2019 Miami Hospitality Design Awards Winners Announced

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Last night, alongside The Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, and with the support of Hospitality Design magazine, we announced the winners of the 2019 Miami Hospitality Design Awards.

Held at the luxurious The Miami Beach EDITION hotel, the awards honored the hoteliers, licensed architects and designers whose creativity and extraordinary venues have elevated Miami’s hospitality industry and consumer experiences.

During the event, the Miami Beach Convention Center was presented a Special Recognition Award for an incredible project that will boost Miami’s hospitality and tourism community. The City of Miami Beach, Arquitectonica and Fentress Architects were all recognized.

Winners of the 2019 Miami Hospitality Design Awards:

Overall Hotel

–Merit Award of Excellence: Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Joseph Dirand Architecture

–Honor Award of Excellence: Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Bill Rooney Studio

Hotel Guest Suite

–Merit Award of Excellence: Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Joseph Dirand Architecture

Hotel Guestroom

–Merit Award of Excellence: Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Joseph Dirand Architecture

–Honor Award of Excellence: Kimpton Angler’s Hotel, Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, Nicole Hollis Interior Design Studio, Ave Bradley

Hotel Lobby/Reception

–Merit Award of Excellence: Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Joseph Dirand Architecture

–Honor Award of Excellence: Life House Little Havana, 7 Ave Design Studio, Giller & Giller Inc., Life House Hotels

Hotel Nightclub, Bar, Lounge

–Merit Award of Excellence: Champagne Bar at Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Joseph Dirand Architecture

Hotel Outdoor Divine Detail

–Merit Award of Excellence: SLS Lux Brickell, Arquitectonica, Yabu Pushelberg

–Honor Award of Excellence: Sugar at EAST, Miami, Arquitectonica, Studio Collective

Hotel Restaurant

–Merit Award of Excellence: Le Sirenuse at the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Joseph Dirand Architecture

–Honor Award of Excellence: Deck Sixteen at Centric Miami Beach, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design

–Merit Award of Excellence: Habitat at 1 Hotel South Beach, Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design, Meyer Davis

–Honor Award of Excellence: Bird & Bone at The Confidante Miami Beach, EoA Group

Non-Hotel Nightclub, Bar, Lounge

–Merit Award of Excellence: Los Altos, Saladino Design Studios

–Honor Award of Excellence: Kaido and Ama, M.A.D. Design Group, Co.

Non-Hotel Restaurant Upscale

–Merit Award of Excellence: Chotto Matte, Andy Martin Architecture, Charles H. Benson & Associates

–Honor Award of Excellence: Forte Dei Marmi, Oppenheim Architecture & Design

Non-Hotel Restaurant and Food Hall Fast Casual

–Merit Award of Excellence: Apizza Brooklyn, KoDA Architecture & Interior Design

–Honor Award of Excellence: Bakan Wynwood, Burton Hersh, P.A.

People’s Choice Best Overall Non-Hotel Nightclub, Bar, Lounge, Restaurant, Food Hall

-Veza Sur Brewing Co, Alejandro Barrios, Omar J. Moreno

People’s Choice Best Overall Hotel

-Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, Kobi Karp Architecture, Bill Rooney Studio

Frontier Building Completes Pittsfield, Massachusetts’ First Chili’s

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FRONTIER Building has completed its third Chili’s Grill & Bar. Built from the ground-up, the 5,000-square-foot casual dining restaurant is located at 555 Hubbard Avenue in the Berkshire Crossing Shopping Center in Pittsfield, Mass. It is Pittsfield’s first Chili’s Grill & Bar.

The fast-casual eatery’s 10-seat bar features the latest interior prototype design, which brings a modern twist to the timeless franchise. The restaurant’s interior features brick, wood and stone details creating a warm dining experience.

“We’re grateful to have been selected to build out this new restaurant design concept for Chili’s Grill & Bar,” says Andrew Goggin, director of construction at FRONTIER Building. “The project was completed successfully and efficiently, and we’re proud to add it to our roster of completed projects across the country.”

To read more about this project, visit Retail & Restaurant Facility Business.

Architect Wesley Kean of KoDA, Shares His Big Idea That Might Change The World With Authority Magazine

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Big ideas are hard to come by, especially ones that have the potential to change the world.

KoDA architects and designers are experts in connecting architecture with nature and finding radical solutions to sea-level rise and other environmental concerns. KoDA’s Principal and Founder Wesley Kean believes that the use of Metabolist principles can change the narrative on sea level rise from one of fear to one of opportunity. This design approach is the award-winning architect’s “Big Idea That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years.”

As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Wesley Kean. Wesley is an architect, Principal & Founder of Miami Beach-based KoDA.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I found my passion for architecture at a young age in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire where I grew up. I learned the tools of the trade from my father, a builder and carpenter, who remains a key influence in my work today. My father used to say, “measure twice, cut once!” and I apply the same philosophy to design today. I measure using analysis of site, program, and culture and evolve the ideas into architecture. In my opinion, skipping past the measuring phase would yield a completely meaningless architecture. While studying architecture, I learned that it was more than a construction and development industry, but that it can actually impact lives on a broader scale. I’ve understood the weight of responsibility that comes with design and its impact on our communities. The fact that ideas have the power to change the world, is what gets me up and excited to go to work every day.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

My firm KoDA was asked to design a project in a very controversial location in Miami. Controversial because of its location within a public park, which carried with it political, environmental, historical and cultural pressure. We approached the design first by evaluating the viewpoints of each of these individual stakeholders and then re-built the design concept up from there. The result became an iconic symbol for the city in which the Mayor came to the City Commission meeting to personally speak on behalf of the project calling it “iconic” for the City. It was very inspiring to see the profound positive impact an idea about a structure can have on a community.

Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?

There has been some recent momentum on the discussion of sea level rise in the world. More often than not, however, the conversation turns apocalyptic very quickly. After all, this is an overwhelming subject and one with myriad physical, emotional and political challenges that force many to avoid the topic altogether. Most of the discourse among architects, planners and stakeholders revolves around ideas about sustainability and resiliency. However, we need to also be thinking about transformation, adaptation and preservation.

Read the full interview on Authority Magazine.

MCAD and AIA Miami Host FitCity Miami 6

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The Miami Center for Architecture & Design in partnership with the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Miami) and the Consortium for a healthier Miami-Dade will host the 6th annual FitCity Miami Conference on Friday, March 15.

The annual conference explores the intersection between health and the built environment. This year’s FitCity conference will focus on Mobility & Climate Change and invites participants to deepen their understanding of how mobility in Miami-Dade has an important, measurable and long-term impact on public health.

Guest presenters include Maria Nardi, MDC Parks; Marta Viciedo Urban Impact Lab; Kokei Otosi, Van Alen Institute; Bernard Zyscovich, FAIA, Zyscovich Architects; and David Capelli, Co-Founder & Director of #SmartMiami. 

Architects, planners, designers, public health professionals, academics, city managers, elected officials, community leaders, and residents are encouraged to attend and invited to this open discourse on how policies can be beneficial to community health and overall quality-of-life.

For more information on FitCity and to register for the event, click here.

MiMo Bay Apartments Designed by Stantec is Underway in Miami’s Upper Eastside

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MiMo Bay Apartments is a waterfront community that will feature  236 units and a new 15,000 square-foot American Legion Post facility for military veteran members. Stantec’s design vision is to pay homage to the surrounding neighborhood and its Miami Modern architecture and to establish a connection between Biscayne Bay and the Legion Memorial Park.

Asia Capital Real Estate Management (ACRE) and Global City Development have started construction on MiMo Bay Apartments on Miami’s Upper East Side. The 236-unit mixed-use waterfront community is a joint venture between ACRE and a large Canadian Pension Fund.

The five-story building will be constructed on a 3.5-acre parcel formerly occupied by the building of the American Legion Post No. 29, which was demolished back in 2016—shortly after the Canadian pension fund acquired the asset for nearly $4 million, according to The Real Deal. That site is adjacent to Legion Memorial Park at 6445 N.E. 7th Ave. in the coveted Miami Modern (MiMo) District.

To read more on this unique and exciting project, visit Multi-Housing News.

PCCSF Treats Baby With a Congenital Heart Disease

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Pediatric Critical Care of South Florida recently cared for Xander, a South Florida baby born with a congenital heart disease called critical aortic stenosis. PCCSF provided pre- and post-operative round-the-clock care ensuring that Xander’s condition remained stable before and after his heart transplant.

Pregnancy brings many wonderful moments: announcing the news to family and friends, baby showers, nesting and picking out cute outfits for the little one.

But for some couples, these happy moments are overshadowed by fear and uncertainty when they found out their baby faces a serious medical problem.

Alyssa Hopkins and Ray Nunez, of Boca Raton, was one such couple. They were happy to find out a son was on the way and the pregnancy seemed to be going well with the 20-week anatomic ultrasound appearing normal.

Though there was no indication of a problem, Hopkins decided to have another ultrasound at 34 weeks because “I was gigantic and thought he was going to come out 10 pounds. Little did I know at the time, it was a message from God because my results came back abnormal.”

To read the full article, visit the Sun Sentinel.

Two OBR Clients Honored at 5th Annual South Florida Business and Wealth Up & Comers Awards

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The 2019 South Florida Business & Wealth “Up & Comers Awards” celebrates young professionals under the age of 40 who have achieved excellence in their careers, shown a commitment to their community, and demonstrated leadership.

This year our clients, Adriana Jaegerman, Senior Principal of Stantec and Jalal Farooq, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Engineer of Al-Farooq Corporation, were recognized as honorees in the Real Estate & Construction category.

This unique awards program focuses on their achievements in the workplace and their charitable and civic contributions. Many honorees have made their mark in senior-level positions or are on the fast track to do so. The selected winners were based on nominations by the public and SFBW research, and results were evaluated by the publication’s editorial team.

The event took place on Wednesday, June 12th at Sport of Kings Theatre at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach.

Choeff Levy Fischman Design Available for $25M Featured on Forbes

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https-blogs-images-forbes-com-amydobson-files-2019-02-bal-bay-drive-exterior-1200x798Imagine living in a brand-new, tri-level waterfront home with an open-concept floor plan, plenty of room for entertaining, and floor-to-ceiling expansive sliding glass doors with curtain wall windows to complete indoor-outdoor resort-style living. As featured on Forbes this month, take a tour of this newly listed dream home designed by award-winning architects at Choeff Levy Fischman!

There’s a new home overlooking Biscayne Bay that could become the highest priced single-family home in Bal Harbour if it sells for its $24.95 million asking price. Designed by team Choeff Levy Fischman—the same architects behind the ‘floating’ home of a certain famous rapper—this 8-bedroom, 9-bath house makes use of a similar architectural approach so that the whole home feels like it is floating both indoors and out. Bal Harbour is at the very northern tip of Miami Beach and has some of the highest priced real estate for the area.

To read more on this “floating” home visit Forbes.

Wesley Kean Tells Indulge The Story Behind His Latest KoDA Design, Apizza Brooklyn

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Photo By: Nick Garcia

Award-winning architecture and design firm, KoDA, practices design with ambition for its clients  and optimism for the world. Led by Principal and Founder Wesley Kean, he uses analysis and research to inform create the design of distinctive buildings, landscapes, interiors and experiences.

One of KoDA’s recent projects, the new Apizza Brooklyn restaurant in Coral Gables, is perhaps a perfect illustration of the firm’s research-based design process. Kean and his associates took on quite a bit of in-depth analysis, diving deep into the company’s brand and figuring out how the firm could communicate that vision through spatial configurations, materials and menu design. KoDA even read the restaurant’s online reviews.

“This process allowed us to distill the brand down to its essence, and build and evolve it back into the space,” Kean said.

Their findings led them straight to a familiar icon.

“The brand is very tied to New York, so we spent a lot of time evaluating the city,” Kean said. “The instinct is to jump to subway tile or brick, but we took a step back and asked ourselves, ‘What’s truly synonymous with New York?’ And we just knew we had to go with a scaffolding concept.”

To read more on Kean and his process of design, visit INDULGE Miami.

Stantec Provides Integrated Architecture, Interior Design and Engineering Services for New YOTELPAD Miami

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Global design and engineering firm Stantec celebrated the ground breaking of the new YOTELPAD Miami, the latest high-rise located in the heart of Miami’s downtown urban core. Stantec is providing all-inclusive architecture, interior design and engineering services to the 31-story hotel/condo project by developers Aria Development Group and joint venture partner, AQARAT real estate company.

YOTELPAD Miami is a new brand by YOTEL and the first on the East Coast, featuring 222 Yotel-branded “cabins” (hotel rooms), 231 “PADs” (condominiums) and amenities such as a Skytop lounge, pool deck with restaurant and bar, fitness center, co-working space and pet spa.

The hotel portion, located on floors 2-12, includes 222 cabins. The ground level will include separate lobbies for guests and residences, a restaurant, lounge, an organic matcha bar plus a co-working space, and meeting rooms on the second level. There is also smart lockers for package deliveries, as well as bike and individual storage units for residents on the premises.

The condo PADs, encompassing levels 15-30, will have exclusive amenities such as a 2,000 square-foot “Lounge in the clouds” with game area and chef’s kitchen.  The high-tech units include studios to one- and two-bedrooms and range in size from 417 square feet to 708 square feet with top-of-the-line flooring and lighting, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, custom European cabinetry and Smeg brand Italian appliances.

Stantec is a recognized global leader in architecture, design and engineering, ranked among the top 10 architecture firms by Architectural Record and top 10 global design firms by Engineering News-Record. The firm has designed numerous prominent projects throughout Florida, including Solitair Brickell; Luma at Miami Worldcenter; Midtown 8 in Midtown Miami; 17 West in Miami Beach; and Park-Line in Miami and West Palm Beach.

YOTELPAD Miami is scheduled for completion in early 2021.