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client, Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture + Design, was recently featured in Luxury Pools Magazine for transforming an outdated Mediterranean-style Miami home into a modern beauty with elegant Spanish Revival notes.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

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.

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.

The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce 7th Annual City National Bank Better Beach Awards Winners

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The Better Beach Awards honors the people, projects, and places that make Miami Beach a better place. Talented architects and designers are recognized for their work in preserving historical properties and designing innovative commercial and residential spaces. This year our clients Choeff Levy Fischman, KoDA, and Stantec were recipients of these awards.

Choeff Levy Fischman won Silver for Historic Preservation of their 27 Star Island project. The original structures were built during 1924 and 1926. CLF and the current owner worked very closely with the City of Miami Beach for several years to develop a plan to preserve and restore the historic structures, while allowing for a sizable development site for a new residence on the east end of the property. In an effort to preserve the historic home, the owner elected to demolish all non-historic additions, and physically relocate the historic structures to another area of the site, where they will be remediated and restored.

Wesley Kean, Principal and Founder of KoDA, won “Next Gen” Gold Award along with an Innovation Architecture/Residential Gold award for Meridian Court Residence. The house was designed to maximize outdoor space, while honoring the programmatic requirements of the family. It is comprised of a sequence of interior and exterior, public and private spaces that reveal themselves as one progresses through the site. By utilizing warm materials and referencing local and historical context, the design of this home becomes a cohesive addition to the neighborhood.

Lastly, Stantec won a Silver Innovative Design Award/Commercial for the interiors of Wix’s 24,000 square-foot office and technical center. Stantec created a space that is not only technologically innovative but also bright and colorful with ample lounge areas where staff can interact and unwind.  Design details included polished concrete floors and open exposed ceilings. Light wood tones and pops of yellow, green, orange and blue colors provided employees with a tropical feel.  There are bright green swings in the reception, cabana-style “hang out” spaces and a living wall at the entrance made of green moss displaying the Wix logo while also bringing the outside in. 

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.