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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.

Al-Farooq Corporation Provides Largest Glass System in South Florida for New Dealership

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Our client, Al-Farooq Corporation has played a vital role in the conceptual design and value engineering for North Miami’s new Warren Henry Auto Group showroom. The project, set to be completed in 2020, features a unique frameless high-impact storefront glass system with the largest single-glass panels approved and tested in South Florida.

Al-Farooq Corporation was brought onto the project to provide shop drawings and calculations including architectural plans and elevations. In addition, Al-Farooq Corporation prepared the testing program and product approval for the new system.

The development will include the largest single glass panel approved and tested for the South Florida market. Each span of glass measures 15 ½ feet tall x nearly 8 feet wide. With no vertical aluminum profiles, the glass system provides unobstructed views.

It is the first time a glass system of this size has been used in South Florida.  A total of 1,115 square feet of glass will be used for the project’s storefront.

For more information, read Glassonweb.com.

PCCSF’s Dr. Allan Greissman Discusses the Dangers of Inhaling Helium with Local 10

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At some point, most people have sucked helium out of a balloon to make their voices squeaky. The seemingly harmless party trick – which is especially popular among children – is anything but.

When someone inhales helium, their body cannot absorb oxygen which causes asphyxiation. Helium toxicity is not a common problem, but when it does happen, the results can be serious and even life-threatening.

Nine-year-old Tuesdai Joyner learned the dangers of this activity first-hand while at a birthday party last month. After inhaling helium to make her voice squeaky, she collapsed and suffered a seizure. Dr. Allan Greissman of Pediatric Critical Care of South Florida shared Tuesdai’s story, and the dangers of inhaling helium, with Local 10.

Hear what he had to say here.

The Positive Effects of Good Storytelling

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Former Pediatric Critical Care of South Florida patient Xander Nunez has a special place in our hearts. A heart transplant recipient at just four months old, we shared his incredible survival story with the Sun-Sentinel earlier this year in honor of National Heart Month.  The South Florida media channel showed interest in his story and proceeded to interview his mother and our client Dr. Gerald Lavandosky. His story ran in the paper’s print and online versions in February.

Michele McCauley, owner of BurgerFi in Boca Raton Pointe, reached out to the Hopkins-Nuñez family and offered to host a fundraiser for them after reading the article. As a registered nurse, she knows how high healthcare costs can get. But McCauley was able to relate to the family’s story on a more personal level as well.

“I also had a baby who had a heart defect that passed away and I know the stress you’re going through,” she said.

On April27,  a week before Xander’s first birthday, BurgerFi hosted the day-long fundraiser.

“When there’s something wrong with a child, your whole world falls apart and the stress is just insurmountable, and you would change places with that child to make that issue go away. So I always try to reach out to people, if I read it in the Sun Sentinel or see it on TV, I try and reach out to them,” she said.

This recent case study is just one example of how the power of storytelling and visibility can have a meaningful impact on someone’s life.

MCAD Hosts 2nd Annual Urban Warrior Awards

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The Miami Center for Architecture & Design promotes awareness and appreciation of the ways in which architecture and urban design influence and enhance the quality of life in our community.

On Thursday, May 16, join MCAD as they host the 2nd Annual Urban Warrior Awards and recognize those individuals who have made strides to improve Miami’s urban landscape.

The 2019 honorees are:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Six-term Miami Mayor, Maurice A. Ferré
  • Visionary Award: Urban Impact Lab Co-Founder, Marta Viciedo
  • Visionary Award: Barlington Group Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Bill Fuller
  • Visionary Award: Barlington Group Co-Founder/Co-Managing Partner, Martin Pinilla II

The Urban Warrior Awards will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Silverspot Cinema, 300 SE 3rd St. #100 Miami, FL 33131.

Click here to register for the event.

Choeff Levy Fischman Waterfront Stunner Featured on Curbed

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Miami-based architects Choeff Levy Fischman have delivered yet another waterfront masterpiece. Situated on Miami Beach’s coveted Di Lido Island, the residence features a rare post-tension structural system typically found in high-rise developments.

The $18.8 million residence captures CLF’s signature Tropical Modern style through the use of repetitive board-formed concrete, wood, and exotic stone both indoors and outdoors.

Miami is full of over-the-top real estate listings, from celebrity listings to island abodes. The latest to cross our desk is this seven-bedroom, eight-bath stunner situated on Miami Beach’s Di Lido Island. Designed by architects Choeff Levy Fischman and first on the market last October, the 7,828-square-foot house recently took a $1,200,000 price cut.

The unique home uses a post-tension structural system usually found in high-rise developments; the system eliminates the use of structural beams and allows for maximized ceiling heights on multiple levels. It also takes advantage of the home’s best asset: Unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay.

For more information, visit Curbed.

Earth-Minded: Green-Friendly Designs By OBR Clients

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Earth Day is celebrated yearly around the world on April 22. The event, which was first celebrated in 1970, supports initiatives aimed at protecting our environment. Architects and designers play a major role in creating built environments that honor and preserve our environment.

On this Earth Day, we’re highlighting our clients’ projects that take into consideration our environment when designing projects across the world.

Tenerife Cruise Terminal

Designed by Berenblum Busch Architects, the Tenerife Cruise Terminal in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, was designed to be a state-of-the art passenger terminal. An adaptive re-use project, the new terminal became the first building to obtain the European Class A Highest Energy Savings Classification in Tenerife. BBA’s design of the terminal reduced the CO2 emissions by 60 percent, and 100,000 Euros in annual electrical savings.

6480 Allison Road Residence

This waterfront Miami Beach residence is yet another stunner designed by Choeff Levy Fischman. One breathtaking feature of the design is the open atrium with two 20-foot living walls. The atrium allows direct views to the water and the living areas from the interior open kitchen. When all sliding walls are open, the kitchen has direct connection through the residence to the exterior features and views taking full advantage of South Florida’s tropical climate.

Midtown 29

The 309-unit Midtown 29 is designed by architecture and design firm, Stantec. The residential building was awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for its sustainable design and environmental performance. Midtown 29 achieved this classification by including green features like Nest® thermostats, solar shades, LED lighting throughout, energy-efficient appliances, electric car charging stations, recycling in every floor, living green walls, low VOC paints and reclaimed wood.

Solitair Brickell

The latest luxury high-rise gracing Miami’s evolving skyline, Solitair Brickell was designed by Stantec. Solitair was created with environmental concerns in mind and has received Silver certification by the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The design and orientation avoid direct sunlight and solar radiation. Interior materials, such as paint, carpets, adhesives and sealants are low emitting to maintain optimum indoor air. Green features, such as low VOC paints, recycled glass, wood and quartz were used throughout the interior of the building.

Aviation Resource Group

Designed by Miami Beach-based architecture and design firm, KoDA, the new headquarters for Aviation Resource Group brings nature into the workplace. The design of the 3,300 square foot office connects and enhances the abundance of existing sub-tropical landscape. A combination of Gumbo Limbo trees and century-old Oaks contrast the building’s rigid, steel structure.

Berenblum Busch Architects Unveils Carnival Corp’s First Cruise Terminal in Japan at Seatrade Cruise Global

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From April 8-11, The Miami Beach Convention Center hosted Seatrade Cruise Global, the world’s largest gathering for the cruise industry’s most significant players. This year, local architecture firm Berenblum Busch Architects, a well-known and respected force in the industry, was represented by its two Founding Principals Gustavo Berenblum and Claudia Busch. During the event, the duo unveiled a 3-D model of the firm’s design of Carnival Corporation’s first cruise terminal in Sasebo, Japan, Uragashira Cruise Terminal.

Nestled between Sasebo Bay and the area’s mountains, the cruise terminal’s design is inspired by Sasebo’s culture, its building traditions, geography, and low-scale surrounding. BBA’s 3D model illustrated their Zen and minimal design approach and highlighted the terminal’s focal point: a curving roof that extends past the building and out toward the lush hills that make the serene scenic environment.

Uragashira Cruise Terminal is expected to be operational by 2020, ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

For more information on BBA’s design, please visit Cruise & Ferry.

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.