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Tropical Modern Architecture Catches on in Vero Beach

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Paul Fischman, one of the three partners at the Miami-based, award-winning firm of Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture + Design, was commissioned by Peter Fine of To Better Days Development to design a custom spec home. Located in one of Miami Beach’s most prestigious neighborhoods, the tropical modern mansion was designed with warm, natural materials and an open layout for indoor-outdoor entertaining. Read more about the home featured in Vero Beach Magazine’s Winter 2018 Tropical Homes edition below.

When Peter Fine of To Better Days Development commissioned architect Paul Fischman to design a custom spec house, he had a particular vision in mind. In 2013, Fine had purchased a 28,000-square-foot lot on Biscayne Bay, located in one of Miami Beach’s most prestigious neighborhoods. “North Bay Road has always been one of the most sought-after addresses and was crowned ‘Millionaires Row’ for a reason,” says the company’s executive vice president and project manager, Joshua Young. “It is no coincidence that Miami Beach pioneer and developer Carl Fisher placed his estate on this street.”

The impressive mansions and elegant estates that grace this community routinely attract a who’s who of celebrities, athletes, musicians and industry moguls, all lured by the tropics and Miami’s international cachet. Mere blocks from the vibrant happenings of South Beach and the historical Art Deco district of Ocean Drive, the area’s attractions are many – boating, golfing, shopping and exquisite wining and dining are all just a stone’s throw away.

Architectural styles in this exclusive community run the gamut from Mediterranean revival to Italianate to mid-century modern, but Fine’s vision was clear: He wanted Fischman to design a luxurious, contemporary tropical home constructed of warm, natural materials with clean lines, a modern and open layout and spaces for indoor-outdoor entertaining. He wanted a home that exuded an experiential quality, built with materials and methods that echoed the environment and brought the outside in.

Fischman was up to the task. He is one of three partners in the Miami-based, award-winning from of Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture and Design. With a master’s degree in architecture from University of Miami and a bachelor’s in environmental design from the University of Colorado, he was a perfect fit for the project.

“Environmental design accounts for macro of microclimate, where you’re responding to the environmental features,” Fischman says. Fine’s directive informed his decision to focus on maximizing the natural light while creating a direct connectivity to the tropical environment.

Walking the lot, Fischman and partner Ralph Choeff studied the landscape, the angle and direction of light, and the architectural configuration needed to maximize the panoramic views of the bays and beyond. Fischman says that by extending a leg of the structure out proud of the main residence, they were able to create unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami from the family room and second-level master bedroom suites. And the utilization of the new technology for column-free spans of floor-to-ceiling glass allowed for a seamless, open-concept design that forged a direct connection to the tropical topography. “The way I designed this home is that there are pockets everywhere that can be opened up to the outside and nature,” he says. “The view literally drove every aspect of this home.”

Read the full story on Choeff Levy Fischman’s site.

Choeff Levy Fischman Named Top Coastal Architects

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ohtopOcean Home Magazine’s annual collection of Top 50 Coastal Architects includes some of the most innovative, influential, and prolific architects in the world like Richard Landry, Deborah Berke, and others profiled in the most recent issue.

So, it’s no surprise that Miami-based Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture + Design was selected as one of the greatest for the second year in a row.

Choeff Levy Fischman is a known leader throughout South Florida in the style of Tropical Modern architecture, changing the appearance of Miami’s most prominent residential neighborhoods, such as North Bay Road and the Venetian Islands.

The Miami-based firm has vast experience in designing single-family residences, commercial and residential high-rise buildings, hotels, multi-family developments and shopping plazas. Its clientele consists of executives, athletes and celebrities that wish to accentuate indoor-outdoor living, including Alex Rodriguez, Cher, Edward James Olmos, Matt Damon, Rony Seikaly and Barry Gibb.

Experts in their field, Choeff Levy Fischman emphasizes indoor-outdoor living, using warm elements such as ipe wood, natural stone, concrete, and water features to create high-end tropical environments. The firm has won several design awards, and architecture critics and major publications like Architectural Digest, Wall Street Journal, and Ocean Home Magazine have recognized its work. The firm takes great pride in the high level of design and technical documentation that is maintained throughout every project, and its ability to properly oversee complex projects through construction.

While the its focus has recently been on high-end custom residences, mostly in the Tropical Modern style of architecture, each principal has a varied background with other specialties as well. Ralph Choeff has designed several hotels, which include the Mondrian South Beach and Kimpton Anglers Hotel, as well as housing developments, shopping centers and commercial establishments. Raphael Levy has diverse experience, working on projects that include high-rise design, commercial property and single-family custom residences. Paul Fischman has a background in high-rise architecture, having worked for the prestigious architecture firm Arquitectonica. The firm’s office takes on a studio-like environment where ideas are shared and discussed to produce a final design reflecting the client’s desires.

Committed to continuing education and the licensure process, Choeff Levy Fischman employs university interns, frequently through the University of Cincinnati’s Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) program. Interns work in four-month intervals and learn everything from office practice to generating graphics. They work on real projects producing digital 3D models and participate in the design process, formulating conceptual ideas and schematic design models with the principals. Interns attend meetings with clients, engineers, contractors and city officials as well as make site visits during the construction phase of a project.

In 2016, Choeff Levy Fischman hosted the AIA Miami Young Architects’ Forum at its office. The firm has also lectured at the AIA on the subject of global warming and at Miami-Dade College on the industry in general. It has served on the Miami Beach Design Review Board to help raise the standard of design in the city.

If you’re dreaming to build a one-of-a kind home in an one-of-a kind coastal location, chances are any one of 2017’s Top 50 architects listed here can help turn your dreams into reality.

Miami Beach Mansion Designed by Choeff Levy Fischman Gains National Attention

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7-17-17A spec home on Miami Beach’s North Bay Road, where many celebrities have owned homes, returned to the market this month for $26.95 million.

Designed by Choeff Levy Fischman, the two-story residence features an abundance of expansive glass windows to connect indoor living with the entertaining spaces edging the Biscayne Bay.

The 15,000-square-foot mansion has a 40-foot wide living room, seven bedrooms, as well as nine full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. There is also an indoor-outdoor gym, private yoga deck, an office, a home theater, dining and kitchen and a 600-bottle wine cellar. The exterior of the tropical modern residence features Ipe wood and white stucco finishes, warm limestone cladding and custom Italian doors.

Outdoor amenities include an infinity pool, full-kitchen and cabana, three-car garage, lush landscaping, and a dock with 100 feet of water frontage.

One of the home’s most unique features is a 2,500-square-foot rooftop deck designed for entertaining with views of Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east—a rarity in Miami real estate.

The developer bought the site in 2013 for $6.6 million, according to property records.

North Bay Road is filled with celebrity residents, including NBA player Dwyane Wade, fashion moguls Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

To read the full article, visit Mansion Global.

Choeff Levy Fischman Highlights Tropical Modernism in The Wall Street Journal

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img_3139Forget thatched roofs, flamingo-pink tiles and cheesy wooden carvings. Homeowners in warm-weather climes increasingly want the look of laid-back, low-key luxury.

Tropical modern, as the style is called, combines the clean lines and muted color palette of contemporary design with the exotic woods and stone found in island homes. Many affluent buyers are willing to pay a premium for tropical-modern homes.

The style “is having quite a big revival,” says architect Iain Jackson, a professor at the Liverpool School of Architecture in the U.K. who studies tropical architecture. He says the look is popular in Hawaii, Bali, the Maldives and other high-end destinations, where it has “taken on a much more glamorous and seductive high-end feel.” At the same time, he says, the designs “are borrowing from local vernacular traditions.”

Homeowners are starting to ask for tropical modern homes by name, says Paul Fischman, partner at Choeff Levy Fischman, a Miami-based architecture firm that specializes in the style. Mr. Fischman brings exterior materials such as limestone inside for a more cohesive look between indoor and outdoor living. Colors are cool whites or beige. The designs are the opposite of the colorful Art Deco homes once popular in the city, he says. “There’s no flamingo pink,” he adds.

In Miami, attorney Howard Srebnick was inspired by Balinese architecture to build a tropical-modern home in place of a run-down Mediterranean-style home that had been on the property. To maximize the views of Biscayne Bay, Mr. Srebnick worked with architects at Choeff Levy Fischman to design a home where the “emphasis was on the outside,” he says. Mr. Srebnick, 54, spent nearly $3 million to build the five-bedroom, 9,600-square-foot home, where he lives with his wife, Sharon, and two school-age children.

Read the full Wall Street Journal story here.

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The changing face of Miami Beach’s Di Lido Island: Choeff Levy Fischman has 14 properties either completed, under construction or under design

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Take a drive through Miami Beach’s Venetian Islands and you’ll notice a quiet transformation taking place compared to years past. On Di Lido, the third Venetian island from the east, about 15 homes are under construction, older homes are for sale, and vacant lots are on the market.

The island is a snapshot of the current movement in Miami Beach to tear down older homes and build modern mansions.

Architecture firm Choeff Levy Fischman, which has designed the South Florida residences of several celebrities and international business leaders, has 14 properties either completed, under construction or under design on Di Lido. Those completed include 212 West Dilido, 303 East Dilido Drive and 440 West Dilido Drive.  Architect Paul Fischman recently toured the island with The Real Deal.

Read the full Real Deal story here