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Celebrating a Century of Art Deco

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Home to more than 800 Art Deco buildings, Miami’s glamorous South Beach is an architectural goldmine of 1930s pastel-colored gems. This year marks 100 years since the Art Deco architectural style was first developed, so as we start off 2020, we’re reflecting on some of our favorite iconic Art Deco style buildings. The famed architectural style has evolved since the 1920s, but continues to inspire designers, artists, and photographers today.
The city of Miami Beach celebrates Art Deco Weekend every year in January. In addition, there are weekly walking tours of the historic district for those interested.
Designed in 1939 by Henry Hohauser, credited as one of the principal architects behind the Deco styling of South Beach, The Webster is a classic example of Art Deco architecture in the area. The former hotel has been transformed into a high-end fashion boutique, but you can still admire the original polished terrazzo floors, gleaming staircases, and pastel-colored decor.

A much-loved icon of South Beach, The Breakwater Hotel was designed in 1936 by Yugoslavian architect Anton Skiskewicz, and sports clean, colorful lines and the archetypal symmetry emblematic of the Art Deco period. The 99-room boutique hotel was extensively renovated in 2011, restoring The Breakwater to its former glory.

Designed by architect RA Benjamin, the Colony Theatre opened its doors in 1935 as a Paramount cinema. Currently, it is one of the most fashionable performing arts venues in South Florida, hosting concerts, comedy acts, dance performances, operas, and film festivals. Showcasing bold lines and geometric patterns with neon lights and a pristine terrazzo floor, the building maintains all the integrity of its original Art Deco features.

The Cadillac Hotel, designed by Roy F. France, was constructed in the 1940s to resemble one of the brand’s premium motors, chrome center trim emblazoned with a glistening hood ornament. It stands proudly as one of the tallest Art Deco buildings on the beach. It is now owned by the Marriott hotel group, and was recently renovated, but it still retains its Art Deco charm, with terrazzo floors and palm-embossed ceiling adorning the lobby.

Berenblum Busch Architects Designs The New Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce

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Berenblum Busch Architects is designing the new Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and County Office Building in Wynwood.  Developed by Moishe Mana, construction of the three-story, 35,410-square-foot building at 2900 NW Fifth Ave will begin this fall.
According to the firm’s Founding Principal Gustavo Berenblum, the building will include a ground floor café, retail and meeting spaces, and 6,800 square feet of ground-floor parking. The second floor will host offices for the chamber and county. The third floor will have additional offices as well as a 6,800-square-foot terrace facing south toward 29th Street.
The design of the building draws inspiration from Wynwood’s industrial nature, the mostly one-story warehouses that define the neighborhood’s character, along with the popular murals that have become a tourist destination.
Claudia Busch, BBA’s Founding Principal,  said “It’s an opportunity for the Puerto Rican community to have a place of its own. You already have many Puerto Rican institutions that are there contributing to the health of the local economy there.”
Construction is slated to begin in September. The chamber, currently at 3550 Biscayne Blvd., is expected to relocate by November 2021.
Developer Mana added  that the Wynwood neighborhood was one of the first areas settled by Puerto Rican immigrants who moved to Miami in the 1950s. “It’s important to have the chamber in Wynwood because we don’t want to lose this part of the community,” he said. “We want to keep the culture.”
For more information visit Miami Herald.

CHOEFF LEVY FISCHMAN TROPICAL MODERN STUNNER FEATURED ON DEXIGNER

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Our client, Choeff Levy Fischman, designed a recently completed two-story home on Miami Beach’s exclusive Palm Island. The residence leaves you in awe the moment you step onto its lavish motor court as many of their homes do. However, this one boasts a colossal cascading water feature and a British-made automobile rotating turntable – one of two found in Miami. The private driveway also includes an outdoor stairway and a three-car garage with lift capacity concealed by rich Timura wood. The home’s exterior façade also features gray limestone to create a warmer aesthetic.
Designed in the architect’s famed Tropical Modern style, this abode provides large living spaces in an open-concept format. The residence’s first floor features a seamless transition from room to room with large living spaces in an open-concept format. It includes floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that open up to the rear deck, blending the indoors with the outdoors. A custom Italian-made wall panel conceals a built-in television and grand wood louvers subtly denote the living room entrance.
A focal point of the home’s interior is a stunning 460 square foot open-air atrium with floating concrete steps that take you across a shallow pool of water. Additional soul-soothing reflecting ponds and cascading water features are spread throughout the property on all four sides of the residence to emphasize its waterfront location.
The master suite boasts a midnight kitchen, a sitting lounge, and a fireplace. Two spacious bathrooms feature exotic floor-to-ceiling marble, and each comes with a seamless glass zero-edge spa shower with steam and scent ventilation. One of the master suite bathrooms also includes a bespoke vanity and a standalone floating Boffi tub.
The home’s second level also includes an atrium-facing pajama lounge where the family can relax in a private setting away from the traffic of the ground level.
For more information, visit Dexigner.

CASACOR Miami 2019

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CASACOR, the most complete architecture, interior, and landscaping design exhibition in North America, returned to the Magic City launching during Miami Art Week at Brickell City Centre.
This year’s exhibition features an international mix of 20 established and emerging designers, all inspired by sustainability and Miami’s urban infrastructure. Landscape artists have also curated living spaces to allow guests to truly connect with nature while creating a sense of belonging and calmness in the epicenter of Miami’s famed financial district.
Designs showcased at the indoor-outdoor exhibition include the works of Moniomi Design, Allan Malouf, Pininfarina, Jesus Pacheco Studio, Edge Collections, Alberto Salaberri, and Léo Shehtman, who all returned to the event for the second time displaying new designs. Keeping things fresh, CASACOR Miami has added new top-tier designers to its roster. Among these are Ukraine’s rising design firm YODEZEEN, AD100’s 2017 best interior designers Sig Bergamin, and Michelle Haim from award-winning design firm Fanny Haim & Associates, and Cristiana Mascarenhas.
Local talent such as Mr. Alex Tate Design, Guimar Urbina Interiors, B+G Design, Tamara Feldman Design, IG Workshop, Light on White Design Studio, and Studio RODA in collaboration with Odabashian are also showcasing their work at the event.
The design-centric exhibit is open to the public until December 21st with student tickets starting at $20, and regular admission costing $30.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit casacormiami.com.

Miami Art Week 2019 Guide

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Design-lovers everywhere are in Miami for this year’s art week! Read about some of the latest must-see exhibitions and events:
CASACOR Miami — the architecture, interior and landscaping design exhibition in North America — returns for its third year at Miami’s $1.05 billion landmark, Brickell City Centre. In partnership with swire properties, presented by cosentino and with the global sponsorship of deca, the interior design exhibition will feature an international mix of 20 established and emerging interior designers, inspired by sustainability and the urban infrastructure of the city. Visitors will move from micro-environments to vignettes within a 25,000 square foot residential sales gallery. Visionaries, such as moniomi design, Allan Malouf, Pininfarina, Jesus Pacheco studio, edge collections, Alberto Salaberri, and Léo Shehtman return to CASACOR Miami. This year, the three-week exhibition continues to add new top-tier designers to its impressive roster, such as Ukraine’s rising design firm Yodezeen, and Sig Bergamin and Michelle Haim from design firm Fanny Haim & Associates. Open December 2 – 21, at 700 Brickell avenue.

Billionaire philanthropist, entrepreneur and contemporary art collector Jorge M. Pérez will unveil his highly anticipated experimental arts center, El Espacio 23, on December 2. Located in Miami’s emerging Allapattah neighborhood, El Espacio 23 will serve artists, curators, and the general public, with regular exhibitions, residencies and a variety of special projects. The space will house the Jorge M. Pérez collection, which is regarded as one of the world’s most extensive private holdings of contemporary art. El Espacio 23’s opening show, ‘time for change: art and social unrest in the Jorge M. Pérez collection’ features close to 100 works by over 80 global artists, and explores questions of identity, public unrest and marginalized peoples. Inaugural exhibition, open December 4, at 2270 NW 23rd street.

Commissioned by the city of Miami Beach, the monumental public installation by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich ‘Order of Importance’ will be on view at Lincoln Road beachfront through December 15. It will be the largest public work by the artist to date. Open December 3 – 15, at Lincoln Road beachfront.

To inaugurate the opening of the newly-designed Raleigh Gardens, Michael Shvo and his partners today present an outdoor public exhibition of the work of the late Claude Lalanne (1924-2019) and François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) — the artistic duo known together as les Lalanne. The exhibition will be on public display in a new, immersive, lush, beach-side tropical garden designed by architect Peter Marino, and Miami landscape architect Raymond Jungles. Open November 22, 2019 through February 29, 2020, from 12pm to 8pm, at 1775 Collins Avenue.

Wynwood Walls, the famed epicenter of the Wynwood arts district known worldwide for its groundbreaking, ever-changing collection of curated art, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this year. Goldman properties CEO Jessica Goldman Srebnick has selected a roster of global artists, both up-and-coming and established, to create new murals at the Wynwood Walls in time for the international art community to descend on Miami. This year’s artist line-up will feature Tats Crew, Hush, Mina Hamada, Kelsey Montague, Michael Vasquez, Dan Kitchener, Faile, Futura, Kenny Scarf, Ernesto Marange, Martha Cooper, Dasic Fernandez. At Wynwood Walls, 2520 NW 2nd Avenue.

For more events and information, visit designboom.

BBA’s Claudia Busch Guides FIU Architecture Students in Designing a Mobile Art Pavilion

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Next summer, a futuristic Mobile Art Pavilion designed by Florida International University students, will bring a new way to showcase pop-up art exhibits and plays to our South Florida community.
Berenblum Busch Architects’ Founding Principal and Senior Instructor at FIU’s Department of Architecture Claudia Busch led seven student teams to build on ideas for this multi-use, mobile art pavilion. Of the seven designs proposed by 15 students, the plan of a 315-square-foot, dome-like structure was selected.
The FIU School of Architecture team proposed a waterproof pavilion that “will have three layers with the outer one made from a rigid metal frame to hold the fabric that encloses the pavilion. Display walls are designed to rotate to vary the enclosure and accommodate for art display and performance.”
The structure will use renewable energy resources and sustainable materials, and the fabric envelope features solar coating “to help reflect and diffuse direct solar radiation, optimizing temperature comfort inside.”
The project is part of a partnership between FIU and Grace Arts Florida. Senior Instructor Claudia Busch led the student teams from her Graduate Architecture Studio 9.
For more information, visit Miami Herald.

Choeff Levy Fischman Selected as Top Coastal Architects 2019 for 4th Year in a Row

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We’re excited to announce that one of our clients, award-winning architects Choeff Levy Fischman, have been selected as one of Ocean Home Magazine’s Top 50 Coastal Architects. The 2019 list marks the fourth consecutive year the firm has been included among other top coastal architects from around the country. Well-known for their Tropical Modern designs throughout South Florida, this year the firm is working on oceanfront residences in Turks & Caicos and Panama City.
As stated in Ocean Home, “every ocean home is special, and so are our Top 50 Coastal Architects.” The annual list compiles 50 who judges believe possess the unique skills, experience, and sensibilities required to design and build magnificent custom homes close to one of the most beautiful (and unforgiving) forces of nature on Earth—the ocean.
Leading Tropical Modern architects Choeff Levy Fischman have continuously created stunning modern and contemporary homes throughout Miami, Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Golden Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.
One of the firm’s most recently completed projects is located on Palm Island in Miami Beach. This new opulent residence leaves you in awe the moment you step onto its lavish motor court. The two-story home, designed in the architect’s famed Tropical Modern architectural style, provides large living spaces in an open-concept format. It includes floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that open up to the rear deck, blending the indoors with the outdoors. A focal point of the home’s interior is a stunning 460 square foot open-air atrium with floating steps that take you across a shallow pool of water. Additional soul-soothing reflecting ponds and cascading water features are spread throughout the property on all four sides of the residence to emphasize its waterfront location.
To view the full list of top coastal architects, visit OceanHome.

Stantec Featured in INDULGE Design & Real Estate Issue 2019

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Stantec’s Andrew Burnett, Raed Alawadhi, and Aida Sanchez-Gomez were featured in INDULGE’s 2019 Design and Real Estate Issue. They shared their experience, expertise, and insights in the architecture and design industry.

Andrew Burnett, Senior Principal, says Solitair Brickell is a project that stands out as an example of the firm’s work. The building’s unique façade inspired by the Medjool palm tree stands out from other high-rises in the Brickell area. He adds that architecture is transcendent, and it contributes to our collective sense of place connecting us to each other and our environmental ecology. 

When it comes to design, Raed Alawadhi, Senior Interior Designer, is influenced by his travels, especially Europe, because of their way of intervening a modern addition into an old building. Interior design trends he’s currently seeing include golds and rose golds and clients are very drawn to it, he adds.

According to Aida Sanchez-Gomez, Senior Architect, the Bacardi building has made an impact on her design style because it captures the essence of Miami and its people with its fused art and architecture. When it comes to her approach to architecture, she states that she is more concerned with how a project’s design crafts an experience for its occupants. She looks for the story that drives the design, and sometimes it stems from the natural environment or history of the site.

Read more on INDULGE.

Stantec’s LA CLARA Featured in Ocean Home

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Global design and engineering firm, Stantec, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of LA CLARA, a luxury twenty-five story residential building by internationally award-wining developer Great Gulf. The waterfront development is located at 1515 South Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach, Florida.

LA CLARA provides a new twist on Floridian Modernism with expansive terraces, luxury finishes, and unobstructed views. It includes 83 residences comprised of one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 1,500 to more than 4,000 square feet.

“The goal of LA CLARA’s design is to maximize the views towards the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean from every angle of the building,” said Jennifer Llop-Noy, project manager in Stantec’s Miami office. “We’ve accomplished this by staggering the floorplans, implementing a floor-to-ceiling glass envelope and creating exterior living areas for each unit.”

Check out the feature Ocean Home.

Choeff Levy Fischman Backyard Renovation Featured on Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living

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Longtime client, Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture + Design, was recently featured in Luxury Pools Magazine for transforming an outdated Mediterranean-style Miami home into a modern beauty with elegant Spanish Revival notes. The award-winning architects give new meaning to resort-style living with revamped outdoor spaces, including the stunning L-shaped pool and cabanas which were opened up to enhance views.

The home’s indoor-outdoor focus is key to the project’s success, says Ralph Choeff, founding principal of Choeff Levy Fischman. “The new pool, deck, and cabana bring the built environment, as well as the outdoor environment, up to date with fresh aesthetics and integrated functions,” Choeff says. “It also gives the family a more functional space for relaxing and enjoying the bay views.”

Redesigning the backyard involved a major facelift to the swimming pool and deck. The pool’s new L-shaped infinity-edge design, with a catch pool and “floating” steps, is a visual wonder. The indoor-outdoor cabana, complete with Carrara marble accents and a custom wet bar, was previously a guest house.

For more details on the renovation project, read the full story on Luxurypools.com