent check between them.

An architect, certified residential contractor and licensed interior designer who founded Phil Kean Design Group in Winter Park. He studied at Harvard and earned both an MBA and a Master of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, and was named the National Association of Home Builders' Custom Home Builder of the Year for 2013. His firm built the first LEED Gold certified home in Central Florida.

Which Lake Nona neighborhoods did Issa Homes build?

Two: Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, where Issa has built continuously since 2003, and Laureate Park, where it built for a period and is no longer actively building.

How many homes has Issa Homes built in Lake Nona?

Fifty-four inside Lake Nona Golf & Country Club between 2003 and 2024, according to the company, ranging from about $1.2 million to nearly $4 million. That is the largest count of any custom builder working inside the club.

When was Issa Homes founded?

1972, by Francis Issa. Don Hempel joined as managing partner in the late 1980s and the company built more than 600 homes in Arvida's Weston community over about thirteen years before moving to Central Florida in 1998.

Is Issa Homes still building in Laureate Park?

No. Issa Homes built in Laureate Park for a period and is no longer actively building there. Its current Lake Nona work is inside Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, including the Cromwell expansion.

What is Issa Homes building in Cromwell?

Issa was one of five custom builders assigned lots in the first Cromwell release at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. Its first home there was a two-story, five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath house of about 4,265 square feet on a quarter-acre lot, priced at $3.875 million when construction started in early 2024. The company described it as its 54th home in Lake Nona.

Who are the custom home builders in Lake Nona Golf & Country Club?

Akers Custom Homes, DeVoe Custom Homes, Goehring & Morgan Construction and Maroon Fine Homes build exclusively within the club in the Lake Nona area. Issa Homes and Phil Kean Designs also build there, and both build in Laureate Park as well.

What is Cromwell at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club?

Cromwell is the first major expansion of Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, a section along the south shore of Lake Nona platted by Tavistock Development Company. Around 46 lots were platted in the initial release, and five custom builders were each assigned three lots to build spec homes. When construction began in early 2024, those homes were priced from roughly $3.875 million.

Why do Lake Nona Golf & Country Club homes record as Lake Nona Estates?

Lake Nona Estates is the recorded plat name for much of the club community, and MLS records key to the plat rather than the club name. Homes inside the club commonly appear under subdivision labels such as Lake Nona Estates, Lake Nona Estates 10 for the Cromwell section, or various Lake Nona phase and parcel designations. Searching only for the club name will miss most of the inventory.

Do you have to be a club member to buy in Lake Nona Golf & Country Club?

Club membership and home ownership are separate matters, and membership terms are set by the club rather than by any builder or seller. Because the club is private and the arrangement can change, confirm the current membership requirements, categories and costs directly with the club before you commit to a purchase or a build contract.

What amenities does Lake Nona Golf & Country Club have?

The 600-acre community includes an 18-hole championship course designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1986, a clubhouse of roughly 40,000 square feet with dining and a golf shop, an 18-room guest lodge overlooking the 18th fairway, and a Bath & Racquet Club with a fitness center, tennis courts, resort pool and playground. There is boat ramp access to Lake Nona, and the community has 24-hour gated security.

Nona Builds: Home Builders

Aug. 10, 2026

Nona Builds: Home Builders

Phil Kean Lake Nona: The New American Home Was Built Here

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