When we drive around our local area or even across our state, we usually don’t look at the architecture.  That is, unless we see a particularly unusual-shaped building or something so futuristic that it wows us.

Yet, every state, and Florida in particular, has an incredible array of architecture, just waiting to be viewed.  To do so, however, requires a bit of effort and just maybe taking that detour to catch a look.

First, do a little homework.  A judicious web search for "Florida Architecture" or "Florida history" may suffice.  But, to get you started, here are 10 architectural treasures that showcase Florida's rich history and the climate, ethnic cultures, businesses and other things that have driven its diversity.

There's no better place to start than in central Florida near Walt Disney World.  Here the Epcot icon, Spaceship Earth, a huge golf-ball-like edifice, greets visitors.  It is about futuristic as one could imagine.

Nearby is the Team Disney Building.  Its modernistic perspective, graced with an ornamental sundial atop its central cylinder and its colorful, playful design speaks volumes about the Disney mindset.

Be sure to include a visit to Celebration, literally the Town Disney built.  Still in its youth, Celebration has brought back the small town image from the 1930's in its neo-traditional town design.  Several thousand residences surround an easy to access shopping area.

Mixing new and old comes to play when considering the religious influences of the state.  

Newness is exuded in the Ava Maria community outside of Naples in southwest Florida.  On the older side, Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Pfeiffer Chapel at Florida Southern College some 70 years ago.  It was the first building on the Lakeland campus and combines location, concrete and colored glass to advantage.

You'll find historic buildings throughout the state.  Some are now "bed and breakfasts;" others are residences, government buildings or serve other purposes.  

But one stands out because of its history, as well as architectural story.  That's the "Shotgun House," a long, narrow building, often next to similar buildings.  Similar to New York brownstones, these homes are only one-level.  And while they have a space between them, side windows are lacking (since they would have done little for ventilation and a lot against privacy).  They remain sprinkled throughout the state.

No amount of historical perspective would be complete without a schoolhouse.  And the supposedly oldest surviving school building in the U.S. (dating back to before 1716) can be found in St. Augustine.  It's well-weathered, but still standing and that tells a lot about construction some 300 years ago.

Not far away, in Fernandina Beach, there is a "lighthouse home."  Yep, it's just as you imagined.  The home looks like a lighthouse with a life preserver atop that houses the street address.

The Broward County Library in Fort Lauderdale uses more modern, and more hurricane resistant, concrete design.  But it mixes different facades, terraces and other structures to give the building a character so often missing in today's block-like buildings.

The South Beach area in Miami likely houses the largest collection of art deco architecture in any place.  Street after street contain colorful, unusual designs that typify the fun and playfulness tat South beach is known for.

Finally, be prepared to find a plethora of mansions and other grandiose homes, especially near the coast and key inland waterways and lakes.  Often each home has been designed with a different look and feel.  So driving around will give you an architectural perspective you may never have experienced before.

With your eyes now open to the richness and history of Florida's architecture, it's time to take that long overdue tour of your local area first; then reach out and experience all that Florida's architecture has to offer.  Hopefully, you'll like what you see.