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


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

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.

ICA Miami & Stantec Presented Climate Change, Art, and Architecture Panel Discussion


On Thursday, October 10th, ICA Miami in collaboration with Stantec hosted a discussion panel on Climate Change, Art, and Architecture. The event took place at the Miami Design District Palm Court.
Continuing ICA Miami’s dedication to understanding urgent environmental issues, this panel explored how anthropogenic effects apply pressure to architectural design and cultural production. It was led by renowned architectural critic Beth Dunlop. Panelists included John Malueg, manager of Stantec’s resiliency program; David Rifkind, interim chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design at Florida International University; Elizabeth Wheaton, City of Miami Beach’s Director of the Environment & Sustainability Department; and Xavier Cortada, environmental artists and Professor of Practice at the University of Miami.  The panel also explored the concept of resiliency and the role of architects and artists in mitigating cultural, social, and environmental degradation.

MCAD’s BAM Program Helps Mom Start A New Career

A program of Miami Center for Architecture and Design, Black Architects in the Making was launched by M.C. Harry & Associates to increase African American representation in architecture.

An architectural project manager at M.C. Harry & Associates, Naomi Harrison has already increased their representation through her mentorship of Bernise Muhammad, a BAM mom who went from being on the sidelines to now pursuing a career in architecture at Florida International University.

CBS 4 visited a recent BAM workshop where they learned more about Naomi and Bernise’s relationship and the work BAM is doing in the community.

A Miami woman is on a new career path in architecture thanks to a program designed for students.

Naomi Harrison is an architectural project manager at M C Harry & Associates, which created Black Architects in the Making, also known as BAM.

BAM was created to introduce and educate middle and high school students, primarily African American, to the world of architecture.

Harrison has been involved with BAM for several years, helping expose youngsters to architecture but also working to diversify the industry.

“One of the underrepresented in the industry is also females. 18-percent of architects are females but only .04-percent of the architects in the state identify as black female Americans,” explained Harrison.

Harrison along with other associates go into communities where African Americans live, work, and play and talk to them about architecture.

It was at one of the workshops where she met Bernise Muhammad, the parent of one of the students. For more information, visit CBS4

Stantec Featured in INDULGE Design & Real Estate Issue 2019

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.

Choeff Levy Fischman Selected for Designer of the Year Awards and are Winners of International Property Awards

Each year, HGTV goes on the hunt for its Designer of the Year. This year, our client Choeff Levy Fischman was selected as a finalist for the national competition’s Dramatic Before + After category – the only Miami firm selected in 2019. The chosen project was a former Mediterranean-style residence built in 2002 which the architects transformed into a more modern resort-style living Miami Beach home.

The award-wining architects conducted extensive renovations to the interiors to modernize the outdated layout and architecture. They also completely transformed the home’s backyard area by redesigning the swimming pool, deck, guest house, and outdoor cabana.

To vote for Choeff Levy Fischman, check out  HGTV.com and vote for ‘Updated Mediterranean Villa in Miami’.

It’s been an exciting month couple of weeks for the firm as another one of their stunning designs was also selected as a winner in the Architecture Single Family category by the International Property Awards. Choeff Levy Fischman’s design of a Palm Island residence in collaboration with their client Aquablue Group will be recognized at the October awards ceremony in Toronto.

The home features the architects’ signature Tropical Modern architectural style with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living and several water features along with wide open interior and exterior spaces that seamlessly blend the interior and exterior environments.

Congratulations!

Stantec’s LA CLARA Featured in Ocean Home

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.

Berenblum Busch Architects Designs New Fro-Yo Store Concept in Wynwood

Miami-based architecture and interior design firm, Berenblum Busch Architects, has reimagined a former warehouse in Wynwood into the future frozen yogurt shop, g.l.o.w. The first U.S. location, all proceeds from the store will benefit the girl empowerment nonprofit, Global G.L.O.W. (Girls Leading Our World.)

BBA’s design captures the power of femininity and celebrates young girls and the story of the nonprofit.

Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood is set to welcome new F&B concept g.l.ow., a frozen yogurt shop launched by female empowerment nonprofit Girls Leading Our World (G.L.O.W.). All proceeds from the store will benefit the nonprofit.

Local firm Berenblum Busch Architects conceived the design through a feminine lens. Beyond the façade mural by local artist Tatiana Suarez, the contemporary, minimalist setting will be adorned with coral, pink, and peach hues.

The 200-square-foot space embraces its industrial origins with exposed ceilings and concrete flooring. A large gallery wall will showcase photography the Global G.L.O.W. community. Planters and a polka dot-patterned canopy will be installed as well.

Read the full story on Hospitality Design.

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

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

Stantec Featured in INDULGE Design & Real Estate Issue 2019

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.