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Architects in Miami are known for creating modern designs that fit seamlessly into their surroundings. These architects are masters at combining both minimalism and boldness to create stunning homes.
Founded by Rafael Portuondo and Jose Luis Gonzales-Perotti, Portuondo Perotti Architects uses European design elements to produce timeless structures. Their portfolio includes residential and commercial projects in Florida.
STRANG Architecture
STRANG Architecture is a Miami-based firm that’s known for its preeminent modernist design. The company’s ability to create stunning architectural designs while maintaining an acute awareness of the surrounding environment has come to define its work under the creative direction of Max Strang FAIA.
The studio founder’s own early exposure to that mid-century modernist movement – he grew up in a home designed by legendary architect and movement founder Gene Leedy – resulted in a deep respect for structures that are intimately connected to their surroundings as they celebrate the Florida climate. That’s the premise behind their first monograph, Environmental Modernism: The Architecture of [STRANG].
This family house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, embodies the studio’s explorations on “regional or environmental modernism by adapting a rectilinear frame with site-specific and climate-specific considerations.” It’s the balance between hard materials (like concrete and keystone) and soft natural surroundings (in the shape of a rich architectural garden) that defines it. The home’s interior space is well thought-out and detailed, while outdoor living spaces and paved pathways make the most of its tropical setting.
Federico Delrosso Architects
In the Key Biscayne area of Miami, Federico Delrosso Architects has created Villa RL, an elegant and minimalist home. The volumes that compose it intersect and interact with each other, creating an intense interplay of spaces that are anything but commonplace.
Delrosso’s work is characterized by the coherent combination of detail, quality and attentiveness to Nature and its organic elements as well as respect for the historic quality of the buildings being renovated or restructured. This is accentuated by a precise and experimental use of materials, such as unexpected combinations of iron, glass, wood, stone, Corian and ad hoc finishings.
Delrosso’s ability to identify with his commissioner enables him to seek out the best possible functional and aesthetic solution, characterized by the unique enthusiasm and curiosity that guides his modus operandi in every project. This, together with a strong interest in new technologies and materials, ensures that the architect’s projects are not just well-designed but also highly original.
Fernandez Architecture
Miami is a city that showcases a wide array of architectural styles, from Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean villas to modern homes designed for Florida’s sunny climate. But if you’re looking for an architect that pushes the boundaries of minimalist designs, look no further than Fernandez Architecture.
In her work, Magdalena Fernandez is influenced by the philosophy of Fronzoni and his need to focus on essential things while removing redundant effects. She also draws inspiration from her surroundings, sounds (birds and frogs), light, and movement.
Her titles often refer to the artist’s initials, such as iPM for installation Piet Mondrian. Her titles have also included the scientific name of birds or frogs in parenthesis, such as 1pm006, “Ara ararauna.”
As her work developed, Fernandez moved beyond two-dimensional drawings on paper and three-dimensional structures to explore more idiosyncratic mediums, including mobile paintings and drawings, and video animation. In this way, she continues to draw from her training in Fronzoni’s workshop as well as her interest in LeWitt and other artists who have embraced the concept of repetitive, minimal structuring.
Brillhart House
Located in Miami, Florida, Brillhart House is a minimalist house embedded into a verdant landscape. It’s a rare architectural phenomenon.
The house is the creation of husband-and-wife architects Jacob and Melissa Brillhart. Designed to blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, this award-winning house is a perfect example of tropical modernism.
For this 1,500 square foot home, the Brillharts dipped into Florida’s architecture heritage to design and build. Inspired by American glass pavilion typology, Dog Trot (or breezeway) houses, and principles of Florida Modernism, the couple created a tropical refuge that seamlessly blends elements of traditional and contemporary designs.
Using a back-to-basics approach, the firm focused on practicality, sustainability, and site responsiveness. The result is a minimalist, energy-efficient building that celebrates the tropical setting of the property and evokes a sense of simple, tropical life.