2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR < nominee < nominee Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Suria Yaffar, Assoc. AIA, LEED® AP AIA Membership # 30002919

Design is a series of choices, and We consistently search for the architecture represents a commitment optimum means to connect a building “ to those choices. It is the ultimate “ with the community. The greater conclusion — conceptually and the architecture’s contribution to materially. the community, the more its value is — Bernard Zyscovich enhanced. ” ” — Suria Yaffar

As Managing Principal of Zyscovich Architects, Bernard Bernard founded his firm in 1977, and since then, has become Suria Yaffar, Assoc. AIA, LEED® AP, Principal and Director She was a lecturer for many years in the University of Miami’s Zyscovich leads his 130+-person firm in probing the parameters an integral part of the South Florida architectural community. of Design, has been with the firm since 1997. During that Architecture Department and an associate professor at Florida of design innovation. A dedicated urbanist, Bernard is The firm is devoted to improving urban neighborhoods time she has overseen projects ranging from the design of International University. She is an associate member of the committed to design that reinforces the cultural, commercial, through the application of Real Urbanism, which creates an multifamily high-rise towers to the master planning of many American Institute of Architects, a member of the American and recreational opportunities of the urban fabric. authentic environment by providing design solutions for livable new and redeveloped neighborhoods. Planning Association, and a member of the Urban Land communities with diverse populations, cultural amenities, and Institute. Bernard has given lectures on his theories of Real Urbanism economic vitality. Working with both public agencies and Working closely with the firm’s managing principal, Bernard to a variety of groups including the Miami Development private developers, Bernard has endeavored to redevelop Zyscovich, Suria has contributed to the firm’s emphasis on Summit, the Urban Land Institute, the National Association of and revitalize a broad range of communities throughout the innovation in design as well as the development of its theory Homebuilders, Southwest Florida AIA Conference on Design, United States. of Real Urbanism. She leads the firm's urban planning team and the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association. and, as such, has been instrumental in the success and growth He has also received numerous awards for his planning and After studying urban design at the Universita’ di Architettura of the firm's planning practice. architecture. Among them the AIA Award of Excellence in in Venice, Italy, Mr. Zyscovich received his architecture degree Architecture for 500 Block of Collins, Miami Beach; AIA at New York’s Pratt Institute. Ms. Yaffar received her Bachelor of Architecture from the Award of Excellence in Architecture for Mirador Garage, University of Miami and her Master of Architecture from Miami Beach; AIA Unbuilt Honor Award for Downtown Miami Princeton University. DDA Master Plan, Miami and the AIA Unbuilt Merit Award for Hollywood Beach Master Plan, Hollywood Beach.

[ 500 Block ] [ Lincoln Cinema ] [ Mirador Garage ] [ 2 Midtown ] [ Park Square at Doral ] [ Flamingo South Beach ] 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR < nominee < nominee Jose Murguido, AIA Anabella Smith, ID Magnificent things are happening Whether envisioning an unanticipated in education today because of material for a window sill or applying technology--changing program “ “ an unexpected fabric or color to a considerations and spacial chair, we are focused on detail, on configurations. Classrooms have providing finesse. We design not become ‘smarter’ because they only for the space, but for the mood are globally interconnected, and and feel and quality of experience of students can talk to others around those who inhabit it. the globe. ” — Jose Murguido ”— Anabella Smith Mr. Murguido is Vice President in charge of Architectural Jose’s specialized experience includes architectural design, Anabella Smith, Principal and Director of Interior Design of Ms. Smith was born in Venezuela, attended Universidad Services and leads the firm’s Education and Municipal practice. planning, educational prototype development, the survey and Zyscovich Architects, has been an integral part of the firm Simon Bolivar in Caracas for a Major in Architecture, and His understanding of public agencies and their special analysis of existing facilities, determining appropriate locations since she joined the team in 1993. During that time she has received a Bachelor of Architectural Technology from requirements for timely performance, clear communications of future buildings, analyzing current and future space needs, overseen projects ranging from the interior design of multi- Florida International University. She has lectured at Florida and standard procedures has been a key ingredient to the and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. family high-rise towers to the space planning and interior International University on Design and Sustainability for the firm’s growth as one of Florida’s leaders in educational facility design of large of office facilities. Architecture and Interior Design Department. Ms. Smith design. A graduate of New York’s Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of was awarded the Interior Designer of the Year in 2004 by Architecture, Jose is a member of the American Institute Working closely with the firm’s managing principal, Bernard the American Institute of Architects for her excellence in His experience encompasses a wide variety of public sector of Architects, the Florida Educational Facility Planners’ Zyscovich, and her diverse and dynamic interior’s team, leadership and notable architecture and interior design facilities from elementary, middle and high schools to Association, and the Council for Educational Facility Planners, Anabella has contributed to the firm’s emphasis on innovation work. university buildings and community centers. Since 1985, International. and leadership through a commitment to design that Jose has been either the Principal in Charge or the Project minimizes environmental impact and emphasizes the Manager for all of our educational and municipal projects. His integration of efforts. Her involvement ranges from the experience includes over 100 educational facilities. actual operation of a space to its environmental performance and sustainability.

[ FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center ] [ Miami High ] [ State School BBB-1 North Miami Senior High ] [ Broward Government Center West ] [Sardinia Restaurant ] [ Mirador ] 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR summary > Written statement Written statement < summary

FIRM HISTORY As Founder and Managing Principal of Zyscovich Architects, urban opportunities. His essays have appeared in numerous byword, the firm recognized the imperative to pursue Chamber of Commerce, the Coral Gables Chamber of Bernard Zyscovich, AIA, has led his practice to prominence magazines including Urban Land and Multifamily Housing. sustainable design. This was a vital effort for South Florida Commerce, the Latin Builder’s Association, United Way, Hands in urban design, master planning, architecture, interior His book “Getting Real about Urbanism: Contextual Design for where the subtropical geography, which is distinct from other on Miami, the Human Services Coalition, The Wolfsonian/FIU design, landscape architecture and sustainable initiatives. He Cities” will be published by the ULI in the Fall of 2008. regions of the country, makes achieving comfort reliant on the Museum and a variety of local cultural organizations. founded his firm in Miami in 1977 out of the desire to produce creation of cooler, drier air within. The firm’s pursuit of a holistic impact through ideas, aesthetic expression, and technological Zyscovich has applied Real Urbanism to the development of approach to development is aimed at providing a blueprint for The firm also has an active in-house educational program— innovation. Along the way, Bernard has added partners that brownfield urban neighborhoods, new suburban neighborhoods, sustainable culture in hot, humid climates that is applicable to Zyscovich University—that schedules regular classes on have contributed greatly to the firm’s growth and success and, in ecologically sensitive environments, and as urban infill. In each planning, architecture, landscape design, and engineering. For technical and special interest issues. the process, the firm has become a leader in both the profession context, the work has addressed the essential elements of example, the firm was among the first in Florida to encourage its and the South Florida community. urban vitality, honored authentic origins, and extended value professionals to become LEED® Accredited Professionals and AIA and IDP throughout surrounding environs. In 2007, the ULI Southeast adopt the tenets of sustainable design. Each project includes As past president of AIA Miami, Bernard has also encouraged Zyscovich has grown its staff to 130+, added an office in Florida/Caribbean District Council presented the firm with its sustainable components and clients are encouraged to register others to get involved. Currently the firm has two staff members New York, and continued to work on a variety of projects first-ever Project of the Year Vision Award for Grove Garden their projects for LEED® certification. on the AIA Miami board (Kricket Snow, VP, and Joseph Benesh, for residential, commercial, educational, municipal and Condominium. The Vision Award honors individuals and real Assoc. Director) and others who participate in committees and transportation uses, many of which have garnered awards from estate projects from Southeast Florida that exemplify ULI’s programs on a regular basis. In 2007, Bernard was given the organizations such as AIA Miami, Florida AIA, the Urban mission of providing leadership in the responsible use of land Community and Professional Service AIA Miami’s highest honor, The Silver Medal. Land Institute, and the Florida Educational Facilities Planners and in creating and sustaining thriving communities. The firm has a long history of giving back to the community and Association. For example, in 2007, Zyscovich received five supports many staff members, from principals to interns, in their Our IDP policy has been to encourage and support our intern Honor Awards from AIA Florida. Congruent with the growth of the firm’s urban practice, its volunteer and educational efforts. Bernard has served on the architects in a number of ways. The firm currently helps with academic expertise was expanding. Led by partner, Jose City of Miami Urban Development Review Board, the Miami the cost of exams and, as a program of Zyscovich University, As the urban nature of the firm’s practice matured, the theory Murguido, Zyscovich has become a leader in the design of Beach Design Review Board, and is a Past Chairman of the organizes classes and study groups. In addition, intern architects behind a planning method the firm calls Real Urbanism sustainable and prototype educational facilities. One of the Miami Design Preservation League, the historic preservation are given the opportunity to work on numerous phases of a developed offering an alternative approach to preventing first sustainable public schools in Florida, Pine Jog Elementary/ group responsible for establishing the Art Deco District of project from design to construction administration. In addition, suburban sprawl, developing economic opportunity, and Environmental Education Center is currently under construction, Miami Beach. Cheryl Jacobs, the firm’s Director of Community as part of our involvement with Hands on Miami and the Arts building community consensus. Real Urbanism, an intuitive, scheduled for completion in 2008. It is a joint project between Relations, serves on the boards of several organizations and Business Council, staff is given a variety of opportunities common sense means of enhancing the both the planning the Palm Beach School District and Florida Atlantic University including serving as Vice Chair of the ULI Southeast Florida/ to meet community service requirements. and design processes, is based on the discovery of origin and and will apply for LEED® Silver certification. Caribbean District Council. Other community and professional invention of new possibilities. Bernard’s writing, lectures, organizations in which the firm has active involvement include: and community forums further elucidate the democratic and As a matter of fact, well before Green became a popular the Florida Educational Facilities Planners Association, the economic feasibility of bringing into view the full spectrum of Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Miami Beach 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR publications > < publications

Publications Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Author George Pelletier Title The Techniques for Real Urbanism Title Design Visionaries Publication/publication date Book to be Published – 2007 by Urban Land Publication/publication date Florida International Magazine, July/August 2002 Institute (ULI) Author n/a Author Compilation of Noted Work by L’arca Edizioni Title Immerse Yourself in Design, Lincoln Cinema Title Zyscovich, Inc. Publication/publication date Interior Design Magazine, Feb 2002 Publication/publication date Winter 2006 Author Booth Tarkinton Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Title South Beach, The Nation’s Urban Laboratory for Title Sustainable Hedonism, The South Beach Formula Parking Facility Design for Urban Vitality Publication/publication date The Parking Professional, August 2001 Publication/publication date Preface to South Beach Style by Laura Cerwinske Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, New York, 2001 Author n/a Title The Achiever Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Publication/publication date Miami Today, June 3, 1999 Title Parking or Urban Placemaking? Publication/publication date Multifamily Trends, Spring 2004 Author n/a Title Quick Takes: Facelift for the DuPont Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Publication/publication date Miami Business, October, 1998 Title A Miami Midtown Publication/publication date Multifamily Trends, Winter 2004 Author n/a Title Award Winning and Other Outstanding Buildings Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Publication/publication date American School & University, November, 1997 Title Infill Density Publication/publication date Urban Land, June 2003 Author n/a Title Capital Bank Reorganizing, Consolidating at Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Three Sites Title Urban Infill Solutions Publication/publication date Miami Today, February 6, 1997 Publication/publication date Multifamily Trends, Winter 2003 Author n/a Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Title Pediatric Flagship: A ‘Clinical’ Example of Design- Title A Vision of the Miami River Build Excellence Publication/publication date The Miami Herald, December 1986 Publication/publication date View on Design, Spring, 1996

Author Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Author Beth Dunlop Title The River, Our Most Potent Urbanizing Force Title Lincoln Road Cinema Design Ranked Publication/publication date The City Slant, (Quarterly) Published by Miami- Publication/publication date The Miami Herald, July 12, 1994 Dade Community College Wolfson Campus, Spring 1986 Author n/a Title FIU’s $85 Million Expansion Begins Author Editor Publication/publication date The Miami Herald, March 5, 1994 Title Visionaries Publication/publication date Lincoln Road, Spring 2004 Author n/a Title Toussaint L’Ouverture Elementary Author William Brantley Publication/publication date Architecture, January 1991 Title Dialogue: Development and Design Publication/publication date Urban Land, November/December 2003 Author n/a Title AIA Award for Excellence, 1990: Toussaint Author Sondra Schneider L’Ouverture Elementary School Title Buena Vista: Miami’s Newest Utopia Publication/publication date Florida Architecture, July/August 1990 Publication/publication date ocean Drive, The Gold Coast Report, Trends in South Florida Real Estate, June 2003 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR publications > < awards

awards Author n/a ULI Southeast Florida/Caribbean 2007 Title Toussaint L’Ouverture Elementary School Vision Award Sponsored by AIA & American Association of Grove Garden School Administrators Publication/publication date AASA – AIA Exhibition of School Architecture AIA Florida 2007 Award of Excellence in Architecture Author n/a 500 Block of Collins Title Sueño Entre las Palmeras: The Miami Residence of Maurice & Mercedes Ferre AIA Florida 2007 Publication/publication date A.D. (Architectural Digest International Award of Excellence in Architecture Publication), November 1989 Mirador Garage

Author Beth Dunlop AIA Florida 2007 Title Lively Arts Section, Big Steps for Little Haiti-Bold Unbuilt Honor Award New Buildings Signal Hope for Neighborhood’s Downtown Miami DDA Master Plan Resurgence Publication/publication date The Miami Herald, November 5, 1989 AIA Florida 2007 Unbuilt Merit Award Author n/a Hollywood Beach Master Plan Title Coconut Grove Tudor: The Miami Residence of Maurice & Mercedes Ferre NAHB Multifamily 2007 Publication/publication date Architectural Digest, February 1989 Finalist for Best Mid-Rise Condominium Community of the Year The Meridian Author n/a Title DuFresne & Bradley: Zyscovich & Grafton’s Design Contractors Resource Center’s 2006 for Miami Law Firm Dissents from Convention Third Annual “A Night with the Stars” Publication/publication date Interior Design, May 1987 Outstanding Architectural Firm

Author n/a Contractors Resource Center’s 2006 Title AIA Award for Excellence 1986, 21st Street Third Annual “A Night with the Stars” Community Center Outstanding Individual in an Architectural/Engineering Firm, Bernard Zyscovich, AIA Publication/publication date Florida Architect, October 1986 Developers and Builder’s Alliance 2006 Author n/a Community Advancement Awards Title N.W. District Police Station Sponsored By AIA & Architectural Firm of the Year American Correctional Association Publication/publication date AIA Exhibit of Architecture for Justice, Developers and Builder’s Alliance 2006 November 1986 Community Advancement Awards Real Urbanism Visionary Award, Midtown Author n/a Title Law Offices for DuFresne & Bradley The Miami Design Preservation League 2005 Publication/publication date Florida Bar Journal, April 1986 Best New Construction in the Historic District The Meridian Author n/a Title Best of Competition IBD Award, The American AIA Miami 2005 Way Café Award of Excellence in Architecture Publication/publication date Interior Design Magazine, November 1984 500 Block of Collins

AIA Miami 2005 Award of Excellence in Architecture Flamingo South Beach 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR awards > < awards

AIA Miami 2005 FAPA Gold Coast Section 2003 Award of Excellence in Architecture-for Interiors Outstanding Urban Design Study Crystal Plaza The Village at Sailboat Bend

AIA Miami 2005 APA 2002 Honorable Mention Planning Award for Outstanding Transportation Project 2 Midtown FEC Corridor, Strategic Redevelopment Plan, Miami

FAPA Gold Coast Section 2005 APA 2001 Award of Excellence Main Street Design Standards Planning Award for Outstanding Architectural Project City of Coconut Creek Convention Center Hotel Complex-16th Street, Miami Beach

AIA Florida 2005 FAPA Gold Coast Section 2001 Unbuilt Honor Award Planning Award for Outstanding Historical Renovation Project Master Plan for Midtown Miami, Parcel 2 and Entertainment Block St. Moritz

Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2005 AIA Florida 2001 Crystal Plaza Award of Merit in Architecture Lincoln Cinema Excellence in Construction ABC 2004 Tarmac AIA Florida 2000 Associated Builders & Contractors Award of Excellence in Architecture China Grill Restaurant FAPA Gold Coast Section 2004 Outstanding Urban Design Project or Study AIA Miami 1999 Hollywood Young Circle Architect of the Year Bernard Zyscovich, AIA APA 2004 Outstanding Urban Design Project or Study AIA Miami 1999 Midtown Miami Honor Award of Excellence in Urban Design Anchor Place Garage & Shops AIA Miami 2004 Honorable Mention AIA Miami 1999 Mirador Garage Honor Award of Excellence in Architecture Lincoln Cinema Florida Builders Association 2004 Merit Award Miami Design Preservation League 1999 Flamingo South Beach Recognition Award for New Design Lincoln Cinema Pyramid Award 2004 Excellence in Construction Trust for Historic Preservation 1987 Shops at South Beach Award for Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse 21st Street Community Center, Miami Beach NAHB, 2003 Pillars of the Industry Finalist AIA 1986 Mirador Award of Excellence 21st Street Community Center Midnight Affair 2003 Design Excellence Award for Best Hospitality Project AIA 1986 Mirador Exhibit of Architecture for Justice Northwest District Police Station FAPA Gold Coast Section 2003 Outstanding Urban Design Study 17th Street Study 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > 21st Street Community Center exhibits > 21st Street Community Center

(LEFT PAGE) Entrance and Courtyard (TOP) Sideview (BOTTOM: left to right) Checkers Park Multi-purpose Room

21st Street Community Center Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : City of Miami Beach Completed 1985

The Miami Beach Community Center was originally shell. Newly designed were the chess/checkers club pavilion, constructed in 1916 as the clubhouse for the early Miami dance plaza, walkways, and courtyards. Beach Golf Course (the original Carl Fisher clubhouse). It is the oldest public building on Miami Beach. Awards Trust for Historic Preservation 1987 Zyscovich provided an award-winning historic preservation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse design for its adaptive reuse that restored the building principally for social activities for elderly residents. The AIA 1986, Award of Excellence restoration included the historic clubhouse, theater, and band 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > mIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN mIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN < exhibits

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3 Miami Beach Convention Center District Redevelopment Plan Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : City of Miami Beach Completed 1993

In 1993, the 332-acre City Center/Historic Convention Center 1. Loews Convention Hotel and St. Moritz Renovation District (City Center) was established as a result of a ten-year 2. Lincoln Cinema Mixed-Use Activity Generator master plan developed by Zyscovich in collaboration with 3. Lincoln Road Retail and Entertainment Corridor Wallace Roberts Todd, Planners. The City of Miami Beach 4. Cultural Campus 4 commissioned the team to improve the derelict neighborhood for both residents and tourists alike. A Vision and Master Zyscovich was privileged to work on several projects that (LEFT PAGE) Plan for the Miami Beach Convention Village was developed evolved from this redevelopment plan: Loews Convention Lowes Convention Hotel and St. Moritz which brought the first Convention Hotel to the area funded Hotel Complex Urban Design and Historic Preservation, Hotel through a new CRA. Zyscovich created a new vision by St. Moritz Historical Preservation and Architectural Design, (RIGHT PAGE - top to bottom) enhancing connections to the beach and Lincoln Road and Lincoln Cinema Architect of Record, Anchor Garage and 1. Lincoln Road Cinema by Zyscovich Shops Architect of Record, 16th Street Master Plan Urban providing improved streetscapes and uses. The Loews Hotel, 2. Historic structures saved and moved; the adjacent St. Mortiz historic renovation, and the Anchor Design. street open to ocean front Loews Hotel Shops parking complex were all created to bring Miami Beach back as a tourist destination for conventions and high Awards 3. Lincoln Road Pedestrian Retail Street end tourists. What followed was a series of public and private APA 2001, Planning Award for Outstanding Architectural 4. Miami City Ballet by Arquitectonica improvements which made South Beach one of the more Project, (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) popular tourist markets in the world. St. Moritz: condition in 1993 FAPA Gold Coast Section 2001, Planning Award for Outstanding As part of this project, the team identified several development Historical Renovation Project, St. Moritz today: restoration of destination opportunities: hotel by Zyscovich CRA plan 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Lincoln cinema Lincoln cinema < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Marquee (RIGHT PAGE) Evening view on the corner of Lincoln Road and Alton Road

lincoln cinema Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : Finestra Development Completed 1998

The Lincoln Cinema is an entertainment/retail complex in Road façade is composed of 42 foot high state-of-the-art the heart of South Beach that brings restaurants, shops and architectural colored glass panels, which lights-up and an eighteen-screen cinema to Miami Beach’s famed Lincoln animates Lincoln Road at night. Road. The complex, which creates a signature west entry to the shopping/entertainment district, is the first movie theater Awards built on Miami Beach in over 40 years. AIA Florida 2001, Award of Merit in Architecture AIA Miami 1999, Honor Award of Excellence in Architecture The cinema has a dramatic 110-foot marquee creating a Miami Design Preservation League 1999, Recognition Award for landmark identity for the entire complex. The Lincoln New Design 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > anchor shops anchor shops < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Anchor Shops corner of 16 Street and Collins (RIGHT PAGE) Anchor Shops Washington Avenue façade

anchor shops Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : City of Miami Beach Completed 1999

The construction of the Anchor Hotel Parking Garage and convention hotel in the City of Miami Beach. The garage Retail Complex and the renovation of 16th Street restored services both the hotel and the general public. This parking pedestrian and traffic circulation and the ocean vista revived structure is conceived as an urban building with pedestrian the only derelict municipal site in Miami Beach. oriented activities at the street.

This garage and retail complex is actually part of a Award comprehensive master plan that includes the opening of a AIA Miami 1999, Honor Award of Excellence in Urban Design new street and the design and construction of the new Loews 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Florida International University College of Education Florida International University College of Education < exhibits

Florida International University College of Education Location : Miami, FL | Owner : Florida International University Completed 1996

The FIU Education Building, a graduate and doctoral level and classrooms. Zyscovich provided complete A/E services teaching and research facility, is a courtyard building with case including programming, interior design, and full-time method rooms, state-of-the-art video and teleconferencing construction administration. The project also included master downlink facilities, conference and seminar space, public planning and design guideline development of an existing spaces, teaching labs, faculty and administrative offices, mall area on campus. 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Mirador garage Mirador garage < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) View from south east (RIGHT PAGE) View of unit entry from West Avenue

Mirador apartments and garage Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : Charles E. Smith Residential Completed 2002

The Mirador project was so successful that its existing parking so that no part of the parking facility faces onto the street at garage quickly outgrew capacity. Accordingly, a fifty-year the pedestrian level. Four two-bedroom, two story apartments old, ten-story apartment building with outdated parking are located on the front (west) side and one one-story studio infrastructure located opposite the complex, was demolished on each of the north and south sides. All residential units are to make possible the building of a five-story, 528-space provided with individual patios (an aesthetic, privacy, and garage. safety feature) as well as direct access to the garage.

In a totally unique typology, residential use of the structure was Awards secondary to parking. However, those who are not familiar with AIA Florida 2007, Award of Excellence in Architecture the neighborhood often believe the project to be a townhouse. AIA Florida 2004, Honorable Mention The design wraps the structure on three sides with apartments 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > uPDATED CITY CENTER / CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT CRA PLAN uPDATED CITY CENTER / CONVENTION CENTER DISTRICT CRA PLAN < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Design study view of town center from Lincoln Road (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Design study of town center park between Convention Center and Lincoln Road Concert hall by Frank Ghery Design study view of town center from 17 th Street

Updated City Center / Convention Center District CRA Plan Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : City of Miami Beach Completed 2002

This Master Plan evolved into a master planning initiative will feature an outdoor screen of symphony performances to which would transform the District into a global destination. As enhance the quality of life for South Beach residents. There places become successful, residents are burdened with its side are analogous opportunities to improve the public realm and effects—traffic, noise, and more people. Zyscovich was hired, the quality of the uses in South Beach by balancing the needs ten years after completing the first Convention Center Plan, to of residents and tourists. suggest a way to alleviate these side effects using two blocks of city-owned parking lots on the east end of Lincoln Road. The The public park in this area of Miami Beach is a response to firm proposed a new vision for this district by converting the the City’s character and enhances the community’s quality of surface lots into a large, neighborhood park and an expanded life. The pervasive ‘civic map to the future’ which resulted from theatre for the New World Symphony. The plan also included that vision serves as a highly detailed ten-year master plan of strategies to connect the park to Lincoln Road by enhancing the entire Convention Center District of Miami Beach. Drexel Avenue and relocating some of the transportation facilities and routes for enhanced transportation linkages. The Awards new Symphony building will be designed by Frank Gehry and FAPA Gold Coast Section 2003, Outstanding Urban Design Study 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > 500 block of collins 500 block of collins < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Night view looking north (RIGHT PAGE) View from the northwest

500 Block of collins Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : Rabina Properties, LLC Completed 2004

The 500 Block is an ensemble of one- and two-floor townhouse- architectural identity which is further distinguished by varying style retail boutiques with a three-level parking garage. It is applications of stone, glass, canopies, and eyebrows. built on one of the most visible commercial sites in the historic Art Deco District, a neighborhood of modestly scaled To further assert the building’s presence at a key portal to apartments and hotels. The townhouse typology relates to the the city, the architecture is amplified by an origami-like metal residential origins as well as to the scale and architectural screen that wraps around the building at the corner. Illuminated patterns of this part of the city. by a state-of-the-art lighting program, the screen transforms the façade at night into a beacon of changing color patterns. The greatest challenge of the design was the maximization Additionally, the screen, which has become a city landmark, of ground level retail space while minimizing the interior conceals the parking garage from view. circulation to the above-grade parking facility and adjacent alley. The firm devised an innovative ramping design that Awards allows the boutiques to inhabit a completely different volume AIA Florida 2007, Award of Excellence in Architecture from the garage structure. Within this volume, each unit asserts AIA Florida 2005, Award of Excellence in Architecture itself toward the sidewalk at a different angle, individualizing its Pyramid Award 2004, Excellence in Construction 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Flamingo south beach Flamingo south beach < exhibits

Flamingo south beach Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : Apartment Investment and Management Company Completed 2004

Today South Beach’s signature rental resort, Flamingo was transformed into a nearly two-acre botanical park was originally a 1960’s retirement complex comprising two adjoined by a baywalk, boat slips, and water sports (LEFT PAGE) Y-shaped, 14-story towers with decrepit swimming pools, facilities. The original towers received life safety upgrades and View from main entrance from the north acres of surface parking, no landscaping, and no amenities. were completely remodeled to include 1,100 individual units. (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) A $350 million redesign and market repositioning transformed Zyscovich increased the size of the average unit as well as the View of townhomes and tower from Bay Road number of apartments overall by 516. A new 32-story tower the dated complex into an urban, 21st Century, full-service Lobby multifamily development. Where once not even a newsstand added another 463 units as well as 10,000 SF of retail space. could be found, today art, culture, and recreation are live-in The complex also gained 24 garden apartments and a seven Typical apartment interior: living room amenities for all tenants, regardless of their economic position story, 2,000-car garage which is wrapped by 28 townhouses Typical apartment interior: view of dining room on the rental scale. and topped with a two-story athletic club.

The Zyscovich plan capitalized on the aesthetic and Awards urban power of the location. The original surface parking AIA 2005, Award of Excellence in Architecture lot, located along the 1/4 square mile of waterfront, Florida Builder’s Association 2004, Merit Award 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > pompano beach High school pompano beach High school < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Main Entry (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Art Lab Auditorium Pompano Beach High School Master Plan, Additions, Media Center Renovations & Remodeling Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : The School Board of Broward County Completed 2005

Pompano Beach High School is located on a 40-acre campus This project involved state-of-the-art international and which is shared with an existing elementary school, a district technology magnet programs plus a major phased replacement regional office and a City of Pompano Beach early childcare of classrooms, media and food service components while center. The design involved shared drop-offs and storm water remodeling and renovating the remaining existing buildings. mitigation areas, which resulted in substantial cost savings. The work was phased with the existing campus remaining in The master planning of the campus also involved working operation during construction. The project includes over closely with the City of Pompano Beach to close a residential 140,000 SF of new construction, 70,000 SF of remodeling street, which the school now bridges. This innovative concept and 80,000 SF of renovation work. The high school was afforded the opportunity to build the replacement school while bid below estimate and the new and existing buildings are the existing school remained operational and created a safer integrated to compose a seamless campus, which is easy to campus environment for students. supervise and operate. 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > new orleans Neighborhood redevelopment plan new orleans Neighborhood redevelopment plan < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Redevelopment Plan Areas and Proposed Neighborhood Views (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan Aerial Rendering of Proposed ‘Heart of 7th Ward’ 7th ward key plan

New Orleans neighborhood redevelopment plan Location : New Orleans, LA | Owner : Lambert Advisory Completed 2006

Zyscovich was commissioned by the City Council of the City The final plan included the following elements: of New Orleans through Lambert Advisories larger planning • Methodologies for enhancing local neighborhood pride group to prepare a reconstruction plan for 5 neighborhoods while transcending the differences to achieve shared adjacent to the French Quarter. The three primary goals opportunities. of the plan are to establish consensus among historically • Identifying key corridors between neighborhoods to divided neighborhoods, return a sense of normalcy as quickly create a place where the communities can come together as possible, and to create a plan that addresses the overall for new social and commercial use. deterioration which pre-existed Katrina. The final plan will be • Creating networks that tie into the tourist economy. the basis for the receipt of Federal funding, and was a result • Creating a dialogue with the community through public of an intensive public involvement effort. meetings and committees. • Communication strategies. 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > grove garden grove garden < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) View from Main Highway (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Residential courtyard Pool deck over garage entrance Commercial courtyard

GROVE GARDEN Location : Coconut Grove, FL | Owner : Aries Development and Management Group Completed 2006

Set back from Main Highway in order to preserve the view retail area will include a restaurant, gourmet market (with and setting, Grove Garden’s architecture is designed in the outdoor dining on the Main Highway-side courtyard) and tropical “Old Grove/Key West” style, with tin roofs, indented 1,200 SF of rental office space. porches rather than balconies, and latticed walls. Awards The project includes 38 condo units, five two-story townhouses, ULI Southeast Florida/Caribbean 2007, Vision Award 9,300 SF of retail, and two levels of underground parking. The 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Midtown miami master plan Midtown miami master plan < exhibits

midtown miami master plan Location : Miami, FL | Owner : Biscayne Development Partners, LLC Completed 2006

The Midtown Miami development is likely to be one of the • The western edge is the retail core with regional and local largest urban infill development projects in the country. The shopping. 56-acre site, used by the Port of Miami as a staging facility • The northeast portion is an intense commercial zone with for truck containers, was identified by Zyscovich as a potential neighborhood retail. mixed-use district. • The “Entertainment Block” will provide continuous pedestrian activity. As the site’s master planners and master architects, the team then partnered with the City of Miami’s planning department Awards to examine the zoning and land use and to change the land Developers and Builder’s Alliance 2006, Community use from industrial to restricted commercial. Zyscovich then Advancement Awards, Real Urbanism Visionary Award (LEFT PAGE) created Special District Zoning and Design Guidelines. AIA Florida 2005, Unbuilt Honor Award Aerial of site during construction APA 2004, Outstanding Urban Design Project or Study (RIGHT PAGE) From that point, the neighborhoods within Midtown were Top: Existing lot with industrail zoning further refined: Bottom: Proposed mixed-use zoning 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > 2 midtown 2 midtown < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) View from the northwest (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Night view looking north Pool and amenity deck Pool and amenity deck facing the gym Hot tub and outdoor lounge

2 midtown Location : Miami, FL | Owner : Midtown Miami No. 2, LLC Completed 2007

As the first new building in an entirely new 56-acre downtown Such a solution to urban livability removes cars from the street neighborhood, 2 Midtown Miami was designed as both face, enhances pedestrian-friendliness, and integrates issues metaphor and concrete reality. The 28-floor tower, modeled of access and security. Rather than sitting atop a parking on the urban streetscape to come, comprises residential and podium, the building reaches the ground where street level work/live space, recreational and athletic amenities, ground space for retail, dining, and entertainment encourages 24-hour level retail, and internal parking. pedestrian activity, enhancing security and vitality.

Zyscovich designed the complex with an internalized parking Awards scheme, i.e. with residential units lining exposed elevations. AIA Miami 2005, Honorable Mention 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > dda downtown miami master plan update dda downtown miami master plan update < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Infrastructure improvements: downtown gateways and open space (RIGHT PAGE) Bayfront redevelopment and activation

DDA Downtown Miami master plan update Location : Miami, FL | Owner : Downtown Development Authority Completed 2007

The update of the Downtown Miami Master Plan is a • Establishing a framework to guide private and public requirement of the State of Florida as part of the Downtown development in coordination with public realm Miami Development of Regional Impact (DRI). Its purpose improvements is to update growth assumptions as well as illustrate that • Collaborating with the consultant team to establish a the projected development uses and densities can be market-based rationale for sustainable urban revitalization supported in the downtown area with the proper guidance • Establishing District Development Strategies to maximize and mitigation. downtown development opportunities • Establishing a Public Realm conceptual plan The Downtown Master Plan is a further opportunity to create • Recommending storm water improvements and a “road map” that merges urbanism and architecture with sustainable urban concepts market, economic, social, and service issues. It will set forth • Working with the transportation consultant to address the overall and district development strategies, and establish development potential of downtown guidelines for future development, as well as requirements • Coordinating with Miami 21’s development of zoning for improving and enhancing the public realm. recommendations Under the direction of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) (working in collaboration with the City and the Miami Awards 21 Initiative), Zyscovich focused primarily on the following: AIA Florida 2007, Unbuilt Honor Award 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Hollywood beach cra master plan Hollywood beach cra master plan < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Historic structure adjacency diagrams (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) hollywood beach cra master plan Proposed zoning diagram corresponding Location : Hollywood Beach, FL | Owner : Hollywood Beach CRA Completed 2007 with land use Transit system elements Zyscovich is in the process of completing a new Vision and Hollywood Beach. Although very little of the building stock Integrated greenspace framework Master Plan for the Hollywood Beach CRA by focusing on was considered to have any historic value, the scale of the Proposed massing diagrams strategies to preserve its funky character, upgrading the quality buildings along the broadwalk was enough to merit a special of the public realm, and supporting new development which is district. This designation will allow buildings to exceed the compatible with the existing building fabric. To support the 50% cap on building improvements without having to meet Hollywood Beach CRA’s implementation efforts for many of the new FEMA and Florida Building Code requirements which the capital improvement projects identified in the 1997 CRA limit ground floor uses to parking and storage. Additional Plan, the zoning code and land use needed to be revised. development is permitted one block east of the Broadwalk Zyscovich reviewed the existing code in comparison to the which is not part of the historic district. realities of the development climate, the limitations of the parcels and flood zone requirements. This analysis was conducted for each neighborhood in the Hollywood Beach CRA and assessed connections to adjacent After meeting with a stakeholder group composed of Beach neighborhoods, the Downtown CRA, Dania Beach, and residents, hotels, and business owners, the design team Hallandale Beach. recommended preserving the character of the building scale in the portion of Hollywood Beach along the historic Awards broadwalk—a 30 foot wide asphalt walkway unique to AIA Florida 2007, Unbuilt Merit Award the South Florida coast line which is the iconic symbol of 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > miami high school miami high school < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Front Entrance (RIGHT PAGE - top, left, right) Courtyard Grand Entrance Miami High School Master Plan, Historic Renovation, Aerial Remodeling & Addition Location : Miami, FL | Owner : Miami-Dade County Public Schools Estimated Completion 2008

Zyscovich was commissioned by Miami-Dade County Public The Zyscovich Education Group has fully analyzed where and Schools to master plan the restoration of the historic Miami how to uncover the original design and to place the required Senior High School to its original grandeur, while updating it additions. The new plan balances preservation of the historic to a state-of-the-art high school. school while optimizing the existing facility to meet present- day teaching requirements. Opened in 1928, Miami Senior High has played a role in the lives of generations of citizens throughout Miami, the The firm is working with community leaders, M-DCPS and state of Florida, and the nation. The once beautiful and stakeholders in a way that allows all to share in the vision of elaborate school has been slated for major renovation and the school’s rebirth. Now that the master plan and concept modernization, a project for which M-DCPS is committing designs have been approved, Zyscovich is producing the significant resources. Known as “The Biltmore of Education,” construction documents. its design includes grand interior spaces, open courtyards, colonnades and fountains. 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Pine Jog Elementary School 03-Y & The FAU Environmental Education CenteR Pine Jog Elementary School 03-Y & The FAU Environmental Education CenteR < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) top: Front Entrance bottom: Covered Walkway, FAU Discovery Porch (RIGHT PAGE) Pine Jog Elementary School 03-Y & Cafetorium The FAU Environmental Education CenteR Location : West Palm Beach, FL | Owner : Florida Atlantic University Estimated Completion 2008

The Florida Atlantic University Pine Jog Environmental The EEC will attract staff and graduate students who can Education Center (EEC) is pioneering a new direction for help the elementary school teachers infuse environmental schools in Florida as it includes several innovative program responsibility into the elementary school curricula. In turn, objectives. The first is the location of the EEC and a public the elementary school can augment the university-based elementary school within the 150-acre Pine Jog Nature community-oriented educational mission of the EEC, Preserve. The second is that both the replacement EEC and which will come through shared use of program areas such the K-5 elementary school will be LEED™-certified. The third as food service and CCTV facilities and student teaching innovation comes through the multiple synergies that will opportunities. occur between the state-of-the-art school and environmental center. The buildings will be designed to make many of their environmental benefits obvious to the occupants and teachers – the buildings themselves will teach. 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Miami Beach Senior High School Miami Beach Senior High School < exhibits

(LEFT PAGE) Plaza (RIGHT PAGE) top: Cafetorium bottom: Gym Miami Beach Senior High School Master Plan, Dining Hall (below floor level) Additions, Renovations & Remodeling Location : Miami Beach, FL | Owner : Miami-Dade County Public Schools Estimated Completion 2009

Miami Beach Senior High phased replacement is situated on a This two-phased project includes the construction of a new small but prominent urban site with limited access. The master state-of-the-art library, community black box theater and planning included the analysis of 14 buildings, the phased auditorium, as well as other program spaces. Phase I of replacement of 10 buildings, and the renovation/remodeling construction will include state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, of an additional three buildings, all while more than 2300 as well as the library, auditorium and fine arts suite, followed by students were on campus attending classes. Phase II, which will include a “Food Court” food service area and a “Health Club” physical education facility. The architecture celebrates the replacement of the original institution with a new invigorating and enriching facility. 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > marriott ocean village and resort hotel marriott ocean village and resort hotel < exhibits

Marriott Ocean Village and Resort Hotel Location : Hollywood, FL | Owner : Ocean Properties, LTD Estimated Completion 2011

The Marriott Ocean Village and Resort will combine hotel Resort will provide a social nexus for hotel guests and the and retail facilities in an architectural setting that recalls the community. High above the Broadwalk will be an elevated pool proportions of early Florida-style Mediterranean design. A deck and spa with cascading, infinity edge swimming pools second floor terrace, entered through both the exterior grand and a sunning terrace. Other amenities include a ballroom, steps and the hotel lobby, will provide a panoramic gathering conference rooms, entertainment venues, spa, restaurants, place. A ballroom with terraces on the east and west sides and retail. will offer views of the ocean, Broadwalk, and the Intracoastal Waterway. These and other hotel amenities will be available The expansive views along the Boardwalk will be infused into to the public. the architecture through glass balconies on the guest rooms and generous glass door fronts for retail and restaurants. A Spanning the two blocks between the ocean and the parking garage will include spaces for municipal parking and Intracoastal Waterway, the Marriott Ocean Village and hotel guests.

(LEFT PAGE) Birdseye view from east (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Johnson Street at night Bottom 3: Boardwalk view 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR exhibits > Park square at doral Park square at doral < exhibits

retail

office

covered walk

parking residential mid-rise residential low-rise residential townhomes

open green space

streets

alleys/hardscape

recreational pavilion common areas

0’ 500’

n

(LEFT PAGE) Aerial view looking south (RIGHT PAGE - left to right) Site plan Main street View of the office building from the plaza

Park square at doral Location : Doral, FL | Owner : Shoma Development Corporation Estimated Completion 2011

The Master Plan for the 50-acre former headquarters for and high density and the other 50% for a new townhouse Ryder, Inc. , calls for the site, now known as Park Square at community and major park. Doral, to be rezoned and reallocated for intensive mixed- use. Rather than simply incorporating the ground-use retail A key feature of the plan is an avenue with single lane auto as a mixed-use “lite” approach, the firm provided significant traffic and parallel parking which will lead into an oval plaza percentages of land for office, commercial and residential that will serve as the regional and local nexus. All community applications. This provides the Park Square at Doral, a part mixed-use zones will share in its use. It will include water of the municipality of Doral, with the capability necessary for features, landscaping for special activities, and a gathering becoming a new city center for the entire municipality. place for market-related activity (shops, food, and beverage). The oval will be formed by two ten-story office towers and a The urban vision and development strategy created by 12-story midrise. Zyscovich, allocates 50% of the property for mixed-use 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR Recommendation letters Recommendation letters 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR Recommendation letters Recommendation letters 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR Recommendation letters Recommendation letters 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR Recommendation letters Recommendation letters

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT Phyllis J. Karp OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA Senior Project Administrator

DEPARTMENT OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 3300 FOREST HILL BOULEVARD, SUITE C331 WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33406 (561) 434-8874 FAX (561) 434-8884

Zyscovich Inc January 31, 2008 100 N Biscayne Blvd 27th Floor Miami, FL 33132

Re: Zyscovich Education Group

To Whom It May Concern:

The Zyscovich Education Group has successfully completed several projects for The School District of Palm Beach County. As a Senior Project Administrator for several school construction projects, I have found the firm of Zyscovich to be extremely responsive to the requirements of Palm Beach County School District. In addition, Zyscovich has always delivered their work on time; keeping the schedule of the projects. It has been my pleasure to work with Zyscovich on the following projects: JC Mitchell Elementary School, SD Spady Elementary School, Congress Middle School and the Village Academy projects (both Elementary and Middle/High Schools

I would gladly recommend the Zyscovich Education Group for any size K-12 project. Their experienced professionals are service and client oriented. Should you have any specific questions regarding the firm, please feel free to contact me at 561-719-8286.

Sincerely, Phyllis J. Karp Senior Project Administrator

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

School of Architecture

The Treme district, adjacent to the French Quarter and birthplace of the city’s trademark jazz, illustrates the obstacles that faced Zyscovich’s team. In New Orleans, wealthier citizens have iami-based architect and urban planner Bernard Zyscovich, traditionally lived on higher ground; poorer folks have lived in Architecture, ‘71, heads the firm Zyscovich, Inc., a flood-prone areas. Adding to the problems of low-lying Treme is 120-person firm that designs everything from schools to the I-10 freeway, built in the 1960s, which splits the community in M two. When planners went to the neighborhood to help organize the high-rises to master plans. Yet, 35 years after graduating from Pratt, Zyscovich still cites his years studying on the Brooklyn campus local communities, they found themselves mired in generations- and in Italy as major influences on how he practices urban design. old battles. “People would not go from one side of Treme to the Whether on the corner of Flatbush and Fulton or in Venice’s narrow other because, either way, we had had the meeting in the ‘wrong streets, Zyscovich immersed himself in cities, gaining a respect for church.’ White or black, each time we were insulting half the their context and economic diversity. people.” recalls Zyscovich. It was during his time at Pratt, in the late 1960s and early His team came up with a plan after analyzing New Orleans 1970s, that his philosophy, Real Urbanism, evolved. “The city history and culture, which changes from block to block. They was dealing with difficult issues surrounding racial equality,” says wanted to maintain the area’s “sense of self,” to use Zyscovich’s Zyscovich. “It was a time of change in our culture and the economic term, and to unify the district. One element they proposed was surroundings of the school at the time were a real education.” tearing down the freeway so the city could weave itself back Zyscovich saw that, “If you take people who live in together. The plan was formally approved at the end of 2006 by the New Orleans City Council and accepted by disinvested or dysfunctional cities and show them designs of courtyard the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Zyscovich is excited, since this move triggers funding for the embattled city. plazas, they become angry, because they are just trying to keep the He hopes that his past experience and sensitivity to place will help New Orleans regain its future. —M.Z. rats from infesting their houses.” He soon understood that “Real Urbanism is about making a place based upon what is authentic about that place and not about imposing outside ideas. It is about envisioning a continuing evolution of the city that keeps it diverse and socially equitable. A sense of place is dependent upon the status and the point of time of that — its culture, race and income. You have to ask: Who are the people?” His design inspiration now comes from multiple understandings of the city — from recognizing how a new grocery store can positively affect a community to preserving existing historic architecture. The long- time activist served as chairman of the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) early in his career. The group was important in creating the city’s Art Deco District in 1979, which protected the streamlined hotels and Moderne apartment buildings that line South Beach. In years since, he’s proudly watched the formerly decrepit neighborhood transform into an international destination while still holding onto a mixed demographic. Recently, Zyscovich, Inc. was asked by the development and housing advisory firm Lambert Advisory to participate in the New Orleans Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan. The Big Easy, which had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, had been in steady decline for years prior to the catastrophe and posed an enormous challenge. While the neighborhoods in which he worked—Bayou St. John, Treme/Lafitte, 7th Ward, Fairgrounds, and St. Bernard—were the most difficult because of the injustice and poverty, Zyscovich says, “they also were the most culturally significant neighborhoods, full of music and cuisine.” 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

“Miami is already on top internationally. Or perhaps I should say South Beach is on top DESIGN BY GEORGE PELLETIER internationally, and Miami and Orlando share that prominence.” VISIONARIES _Bernard Zyscovich When it comes to design, Florida is at the forefront of a revolution. Our lead- ers are a group of men and women driven to change the facades _ and ultimately _ the feel of our cities with- out losing our state’s core identity. They are architects and designers whose projects amaze not only us BERNARD ZYSCOVICH, of a park between Lincoln Road and the the return of trolleys, and the widespread ZYSCOVICH, INC. Jackie Gleason Theatre of Performing Arts. development of shuttles and electric buses.” (“It will provide a geographic ‘heart’ for As for Florida’s role in architecture on but the rest of the world as well. They South Beach moviegoers surely know the city,” he adds.) The plan also provides an international level, Zyscovich replies, Bernard Zyscovich’s work. No, he’s not a links among the oceanfront hotels, retail “Miami is already on top internationally, are savvy and determined. They take film director _ but rather the man responsible and tourist streets, the Convention Center Or perhaps I should say South Beach is for the unique look of the Lincoln Cinema and and the performing arts venues. “The plan on top internationally, and Miami and risks and get results. They know the retail complex on the corner of the Lincoln centers around the New World Symphony’s Orlando share that prominence.” Zyscovich and Alton Roads. (Incidentally, it’s the first proposed new $30 million, 65-foot-high says the challenge to getting international appeal of a perfect structure well, movie theatre built on Miami Beach in more “Soundspace,” a state of the art broadcast recognition is to do “progressive work.” He than 40 years.) After studying his craft in facility with outdoor audio and video believes that opportunityis abundant along Venice, Zyscovich established his practice projection,” continues Zyscovich. His Florida’s East Coast, where “cities like Fort and their portfolios reflect it. Whether in Miami where he was raised. Today, his firm is also planning Fort Lauderdale’s Lauderdale and West Palm Beach can firm’s services range from architecture and Sailboat Bend _ what he describes as, “a become as culturally and urbanistically they’re creating a residential devel- interior design to historic preservation and mixed income urban infill community on progressive as Miami Beach.” urban design. Currently, Zyscovich has a slew an historic 14-acre site.” Developed by the When asked about his flagship opment few know about or a mam- of new ventures coming down the pike. “In Lennar Company, the plan will “revitalize achievements, two come to mind. “First, the addition to a number of large-scale projects, the western edge of the city’s Las Olas 1993 City of Miami Beach 10-year Master moth building admired globally, these my firm has five urban design projects in Boulevard.” These projects are in addition Plan, on which our firm collaborated, that progress at this moment,” notes the architect. to many school and educational facilities created the 332-acre City Center/Historic visionaries enhance our landscape “Our master plan for Miami’s Florida East that Zyscovich, Inc.’s Education Group is Convention Village Redevelopment and Coast Corridor, which runs primarily along building throughout Miami-Dade, Broward Revitalization Area City Center,” he states. N.E. Ninth Street to NE 79th Street, has and Palm Beach counties. And the second? “The Lincoln Cinema,” with each new endeavor. Paradise just been adopted.” Zyscovich says the plan Zyscovich’s vision of Florida he answers. “It has become everything I calls for “the creation of a series of districts architecturally over the next 20 years is imagined it could be _ a civic center for isn’t easy to design, but these individuals specific to each neighborhood’s nature and based on what he refers to as “Sustainable popular culture, a social mecca, a gathering links them together in an urban confluence. It Hedonism.’ “More and more Americans place with a sense of grandeur.” He are determined to see it happen. elucidates exactly what is needed in areas that want to live, work and play in one locale,” concludes, “Most gratifying is how people require rehabilitation and what will provide he notes. “Car-free convenience will use the soaring lobby space and outdoor the quickest and most effective opportunities increase as will the movement of young balconies to enjoy the greatest of all urban for change.” professionals into urban neighborhoods. pleasures _ people watching.” Other projects on the drawing board Also, benign transportation systems will include plans for the Miami Beach Convention develop in response to population density Center District, which centers on the creation and traffic congestion. We’re going to see

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE/JULY/AUGUST 2002 71 72 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE/JULY/AUGUST 2002 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

HEAVY HITTERS IN EDUCATION APRIL 28-MAY 4, 2006 | SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

ominations for Heavy Hitters in If Miami’s Zyscovich Education were invited from the firm is the 500-pound N public and selected by the editor. gorilla in the educational Inclusion is based on the applicant’s building design niche, prominence, achievements and com- then Jose Murguido is munity involvement. the man with all the bananas. He was the JOSE MURGUIDO first employee to join VP, Zyscovich the fledgling Zyscovich ne of South Florida’s leading architecture and design Web site: www.zyscovich.com O firms, Zyscovich, Inc. was born over 25 years ago when architectural firm in award-winning architect Bernard Zyscovich risked every- Address: 100 Biscayne Blvd., 1982. Today, as a partner and head of the thing for his vision, to weave an integrated urban fabric 27th oor, Miami 33132-2304 into South Florida. 50-employee Education Group, he is a “I love what is happening locally because of our Phone: (305) 372-5222 very busy executive. His group currently diversity, and you can only really get that in the city,” E-mail: [email protected] Zyscovich says. “I wanted my work to reflect that, and has 15 South Florida educational facili- by and large it has. We’ve designed cities, buildings and the interior of buildings, so I feel very complete.” ties in the design or construction phase, Zyscovich, who started working on renovations from his and under his leadership has designed home just after the birth of his son, owns a 90-employee firm in Downtown Miami that focuses on urban design, elementary, middle, high and specialty architecture, site location analysis, space planning, schools in the tri-county area. master planning, interior design and historic preserva- tion. His projects include the Flamingo South Beach, The Education Group’s reputation Anchor Place and Regal Cinemas on Lincoln Road. under Murguido’s leadership has been to “The thinking that has gone into these projects is what Miami Beach could be: exciting, with an edgy produce build- design, full of color, a lively atmosphere and lusciously ings with flex- landscaped,” Zyscovich says. “Miami Beach has to constantly keep reinventing itself at a higher level of ible designs interest, fascination, design, activity and free thinking; and that is how the city will become the most incredible that incorpo- place to live.” rate speed of The City of Miami Beach has hired Zyscovich to create the next vision for Lincoln Road. The project includes construction a park that will bring much needed vegetation to the and cost sav- area and serve as a central gathering place for outdoor symphony performances. ings. “It would create a new excitement for the next stage Next, in the life of the city,” says Zyscovich. “Performances by the symphony in this park would bring a whole new he dimension to the area.” will be “The greatest thing about Miami is its international relationship to multicultural activities and its natu- turning his ral environment,” says Zyscovich. “This is the largest firm’s atten- subtropical city in the country and that is significant. My vision is to use urban design and planning to take tion to high- advantage of that.” performance “green” build- ing design. He thinks schools can be healthier and more environmentally friendly places for student achievement. The hard work is already paying off. The firm won the Best High School in Florida 2006 award from the Florida Educational Facilities Planners for the new Coral Glades High School in Palm Beach County.

50 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

THE 56-ACRE URBAN NEIGH- too low to support redevelopment. vide the urban design for what BORHOOD, now known as Mid- In addition, railway rights supersede became known as the FEC Railway town Miami, was no more than a municipal authority. Since both Strategic Redevelopment Plan. sprawling, inner-city railroad con- county and city previously had Neisen Kasdin, a Miami-based tainer yard, fenced off from the attempted to acquire the property urban strategist, was brought in surrounding neighborhood and dis- from the FECR, without success, to assist with policy. rupting the city’s street grid. Driving how then could a developer? Fifty-six acres of underused city BERNARD ZYSCOVICH past the site on any of the arterial In the early 2000s, Miami City land can be a major deterrent to streets was like driving past a high- Commissioner Johnny Winton fore- local growth and prosperity, espe- security cemetery, desolate and saw that the city of Miami was ripe cially when the land is surrounded impenetrable. Its only noticeable for redevelopment along its entire by residential and commercial A public / private feature was its emptiness. Even eastern corridor. This 85-block, neighborhoods in need of enhance- though historic neighborhoods had 2,000-acre area runs parallel to Bis- ment. In addition, this vast brown- partnership is transforming once fl ourished around it, the site cayne Bay, alongside the path of fi eld area was virtually at the a desolate inner-city contributed nothing to the better- the FEC railway tracks, and includes geographic center of the potential ment of its now blighted surround- the 56-acre railroad brownfi eld as redevelopment area. container yard into a ings. Nothing could thrive close to well as some of the oldest neigh- It became apparent that the key so large an urban void. borhoods in Miami. A champion of to development in the eastern corri- mixed-use, urban Owned by the Florida East Coast urban potential, Winton prompted dor of the FEC Railway Corridor Railway (FECR), the site was the the city to retain Florida Interna- involved the removal of the storage A 56-acre freight container yard, the community of diverse largest parcel of vacant land in largest parcel of vacant land in tional University’s (FIU) Metropolitan yard from the railway. The zoning, Miami’s urban core (opposite page), and sustainable Miami’s urban core and was used Center, a think tank, to study the thus, was changed from industrial is slated to include 3,000 condo lofts, 150,000 square feet of offi ce space, to store empty cargo containers. area’s economics and job creation t o C- 2 commercial (the crash of the and 140,000 square feet of commer- neighborhoods. The FECR was unlikely ever to con- potential. Ned Murray, the Center’s telecom industry terminated the cial space (middle). The project, which runs parallel to Biscayne Bay, sider selling it, as the inherent principal investigator, turned to a potential for fi ber-optic use of the creates a new urban neighborhood value of the industrial parcel was local fi rm to create a vision and pro- corridor). A phasing plan gave the for Miami (below).

70 URBAN LAND FEBRUARY 2006 FEBRUARY 2006 URBAN LAND 71 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

MIDTOWN MIAMI

of the corridor into a vibrant commu- Miami offered $6 million, and a At present, the city is working nity of diverse and sustainable group called Biscayne Development with a private transportation con- neighborhoods. This helped propel Partners offered $35 million based sultant to revive the historic trolley, the project from idea and design to on the city’s acceptance of the fi rst identifi ed in the broad FEC Rail- architectural drawings. entire FEC Railway Corridor Redevel- way Corridor Plan, and to incorpo- A plan for the container yard opment Plan, which had given Bis- rate it into Midtown Miami as well identifi ed each development block cayne confi dence in gaining as into the neighborhoods south of and included capacities for each eventual approvals. After the nine the central business district. Once use, number of residential units, months required for changes in fully constructed, which is expected parking, retail and commercial land use, Biscayne Development to take about fi ve years, Midtown opportunities, and transit and open- Partners took title to what would Miami will become Miami-Dade space requirements. It was recom- become Midtown Miami. County’s fi rst urban, mixed use, mended that new subdistricts be The city of Miami worked in part- compact, infi ll development with a

Few cities to date have succeeded in developing public private projects on a scale equal to that of Midtown Miami, which is among the largest urban in ll development projects in the country.

Port of Miami one year to relinquish when it came to big-box retailers. to south through the area’s neigh- imposed on the C- 2 zoning to nership with the developer to bring functional transit system. It also will the site; and a fully visualized It was assumed, however, that borhoods, and residents had to encourage mixed use, mandate about necessary changes in land serve as an example of the state’s development plan enabled the FECR the entire project had to be greater travel time-consuming long, cir- maximum block sizes (to be inte- development regulations and in lob- effort to redirect growth away from authorities to analyze the site’s pos- than the sum of its many diverse cuitous routes to traverse the three grated into the existing street grid), bying various public agencies for the Florida Everglades and farmland ibilities from a developer’s point of parts. A master plan was created miles to downtown. In response, and make additional height and nearly $86 million. Zoning categories and torwad derelict urban areas. view and, thereby, become con- using an approach to urban design it was suggested that the original setback provisions like those of specifi c to the concept were created, Few cities to date have suc- vinced of the proposal’s viability. termed “real urbanism,” which trolley system along the FECR tracks cities with higher densities. Com- including design guidelines that ceeded in developing public/private Meanwhile, Murray and FIU’s bases sustainable development on be revived. panion design guidelines were cre- allowed for an accelerated design projects on a scale equal to that of Metropolitan Center had found that the origins of a neighborhood, an The ultimate vision for the entire ated to encourage design harmony approval process for the character of Midtown Miami, which is among the industrial and warehouse zone approach that does not impose a FEC Railway Corridor called for the within the site through a hierarchi- each block and building. The plan the largest urban infi ll development at the western edges of the study fi xed methodology, but rather creation of a series of districts, spe- cal pattern of streets and gateways. included residential units, both projects in the country. area had at one time been a his- applies development patterns cifi c to each neighborhood’s origin, The fi nal plan indicated three rental and condo, as well as com- toric employment site. It was also according to local needs and eco- to be linked together in an urban major development opportunities mercial/retail uses, offi ces, and BERNARD ZYSCOVICH is managing clear that the only commercial nomic conditions. Stakeholder confl uence. The next step suggested and actions for implementing them, entertainment. The city hired a trans- principal of Zyscovich, Inc., a Miami-based opportunities nearby were the meetings were held with community identifying signifi cant development including potential zoning changes, portation consultant to incorporate planning and architecture fi rm that pro- Miami Design District to the north, groups to discuss their issues, con- opportunities along the corridor and coordination with different agencies, the proposed trolley into the Miami- vided the urban design for the Florida East which had not yet achieved its cerns, and ideas regarding improve- creating a new urban neighborhood and recommendations for additional Dade Metropolitan Planning Organi- Coast Railway Strategic Redevelopment potential, and the new Miami Per- ments and opportunities. out of the existing void and part of consultant studies. zation’s 2025 plan, along with Plan and created the master plan for forming Arts Center to the south, a In addition to the degraded the surrounding communities. City of As a result of the plan, the FECR improvements to the adjacent Bis- Midtown Miami. The Miami Beach–based project mired in problems for years. physical condition of the environ- Miami project manager Bob chose to entertain best and fi nal cayne Boulevard. The city adopted fi rm, Kimley-Horn and Associates, secured Further market analysis showed ment and a lack of jobs, the exist- Schwartzreich called on interested offers from the city and private sec- the two zoning overlay districts for the entitlements and led the landscape/ that shopping was underserved in ing transit system was ineffi cient. developers and property owners to tors—without due diligence and the two new subdistricts and their streetscape design for the project. this part of the city, especially There was no direct bus route north create a vision for the revitalization with a 90-day closing. The Port of companion design standards.

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CONDO HOTEL

Touched by elegant tradition and minimalism, a residential tower gets a sophisticated, no-frills makeover NEW APPROACH DESIGN BY ANABELLA SMITH | ZYSCOVICH INC. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES WlLKlNS TEXT BY LEISHA CHEW-YOUNG

Anabella Smith is a storyteller. Or so it would seem, looking at her two, fl oating sky-high millwork panels guarding a backdrop of silk organza, hand-sewn with sequined and metallic thread. A mysterious, ethereal light glows all around, shrouded in an air of mystery. And just to keep you guessing, she places an infi nitely curved statuary marble counter atop a base of mirrored chrome tile. It is classic modernism with a twist of 70s retro — and this is just the reception desk. 5 The look comes courtesy of the vision of “The Club Suite was furnished for sociability,” Miami design and development fi rm says Smith, referencing the Corbusier coffee Zyscovich, Inc., and Smith, the woman at the tables and club chairs in the party room. head of the fi rm’s interior design department. These, along with the candles, substituting a Her canvas? Crystal Plaza, a two-story traditional fi replace, and pool table that sheds residential tower, originally built in 1967 in its “beer hall” look for a stylish cream felt, Arlington, Virginia, whose 17,674-square-foot creates a relaxing aura for sophisticated lobby was in dire need of a makeover. With a residents. budget of approximately $1 million, what had Color is infused through plush, purplevelvet, been a dim and desolate space is now a Cubist-inspired sofas, softened by brilliant tableau of elegant earth-tone area rugs, plump yellow cushions. Subtle and muted, with chrome mirrors and mahogany wood panels, a hint of vivid intensity, the color palette — with an illuminated, sprawling ceiling granting accents of burnt oranges and greens blended 1 the fi nishing touch. with rich browns — creates a synthesis of As a seasoned interior desimer allied with sentiments that allow spaces to be clean and a development fi rm renowned for its urban unadorned, yet maintain an effortless serenity. vision, Smith ensured that she balanced The Cubist inspiration spreads to the white, modern materials with plush fabrics, like square light fi xtures hanging above the pool mohair and velvet. In so doing, she created a table and square bar stools adorned in the haven that speaks to minimalism touched same purple velvet. by elegant tradition. And to make the space Throughout, polished chrome and stainless appear intimate, she created different areas, steel collides with rich and romantic mahogany each allowing for the building’s residents to millwork, offering a trace of youth and entertain, work and relax in sophisticated vibrancy, yet remaining mature. However, surroundings. Smith held onto a whisper of the old design by Looking beyond the grand lobby’s resurfacing, restoring and retaining any hints of reception desk are casual groupings defi ned by original material she could. From the original custom-designed rugs. The long, sleek line of terrazzo on the fl oor of the grand lobby to the the sofa is softened by rich, red cushions, bronze room dividers, which had been located which speak to the mahogany millwork throughout the original lobby. Mirror tile paneling behind it. Decorative table lamps add replaced the original wood and terrazzo on to the soft accented illumination. columns throughout the lobby, animating traditional spaces and again proposing a more 1. Minimalism speaks to elegant tradition n the seating modern esthetic. area. The long sleek sofa is softened by mahogany Smith also carried the tower into the high- millwork paneling behind as decorative lamps add soft, accented illumination. 2. Common area with chair and tech age, with a fully wired Internet café. Club table groupings arranged for conversation. 3. Carrying chairs equipped with laptop tablets sit in sync the tower into the high-tech age, a fully wired Internet with Saarinen tables and Bertoia chairs, café. 4. In the grand lobby of the Crystal Plaza, mirror tile animates the traditional public space with a accentuating the fusion of the classic modernist 162 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2005 2 3 4 modern esthetic. 5. The Club Suite. masters and the new age of technology.

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2005 163 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

Thursday July 19, 2007

Anabella Smith, IIDA Zyscovich, Inc. DDA, Zyscovich unveil master plan for downtown BY RISA POLANSKY

Downtown Development Au- thority offi cials and consultant Bernard Zyscovich this week unveiled their long-discussed Miami master plan for downtown Mi - 305/372-5222 ami, introducing a scheme de- signed to enhance the physical and economic landscape of downtown. “Downtown is in the midst of a renaissance, and we want to make sure we’re heading in the right direction,” said Miami Commissioner Joe Sanchez, chairman of the development authority. The 150-page proposal is designed to “identify the weak- nesses of downtown and build on the strengths,” Mr. Zyscovich said. Main thrusts include reduc- ing traffi c, offering more ac- cess to the waterfront, increa- billion by 2015, he said. fering,” Mr. Barbour said, a narrowing of the roadway. tion plan,” said Dana sing parkland and attracting new It projects 70,000 downtown downtown would have the “op- The plan includes “not only Nottingham, development au- businesses. residents by 2030 with an aver- portunity to capture shoppers” big ideas,” he said, but also thority executive director, is to The idea is to create a livable age household income of not only through tourists and “specifi c and digestible” ideas serve as an “attachment to Mi- community and a tourist desti- $62,000 and lists about 5 mil- from the downtown area but that can “happen immediately.” ami 21,” the city’s proposed nation geared toward urban tour- lion square feet of new offi ce also from throughout Miami- It calls for involvement from zoning code and blueprint for ism, a trend Mr. Zyscovich said space under construction or Dade County. both the public and private sec- growth, which was deferred at brings visitors to destinations approved and about 3.8 million This is why the plan aims to tor, as “the most effective way a commission meeting last not just to view a single attrac- square feet of retail space under “capture and connect local mar- to leverage investment in a city month to allow for more hear- tion but to experience life in the construction or approved. kets,” Mr. Zyscovich said, and is if you can get public and ings and fi ne-tuning. area. The goal, Mr. Barbour said, “touch every part of downtown private working together,” The plan, which now is a Some cities revamp their is to capitalize on the growth to make sure we hold it all to- he said. working draft, must receive downtowns as a result of “trig- and make downtown more liv- gether.” Mr. Sanchez said he hopes commission approval. gering events” such as the op- able, business-friendly and eco- Removing truck traffi c from to shape the plan with comments “This is the fi rst step this portunity to host the Olympics, nomically diverse. downtown with a proposed tun- and suggestions from the pub- master plan takes,” Mr. Sanchez he said. That would mean more nel between the Port of Miami lic as well as from area stake- said. “It starts here.” Downtown Miami’s trigger: mixed-income housing, cul- and the MacArthur Causeway holder agencies such as the Mr. Zyscovich was unable “billions of dollars of invest- tural venues, incentives to busi- is an “absolute criteria for down- Miami Parking Authority, to fi nish his presentation after a ment,” he said. nesses, customer-service initia- town 10 work,” he said. Bayfront Park and the city’s bomb threat called in to a fi The plan identi es tives, marketing initiatives, in- To reduce local traffi c, pos- community redevelopment Wachovia employee cut short downtown’s economic state and dustry outreach and improved sible solutions include a pro- agencies. the workshop, in the Wachovia projects its future, outlining transportation and infrastruc- posed, streetcar system in Mi- Hank Klein, chairman of Financial Center, 200 S. ways to grow, “positioning Mi- ture. ami and underground parking. the Greater Miami Chamber of Biscayne Blvd., where the au- ami as a world-class economic The plan outlines target in- He called Biscayne Boulevard Commerce attended the meeting thority is based. center,” said Davon Barbour, dustries for the area - fi lm and downtown’s “impenetrable bar- after naming the revitalization After investigation, police the authority’s manager of eco- entertainment, fi nancial ser- rier” and suggests in the plan of downtown as a main goal for determined no threat. nomic development. vices, international business and removing a center median of his one-year term, which began The presentation is to be re- The plan forecasts downtown’s urban tourism. parking to allow an expansion ast month. sumed at the authority meeting $8 billion tax base to grow to $22 “With the right product of- of the waterfront parkland and The “vision, strategy and ac- at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

BAYFRONT REDEVELOPMENT AND ACTIVATION 146 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2005 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

ensity—far from an ugly word— is key to making cities vital, diverse places to live. Multifamily devel- opment, whether new construction ur- ban infi ll, adaptive use, or condomini- um conversions, is booming in some of the nation’s largest cities. (See “Some- thing for Everyone: A Look at the Na- tion’s Top Condominium Markets,” page 26.) In the drive to create within dense urban areas a more pedestrian- friendly, human-scale environment to which residents are drawn, the ques- tion arises—“Where do I park the car?” Frequent participants in public hearings know that, inevitably, the greatest concerns aired at these civic gatherings are not high-level quality-of-life issues, but ba- Portman (with his tower-with-a-parking-structure Renaissance One parking space typically requires 325 to 375 square feet sic issues of traffi c and parking. This concern is the result of increased interest in urban life, Center in Detroit). Spurred by the freeway revolt, the oil embargo (more than half the size of an average 600-square-foot studio apart- people’s growing desire to live in the city, and the fact that the more popular a destination becomes, panic, environmental and preservation consciousness, and a blight ment). A parking structure comprises access, ramps, stairways, the more intense its parking problems also become. As long as individual vehicles—rather than of highway eyesores, a movement toward “advocacy planning” called aisles, and elevators, and its form is among the most predetermined public transportation—remain the primary means by which people travel to, from, and through for a strategy to shift the car’s dwelling place. of all building types: spaces are straight or angled; ramps are spiral the city, parking will remain America’s most chronic civic grievance. By the end of the 20th century, the parking ideal had evolved or double helix. Decisions on these designs are based more on the size of the lot and the number of cars to be accommodated than on American cities, historically, have been slow to confront the impact of parking. In 1946, only into the notion that the only good parking is no parking—or, at any aesthetic consideration. 70 cities had included parking requirements in their zoning plans. But with the coming of the least no visible parking. Some designers turned their efforts toward Some fi rms strive to make aesthetics and “added value” integral age of interstate highways in the late 1950s, most cities began instituting such requirements. In camoufl aging or adorning the parking garage. Others focused on to the concept and design of parking facilities. As often happens the 1960s, city offi cials eagerly used urban renewal as a tool for fl attening cities to create more th creative siting. The simple truth is that no major 20 century when art meets the pragmatic, it is the constraints that govern cre- parking spaces and widening roads to relieve congestion. “The architecture of the exit ramp” af- architect, not even Frank Lloyd Wright, has escaped the need to ativity. Three examples by Zyscovich, Inc., from Miami’s dense fl icted even such notables as Philip Johnson (with his IDS building in Minneapolis) and John address parking. (Wright designed one of the coutry’s fi rst built- urban core illustrate different approaches to the diffi cult issue of in garages in one of his famous Oak Park houses.) addressing multifamily residents’ parking needs.

30 Multifamily Trends Spring 2004 Multifamily Trends Spring 2004 30 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

Garden apartments line the facade In Midtown Miami, the  agship building 3541 features an of the garage at the Flamingo. internalized parking scheme that removes cars from the The garage is connected to the street face, enhances pedestrian friendliness, and apartments at each level, allowing integrates issues of access and security. residents to walk directly to their apartments from their cars.

A rendering of the parking structure at the Mirador. The garage is wrapped on three sides by apartments at pedestrian level, so that it is not visible from the street.

garage and to exterior walkups while providing privacy and safe- ty. In accordance with city requirements, the garage will also accom- modate rooftop parking.

Midtown Miami Midtown Miami is an entirely new 30-acre city on the site of the former Buena Vista rail yards, master planned by Zyscovich, Inc. In order to establish an aesthetic and pedestrian-friendly street char- acter, the area was zoned to prohibit exposed parking garages. The project can be considered a microcosmic version of a high- ly functioning 21st-Century city if created “from scratch.” The neighborhood’s fl agship building, presently called 3541, is a 28- fl oor prototype for a series of buildings that will make up the entire urban neighborhood. It includes residential and work/live space, recreational and athletic amenities, ground-level retail space, and internal parking. Internalized parking schemes can offer some of the most critical sive, mid-rise, rental apartment buildings built in the 1960s. The One of the primary objectives at the Flamingo was to liberate of solutions to making the urban environment more livable. Cars Flamingo’s Y-shaped buildings were not designed specifi cally for the acres of surface parking located between two of the existing are removed from the street, pedestrian friendliness is enhanced, towers. With the exception of a circular driveway that leads in to Miami Beach and were not well situated on their locations, despite and issues of access and security are integrated. The architects de- and out of a central drop off point, lush gardens, walks, and prom- fronting on a residential street on the east and overlooking Biscayne signed 3541 with living units on all three sides of the six-fl oor, enades replace all views of cars. The intent of this broad-sweeping, Bay on the west. The picturesque site is so prominent, in fact, that 497-space garage. The units line a mews face, the staggered mass it is visible across the skyline from downtown Miami. aesthetic enhancement was to give the entire apartment complex The issue of parking must be regarded in terms of its contri- of a mid-rise face, and the extruded mass of the tower face. At To avoid the construction of a massive parking podium with the function and feel of a resort. bution to urban quality: it can no longer be addressed as a stand- ground level, 10,000 square feet of retail, dining, and entertain- a residential tower that would have blighted both the residential ment space encourages daytime and nighttime activity. The over- alone event. In order to serve the larger social and aesthetic con- Mirador street front and the view from and to the Bay, the design “book all plan keeps the neighborhood perpetually under watch, further cerns, parking needs to be regarded as a function that can be With the successful renovation of another outdated rental complex ended” the six-story parking facility with habitable, animated increasing security. combined with other functions—such as housing, retail space, built on Miami Beach in the 1960s—the Mirador—the existing space in the form of garden apartments. The garage is connected The issues of parking require that city governments, urban plan- and education. Only after added value is considered should issues parking garage became obsolete. To the plan for the 1,200-unit, to the apartments at each level (vibrationally and psychologi- ners, commercial developers, and architects together commit to of site selection, economics, and design be determined. three-tower property was added the design for a new garage, cally buffered by a corridor), allowing residents to walk directly working toward the overall concept of urban place making. Oth- wrapped on three sides with apartments, so that at pedestrian lev- The Flamingo to their apartments from their cars. Parking assignments further erwise, cities simply will have to endure congestion—which, in the el it is not visible from the street. Four two-bedroom, two-story facilitate this convenience. The parking structure also includes a end, may serve to remind people that public transportation can be At the Flamingo, a 1,600-unit rental apartment complex, the park- apartments will be located on the front entrance side. One one- fi tness center high above the Bay with ample parking at its level a better alternative. ing requirements included the re-siting of acres of surface parking, story studio will be located on both the north side and the south as well. Three-story townhouses on the east side of the garage the siting of a drop off location, and the design of a new 2,000-car side. The Mirador garage apartments will also have individual pa- parking garage. Massive in size and monumental in scale, the edge the street and reinforce the urban character. Apartments on BERNARD Z YSCOVICHISTHEPRINCIPALOFTHE M IAMI, FLORIDA—BASEDARCHI tios. This aesthetic feature gives each apartment direct access to the TECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING FIRM ZYSCOVICH, INC. Flamingo is part of what originally was a long string of inexpen- the west side have expansive views overlooking the water.

32 Multifamily Trends Spring 2004 Multifamily Trends Spring 2004 33 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

Point of a sandbar whose architecture was developed in photographs. In one fell swoop, the tropical View B ERNARD ZYSCOVICH as a stagecraft to act out a generation’s fear deco architecture of Miami Beach gained a new of ennui? And who better to pave the way career: architecture as fashion accessory. than the generation that had grown bored with The color-generated rebirth of the Art the blandness and security of the 1950s, trav- Deco District was a revelation—an archite- eled the world, experienced the thrill of re- tural coming out. Like the population that defining life, and understood idealism. If the embraced the district, the architecture itself Sustainable Hedonism 1980s was about the resurgance of pleasure seemingly was transformed from straight to seeking it was the children of the 1960s who gay. The buildings, no longer weighted by opened the disco doors—and who pointed the the depressing modernist browns and beiges South Beach today is the lusty face of the true urban future. way to South Beach’s revitalization. imposed on them in the 1970s, suddenly exhib- From its inception, the development of ited pride in their decorative quality. Gay pride Miami Beach has been more about fulfillment and deco pride. Gay liberation and architectural of the subconcious than creation of the materi- liberation. In Miami Beach, the two movements rban energy is sexual—exciting, provocative, un- of sun, sea, flesh, and flash—that catalyzes its vitality. al. Its architecture, drawn from cinemagraph- became synonymous. predictable. Vital cities, in their perpetual com- What makes South Beach so urbanistically relevant to- ic, industrial, and nautical design, is what you The irony of this social evolution lies again pression, integration, and reconfiguration, are day is that its hedonistic qualities are what America is seek- think art deco architecture would be in such a in South Beach’s origins. Founded by and for possessed of limitless sources of pleasure and ing everywhere—from the workplace to the gym, from the meet together, smoke cigars, and have a secret the Jewish middle class that was excluded from danger. Moreover, they promote self-expression. amusement park to the shopping mall. In South Beach, place. However, while streamlined in appear- handshake? We know their names and some- other American resorts, the community’s pop- USelf-conscious and voyeuristic, they are hotbeds of fashion, socializing, shopping, entertainment, and a convenient ance, the style makes little sense in reality, for ulation was as homogenous as its architecture. art, and exhibitionism, places to see and be seen in. Vital workout are all at hand. It is a one-step escape without the buildings are neither machines nor ships thing of their histories, but how is it that they This and the subsequent generations of the cities are up all night. leaving the neighborhood. nor stage sets. Their thinly veneered facades are decided, individually and in concert, that work- Americans have learned that life does not have to be plays on the wistful dreams of movie images ing in this one style would be so interesting? 1940s and 1950s were the survivors of the Great dif-ferentiated according to the seasons, time zones, or and the futuristic. Today these facades have become layers Depression. They knew what hardship meant stages in order to partake of diversion. We do not have to Totally nonprogrammatic, the tropical of surfaces and textures, revealing 60 years of and were willing to work and sacrifice for their wait for a raise or a vacation or retirement to have a variety deco style is static in comparison to the pow- so-cial history. When the revival movement leisure reward. They lived by the layaway plan, of plea-sures available at every moment. No one more than er of its illusion. Compared with its stylis- for the restoration (and designation) of the Art paying on installments for the deferred plea- the dot.com entrepreneurs embraced this fusion of entertain- tic contemporaries—modern, Victorian, shin- Deco District began in the late 1970s, it was, sures of their day in the sun. ment and work. Adapting their offices to adult play- gle style, and classical architecture—the art once more, the superfical that served as bold. The east side of the island—Washington grounds, they became workaholic hedonists, filling up 12- deco architecture of Miami Beach is literally In 1982, designer Leonard Horowitz painted Avenue, Collins Avenue, and Ocean Drive— plus-hour workdays with recreation as intense—and superficial, its art deconess ocurring purely pastel pink the exterior of the venerable Fried- was then, like today mainly touristic, i.e., dense available—as their labors. Combine yuppie drive and hip- on the surface. And unlike the art deco ar- man’s Bakery, where nearly all the Beach with hotels and shops. Easy accessibility to pie indulgence with dot.com igenuity, and Dionysian chitecture of other parts of the world, its rich- com-munity converged on Friday afternoons social activity and the ocean was accommo- Calvinism is born. ness does not occur in the differentiation of for their Shabbat challahs. Horowitz, whose dated by ground-floor lobbies, verandas, and The transportation of this philosophy from the office material: there are no aluminum or brass in- fam-ily came to the beach from New York porches. The sidewalk was the community “liv- to the street is the true form of contemporary urban vital- lays and few glass mosaics. Totally economi- every year for half a year during the entire ing room,” the stage on which the theater of ity. Picture adaptive use and urban mixed use in overdrive cal, the stylistic effects are all created in stuc- course of his childhood, articulated the lay- life could be observed and where promenades and you have South Beach, where gyms, clubs, beaches, co and extend only as far as the lobby. From ers of color and detailing in a way that made brought people together. From Washington and sidewalks host a continual parade of nubile skin and its inception, therefore, the built environment the building ap-pear confectionary (ideal, of Avenue west, the island was predominantly res- gay flamboyance. At virtually any hour, you can have the of South Beach—simple, inexpensive, and dec- course, for a bakery). More than simply the idential. While providing less mixed-use activ- makings for a fabulous body—or at least the sight of one— orative—has been stagecraft. color itself, it was also the way he treated the ity, it was nevertheless also designed for pede- Think Berlin in the 1920s. Paris in the 1950s. Tokyo in within a stone’s throw in any given direction. While the architectural concentration of color—like cake frosting—that inverted the trian friendliness, its buildings sharing the the 1980s. Barcelona in the 1990s. New York and Rome eter- For those who built and frequented early Miami Beach, the historically designated, one-square-mile Art impression of the building and that of the other same stylistic treatments. The cross streets like nally. And South Beach since its revival 20 years ago. Each pleasure was a destination, dreamed of and planned for, Deco District was built, essentially, at the same buildings whose new palettes followed. Lincoln Road bridged the divide between east embodies or embodied a collision of social, religious, eth- but certainly not a perpetual way of life. A seaside escape time (the decade of the 1930s), it is important Originally white, the building surface tex- and west. Today, this remains the basic pattern nic, political, and sexual cultures and age groups. Each was for the Jewish middle class, it was a place to bathe in the to note that it was also created one building at tures changed with the [changing] effects of the city; while it is the philosophy of life— or is creating community within a state of constant flux. ocean, go to the theater, and socialize with friends who, too, a time, in a sequence based on patterns that of light, evoking a carving or bas relief. and the vast need to accommodate cars—that While the new urbanism would have us believe that ur- came seek-ing respite from the gray North. Once the season were driven by a slow and methodical evolu- The confectionery colors, on the other has changed. was over, however, one went back home—and to work. For BERNARD ZYSCOVICH ban vitality is generated by a specific type of programmatic tion of what was important: economically con- hand, inverted the traditional antici- The most pressing issue for South Beach to- those of today’s generation who do not want to be limited is president of development, the truth is virtually antithetical: the requi- veying tropical resort and seasonal life. Even pation of a building, creating a sort of anti- day, aside from parking, is how to sustain the in when and where they work, the urban vitality of such a Zyscovich, Inc., an site sexual pulse of urban excitement derives from the con- though the style’s consistency is largely a architecture. social qualities and creative energy that have cious embrace of chaos as entertainment and density as place as South Beach makes “all the world a stage,” i.e., an architecture, urban result of its simultaneity, it is also the product Architects want to convey a building’s marked it from its inception while promoting nourishment. Vital cities evolve layer by layer and change office, a playground, a trysting spot. South Beach is puritan- planning and interior of a number of like minds. The architects and weight and rootedness to the ground. They are its growth as an urban nexus. The answer hour by hour. ism’s fall-en frontier, furthermore, it is the living, growing, design firm based builders of the tropical deco form were all in- interested in the material and its relationship is fundamental: by bringing arts and culture South Beach as a draw for art, fashion, and sexual ex- gritty man-ifestation of all that to which the new urbanism in Miami. (Adapted tent on applying the most romantic and cap- to the form and how the structure meets the to the center of life and green to where there pression exemplifies the viability of “sustainable hedonism” merely as-pires. South Beach is the lusty face of the true and reprinted, with tivating imagery of the time. Nevertheless, the street. Horowitz’s palette, however, made the is concrete. permission, from South more than any other city in America, or perhaps in the west- urban future. unity of style is a virtual phenomenon, a case buildings look like petits fours. His use of color Beach Style by Laura ern world. It is simultaneously historic and contemporary, Sustainable hedonism, spiritually descended from the con- in which the environment appears to be the abstracted them, objectified them, made them Cerwinske (New York: local and international, touristic and residential, seasonal sciousness of the 1960s, expresses the urban imprint of in- product almost of one mind. Who really were look weightless. And it was this weightless Harry N. Abrams, and perpetual. Yet underlying this dynamic of contradic- dulgent former hippies who, having known hallucination, these guys and how did this happen? Did they effect that gave the buildings so magical a look Inc., 2002.) tions and orientations, it is the city’s hedonistic appeal— are unwilling to live without fantasy. Where better than

10 Urban Land June 2003 12 Urban Land June 2003 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

AA4 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2002 REAL ESTATE REVIEW THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2002 REAL ESTATE REVIEWAA5

URBANISM by Hugo H. Ottolenghi URBANISM

people do not congregate and in some kind of epoch-mak- need to get in some shops or minimum of eight stories for activate the streets. ing event. The room wasn’t figure out a way to get people development at its western big enough. You can’t go to in this downtown area to cre- edge? For example? Lincoln Road, you can’t go to ate a bookstore and a coffee Sunrise has an opportu- The project we are work- Collins Avenue, you can’t go to shop.” nity, but they have to be really ing on now, the 79th Street Flamingo Park because there’s diligent. If they’re going to go MIAMI ARCHITECT SAYS PLEASANT, STABLE NEIGHBORHOODS corridor, which is west of no “there “ there . I’m talking Can a government body cre- out in the country side, so to CAN ‘ASCEND’ BY CONCENTRATING ON QUALITY OF LIFE Miami and east of Hialeah, that about a higher level of civiliza- ate a community, or does it speak, and try to develop a whole swath down to Miami tion. Bryant Park in New York have to happen on its own, more densely pacted environ- he great hand to urban design. His International Airport is disin- was our model. organically? And does much ment that would help to cre- firm, Zyscovich, Inc., has cre- vested. community grow in a planned ate car-free, pedestrian friendly architects ated a master plan to turn two Why Bryant Park? way or unplanned? streets, they will have to be whose work blocks of Miami Beach’s con- How do you distinguish that It’s connected to the New One of the things about diligent and not let sprawl hap- vention center district into a from a place that’s simply York Public Library’s main Real Urbanism is that it has to pen. set stan- modern-day Bryant Park. He’s poor? branch. It is a space surround- be authentic. In the old days, Part of that should be T dard - the also working on revitalization That’s the point. A place ed by buildings in the city. It’s people would settle a place. they should no longer behave of Miami’s Design District and that’s poor still has the charac- more like a void in the fabric, And there would be enough like a sub-urban community. Frank Lloyd Wrights what’s called 79th Street cor- teristics of vitality that comes a respite within a sea of con- people living there that it made There needs to be a certain and I. M. Peis of the ridor in northern Miami. from a community. Up until crete. That’s what I was think- business sense for someone to number of jobs and workplace Zyscovich spoke about recently, Wynwood and Little ing for 17th Street. Like Bryant open a general store so people activities so that people don’t world and even such the ways architecture impacts Haiti were what I character- Park, it would be a place where didn’t have to go to the next have to drive to downtown Fort relative unknowns South Florida life with real estate ize as stabilized- not a huge people congregate, a place to town. Lauderdale. Because if there editor Hugo H. Ottolenghi. growth in property values, but hang, have a picnic, to listen to In this recent incarnation, aren’t those things, it’s nothing as Lusby Simpson also not a decline in values. music, to have a fashion show Miami Beach grew up like wild- more than a facade. - see beyond a build- You call your view of archi- Buildings are inhabited. There - something that could be there flowers. People came, they tecture and planning “Real are drugstores, grocery stores, for the overall community. All fixed up buildings, they created What about Coral Gables, ing’s design to the Urbanism” How does that things like that, which make a those things happen in Bryant little shops. No one did a full- with the new apartments contrast with the notion of living and provide a commu- Park. fledged rehab in Miami Beach and the revival of Miracle way it fits on a street, “New Urbanism” put forth by nity service. It’s a place where in its first 10 years. All they Mile? in a neighborhood Andres Duany and Elizabeth people say, “I’ve made it. I But not all communities can did was cosmetic stuff. Later I think the Gables is an Plater-Zyberk, dean of the have a little place to live. I’ve afford or even want some- on, when there were enough excellent example of some- or as part of a city. University of Miami School Bernard Zyscovich, incoming chapter president of the American Institute got a job.” thing like Bryant Park. people and the fashion photog- thing more organic. The of Architecture, contend- Of Architects, has a master plan to turn two blocks near the Miami Beach I would not suggest every raphy and international models empty-nesters decided they Convention Center into something resembling New York City’s Bryant Park. Wright designed fallingwater, ing that restoring traditional Your proposed city center city begin with that. It’s more came, suddenly there was a don’t want to have a five- the world famous home in Mill neighborhood patterns is don’t believe that those things are examples in our commu- project on Miami Beach important to begin with: “How whole other influence at which bedroom house and would Run, Pa., to fit so completely essential to restoring func- are limited to small towns. You nity of all three. Miami Beach would create a geographic can I get people who live here point public-private partner- rather live closer in. Look into its setting by a forested tional, sustainable communi- can have a tremendous sense went from old people on the heart from which all sorts to feel like they would be happy ships happen. at Miracle Mile. It’s open at stream that structure and site ties. of community as a New Yorker porches, to the Mariel boatlift of activities would radiate. having dinner in their own town night; it’s becoming a real became a single composition. I call it Real Urbanism living in New York; you can and the sense of crime and Does this kind of geographic rather than getting into a car How does what’s happen- cafe society. The Gables The result was named the because when someone does have the same in Tokyo and disinvestments, to moving for- heart pump life into the com- and going somewhere else?” ing in Miami Beach con- used to shut down at night. most important building of the planning within a city, they Kendall. ward to a point where today munity? In a disinvested city, the trast with what’s happening It’s a classic example 20th century by the American need to take into account not Certain places have a partic- it’s an international city, it’s a There always needs to question isn’t, “How do we in CityPlace in West Palm of trying to add more plea- Institute of Architects. only what it looks like, but how ular ethnic make-up, certain sustainable environment as an be a heart. The heart of Miami make a cultural center? The Beach? sure to their lives. It never Pei’s design for Johnson it came to be. economic groups. There might international city. The plan that Beach is not figuring how do question is, “How do we get CityPlace is remarkable would have happened if the & Johnson’s world headquar- The premise is simple: be specific understanding we just did for Miami Beach is we get people out of their hous- people to come here, to buy a because the public-private part- city was just trying to sustain ters was intended to spark What we all want as human regarding historic buildings or based upon the question: “How es. People are already out on lot and build a building, even if nership happened so quickly itself. They improved the urban redevelopment in beings is to have an ever- historic preservation, or maybe do we prevent a place from the streets. The question is, it’s a Walgreens?” and with such scale that it’s landscaping along Miracle New Brunkswick, N.J.’s then increasing quality of life, what- some archeological feature or coasting?” Growth in a place “ What can we do for Miami amazing it was built so easily. Mile; they opened up cafes. shabby downtown. The city’s ever that means at whatever particular kind of business that that’s ascending is primarily Beach that would raise it to What characterizes a stabi- In that regard, it was not organ- It was a community that was signature structure has been state in life you are. if you is prevalent within the neigh- oriented toward quality-of-life another level?” The conclusion lized community and where ic. Maybe if they built a quar- stable that wanted to move described as a building within are. If you are a poor person, borhood. Those kinds of things issues. was that Miami Beach doesn’t does it go? ter of CityPlace and focused to ascending. 3 a park, a park within a city. for example, you want to own need to be taken into account have green space. There is no A stabilized community more on the housing and then And Simpson, the unem- your own house one day and to to create a place where people What are the characteristics center of congregation where has a drugstore and a youth built more of CityPlace, they Hugo H. Ottolenghi can be ployed, Queens, N.Y., archi- have a more secure life. Urban will want to live. The solution in of a disinvested communi- there would be a great festi- center where the kids go. It’s could probably have done it in reached at hottolenghi@ tect who designed Bryant Park life has the potential for that if Miami Beach might be different ty? val or something happening at a perfectly fine environment in a more organic way. Maybe floridabiz.com or at (561) Behind the New York Public it’s done properly. “Properly” than the solution in Miami or Places where property which a large part of the com- which to raise a family. There people would have bought the 820-2068. Library on Fifth Avenue, cre- means knowing where you are Hialeah or Homestead. values are declining, or at least munity would congregate. needs to be things to do with- blocks between CityPlace and ated an oasis with great lawn, at and designing a way of life not growing. Places where out getting into the car. Clematis Street and it would treelined walks and sighing that corresponds to the char- Are there patterns to these there is a lot of vacant land Is that element essential to In those communities you have filled in a different way. fountains to complement its acteristics of that place and elements and their solu- or abandoned buildings, where an ascending community? begin to say: “We need to get imposing neighbor. is not artificial. It needs to be tions? job growth and the econom- Yes. I was at a City rid of all these blank blocks Does Real Urbanism work for Bernard Zyscovich, real, and “real” is diversity and Cities find themselves in ics are not flourishing. Places Commission meeting where where there’s nothing to walk every town? Would it work a Miami native and incom- things to do and places to go three situations: disinvested, where there is not a sense they were trying to do a dedica- by. We need to get rid of for Sunrise, which wants ing president of AIA’s local and creating strong neighbor- stabilized or ascending. There of a community center, where tion and there was no way the all these blank blocks where to increase density with a chapter, has also set his hood ties and community. I community could participate there’s nothing to walk by. We building code requiring a 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

The Key to Successful Urban Living of any “fundamental needs” list is diversity. “Cities, towns, neigh- RBAN NFILL Urban infill generates profit for developers and benefits borhoods, and commercial districts should be unpredictable.and U I for residents in direct proportion to the value that it adds to a idiosyncratic, shaped by the unexpected and colorful, and as neighborhood. How does an urban infill solution sustain or interesting as life itself,” says author Roberta Brandes Gratz in her develop context; how does it create urban connections within that book, Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown. context; how does it spur renovation and/or restoration in Diversity addresses the economic, cultural, architectural, disinvented neighborhoods? and recreational. It is concerned with safe, pedestrian-friendly, In an urban environment, knowledge of the factors that human-scale environments; parks and recreational sites; neighbor- OLUTIONS energize and sustain city life is critical. Vital cities are those that hood schools; a distinct architectural and cultural character S allow for the creation and integration of new ways of living and let honoring the location’s origins; mixed commercial, business, and people gather and connect both deliberately and coincidentally. market activity; cultural and civic activity; and amenities The opportunities for They are unique, seasonal, and romantic, simultaneously historic suitable to the project’s economic stratum. and contemporary, local and international, tourist-driven and For some developers and architects, the endeavor to residential, chaotic and orderly. They evolve layer by layer and create successful infill density may be entirely internal, i.e., the multifamily change by the hour. addition of amenities for residents and the updating of existing Edmund N. Bacon, in his book Design of Cities, pub- building internship, such as condominium, hotel, and/or time- developers and lished in 1976, explains how cities function as stages of evo- share. For others still, the effort can entail conceptual regeneration lution:“Life is a continuos flow of experience; each act or moment of a vast area involving degrees of master planning and architectural architects to create of time is preceded by a previous experience and becomes the design and redesign. In all cases, the ability to offer affordable threshold for the experience to come.”The wise developer, there- market rates is of paramount importance. Of equal importance is fore, understands and provides for this continuum along with the the developer’s commitment to the project’s style of living. successful other qualities of urban living. All successful urban infill solutions begin with Multifamily projects range from inner-city reclamation appropriate responses to existing context.Their appropriate is based urban infill density to resort-style upgrading. Good design makes infill density directly on the level of a city’s vitality.The vital city is one of three effective by recognizing how urban concerns, regardless of their distinct cities and/or urban neighborhoods.The other two are the stable city and the disinvented city. solutions are as economic extremes, share the same fundamental needs.At the top

Vital Cities and diverse as they Neighborhoods The Mirador, a repositioning of a retirement community, reflects the area’s dynamic character. Vital cities, as Jane Jacobs are profitable. describes in her book The Death The Grand Flamingo, repositioned as a full-service resort for renters, used urban infill to create a and Life of Great American Cities, connection to South Beach. teem with life.Their dense aggre- ERNARD YSCOVICH B Z gation of population and archi- tecture compels human interac- tion. Density thus leads to rela- rban infill projects introduce energy and resources into cities and neighborhoods. Density remains the key to tionships, provides for responsi- bilities, and mirrors a culture’s successful urban infill, providing the cultural, psychological, and energetic nourishment by which a city value of humanity. perpetually regenerates itself; promoting the assimilation of varied approaches to living, working, and playing; Examples of this type of city and stimulating a vast range of opportunities and activities. neighborhood today are Miami’s South Beach and Brooklyn’s The opportunities to create successful and profitable urban infill density solutions are as they are real.They Williamsburg. Energetic and Urange from high-end townhouses, apartments, condominiums, and ancillary services to affordable housing for the working steadily appreciating in value, class (subsidized and other cost-reducing programs that introduce housing into market-rate environments).Yet regardless of they thrive as a a result of a new sense of identity. An enhanced the form, scale, nature, and character of these solutions, all are essentially about making pedestrian-friendly streets and quality of life is what compels enhancing urban diversity. urban infill density in these places.The goal of the developer

26Multifamily Trends Winter 2003 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

The cosmopolitan appeal of the Mirador delivers URBAN INFILL, page 29 units.The rental units will be restricted to and the Florida East Coast Railroad full-service, resort-style living for renters. To enhance the Flamingo’s households earning no more than 60 converge. Fundable urban design resort-like character, AIMCO provided a percent of median income. Eleven studios solutions for the areas undervalued and mall-like marketplace that includes a and two one-bedroom units will be poverty-ridden neighborhoods were a travel agency, a center offering business restricted to households earning to more part of this vision. supplies and services, dry cleaning than 30 percent median income, targeting In addition to coordinating drop-off, pet care, a green grocer, a homeless individuals. The affordable market data provided by the economist magazine seller, a shoe-shine stand, a ownership units will be reserved and group Hammer Siler George of cyber cafe, a florist, and gathering areas priced for households earning no more Washington, D.C., on such economic wired for laptops. In addition, there is a than 80 percent, 100 percent, and 120 tools as tax abatements, empowerment 14,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art gym percent of median income. zones, community redevelopment areas, that looks out over the bay. Also, three Structured as a condominium, and tax-increment financing (TIF), floors of a newly built tower will be the project will be composed of for-sale studies of the N.W. 79th Street corridor equipped with executive or corporate residential space (118 individual unit also address shopping, housing, suites, and the building will have a 24- owners); commercial uses with various warehousing, and industrial uses that hour doorman and concierge. office, retail, and community spaces; and benefit specifically from their proximity a garage.This mis of uses and residents of to transit. Stable Cities and Neighborhoods various economic strata will add The intent of the plan is the While functional, typically blue-collar significant density to the neighborhood, attainment of reasonable quality of life for stable cities and neighborhoods are not infusing with it a vitality that extends those living in the area, giving them known for high energy. They have had beyond the development’s contained access to food and materials that now lie little or no substantial architectural space. beyond the area’s boundaries. Because it renovation over decades and their is understood that housing alone cannot Disinvented Cities and Neighborhoods principal shopping centers and anemities provide an increased standard of living, average at least 15 years in age. Disinvented cities and neighborhoods are architectural studies also identify catalyst The goal of the developer or those that lack a basic standard of living. development projects-regional shopping architect in stable urban environments is Once historically significant or viable, and entertainment, and industrial and to introduce infill elements that will they now languish or are in decline, warehouse uses that would bring in jobs. generate vitality.No city or neighborhood lacking supermarkets, banks, movie All solutions identified are tied to existing or architect in vital cities and neighborhoods is to articulate new AIMCO determined its need for a vast program of grows desirable without first making its theaters, variety in stores, and restaurants transportation facilities. avenues of growth and enhancement. rehabilitation and expansion and added a 32-story residential tower streets and cultural offerings more other than fast food establishments. Some Initially, architectural ideas were For more than two decades, South Beach has embodied and a six-floor,2,000-car parking garage sandwitched between mid- vibrant. The developer or architect must suffer from poor sanitation, focused on replacing an outdated, urban reinvention.Aside from parking, its most pressing issue today rise apartments and townhouses. Charles E. Smith wanted a create an urban ambience in which the overcrowding, neglected streets, and first-generation shopping mall that had been a neighborhood anchor. The is how to promote growth while sustaining the social qualities and projectwide upgrade of its public spaces and improvements on streets serve as public living rooms, crime. Generally, property values redevelopment will include mixed uses creative energy that have characterized the neighborhood since its individual units as they turned over. Both companies, however, places in which people “want to see and continuously depreciate, there is copious such as quality retail and housing. The inception.Two recent multifamily projects there have incorporated recognized the importance of an overall conceptual reposition. be seen.” vacant land, and the infrastructure is That reposition was based on an understanding of South housing will be primarily townhouses and the essence of urban life, turning art, culture, recreation, and Neighborhoods with vibrant poorly maintained or is disintegrating. Beach’s unique brand of urbanism, one of recreational and cosmo- multifamily apartments. This reintroduc- other indulgences into live-in amenities. street life do not have to offer infill Subsisting on public subsidy, many politan appeal.Accordingly,it was determined the properties would solutions with the rich anemities that can tion of a retail and residential mix will Denver-based Apartment Investments & Management residents have essentially no advocacy. deliver the best returns as full-service resorts for renters. At the flourish only in the vibrant cities. An To reclaim these urban revive the original sense of community. Company (AIMCO)-the largest apartment real estate investment Mirador, Charles E. Smith provided a tanning lawn; various pools Excellent example of such a neighbor- environments, a developer or an architect In addition, the plan calls for the trust (REIT) in the world- and Charles E. Smith Residential, a with distinct family, lounge, and play atmospheres; coffee bars; hair hood is Boston’s Chinatown. Here, the must make residents feel they belong and development of themed industrial parks division of Arlington, Virginia-based Archstone-Smith Trust, salons; an office center offering supplies and services; a state-of-the- Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency are protected by providing job and updated facilities in an adjoining another large apartment REIT, desired to reposition their art bayfront fitness center; and a gallery for residents also add to the conceived a 23-story, multiuse develop- opportunities, economic enhancements, industrial section that, owing to its poor multifamily rental properties on South Beach from retirement convenience of South Beach-style urbanism. ment, to be called the Metropolitan, and the underlying elements that support infrastructure and security, is obsolete. income populations reflective of the area’s newly dynamic At the Flamingo, AIMCO originally wanted to eliminate which will include rental and for-sale supermarkets, restaurants, and new This effort also also is intended to bring character. Both projects are located within blocks of each other on all studio apartments. Typically, first-time renters occupy the housing with community space, housing- the resources that make a jobs to the area. the city’s bayfront artery,West Avenue. studios and vacate them quickly, with little regard for the physical commercial and retail space, a public neighborhood functional. Five Steps to Success The Grand Flamingo, owned by AIMCO, was originally property. The architect on the project urged AIMCO to keep the garden, and underground parking. Such an example is a section of known as Morton Towers and consisted of two 15-story buildings studios, considering them critical to the population and Of the total 251 residential Miami’s N.W. 79th Street corridor. The When identifying and developing urban erected in the 1960s. Charles E. Smith owns the Mirador-formerly cosmopolitan mix.The renovation included one-, two-, and three- units, 46 percent are reserved for low- city wanted to develop a viable urban infill solutions that generate added value, called Forte Towers and comprising three 16-story towers.A 1,200 bedroom apartments as well. and moderate- income households, vision for a transit-oriented development most developers and architects generally unit rental apartment complex, it was also built during the mid-to including 81 rental and 34 ownership (TOD) where Amtrak,TriRail, Metrorail, go directly to number five in the five-step early 1960s. Multifamily Trends Winter 2003 28 29 Multifamily Trends Winter 2003 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

process-create a profit-making project.To alone? What reuses of disinvented land are Monday July 9, 2007 develop a successful urban context, it is possible? important to attend to steps one through four before embarking on the fifth one. Step Five: Create a Profit-Making Project Florida’s rst green school breaks Step One: Examine the context The best way to build a profit-making project is to follow steps one through ground in Palm Beach County Study the history, geography, culture, job five...and to enlist clients who desire to access, and transportation issues, as well make a profit in accordance with civic as the ethnic background of residents, of improvement. Create an infill project that the development area. Increase the will catalyze the surroundings and odds density of existing services and anemities are you will make money. where the population will support them and introduce those that are lacking. Build BERNARD ZYSCOVICH, ARCHITECT AND PRESIDENT OF THE MIAMI-BASED DESIGN FIRM ZYSCOVICH, INC., IS less-dense projects in environments PRESIDENT OF THE MIAMI CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN where vacancy prevails. Study demand INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS. and recognize what is not being satisfied. For example, would an abundance of new, larger apartments stimulate the market, or would a greater density of smaller units? Is there a new population-empty nesters or an entry-level workforce, perhaps- with a pent-up, unsatisfied need for urban proximity that could be enticed into moving into the neighborhood?

Step Two: Ignore the Boundaries

Look at the big picture: clues to a successful solution often exist outside the Dr. Ken Jessell, left, David Anderson, Frank Brogan, Dr. Art Johnson, Jeff Koons and Robert Diffenderfer development area. Nearby neighbor- hoods, for example, may be saturated in alm Beach County Jog, representatives from collaboration between the terms of housing, office, or recreational School Superintendent the school district and FAU, Palm Beach County School P Dr. Art Johnson and as well as representatives of District, FAU, the FAU space. Their building types may be out- Florida Atlantic University Pirtle Construction Company Foundation and Pine Jog moded. The development area might President Frank T. Brogan and the architectural firm Environmental Education flourish with the introduction of catalytic joined representatives of the of Zyscovich, gathered Center. Fifteen of the total community last month to to hear remarks from 150 acres was leased by projects. Inventory the existing building break ground for Florida’s Superintendent Johnson, the FAU Foundation to the stocks and identify needs and appropriate first green elementary school President Brogan, Palm school district for the new anemities, including parks. What exists and a new facility for the Beach County Commissioner school and the new Pine Pine Jog Environmental Jeff Koons, FAU Foundation Jog facility. The school outside the boundary that does not exist Education Center, a unit of Interim Executive Director district will build a 15,000 within? Taking such a broad view informs FAU’s College of Education. Ken Jessell, and Mr. David square foot facility for the and stimulates the creative process. The new school, Anderson, executive director Pine Jog Environmental scheduled to open in of Audubon of Florida. Education Center and by August 2008, will have Air Force Junior ROTC agreement will share school Step Four: Identify Opportunities and an environmental focus, Color Guard members from facilities with Pine Jog. Funding Services integrating the natural Lake Worth Community Pine Jog was established areas of Pine Jog and green High School gave the in 1960 to educate young What kind of project could the city elements of the building into Presentation of Colors, people about their natural support or endorse? What type of the curriculum. which was followed by a environment and instill in The school will be the musical presentation by the them a sense of stewardship. product will interest private developers? first public elementary elementary chorus of FAU’s Since 1970, Pine Jog has For example, the financial demands of school in the state, and AD. Henderson University been affiliated with FAU. rental versus condominium projects are among only a dozen in the School. Pine Jog Board of The groundbreaking event significantly different. Which products nation to become certified Directors Chairman Robert was made possible through by the Leadership in Energy Diffenderfer welcomed the the support of Pirtle will be the most appealing and the most and Environmental Design guests and speakers. The Construction Company, profitable? What public/private partner- (LEED) as a green building. first green elementary school Royal Concrete and ships will provide opportunities that Members of the community, and new Pine Jog facility Zyscovich Architects. including friends of Pine are the result of a significant would not be achievable by one source

30 Multifamily Trends Winter 2003 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR 2008 AIA FLA FIRM OF THE YEAR News Clippings News Clippings

School of Architecture

The Treme district, adjacent to the French Quarter and birthplace of the city’s trademark jazz, illustrates the obstacles that faced Zyscovich’s team. In New Orleans, wealthier citizens have iami-based architect and urban planner Bernard Zyscovich, traditionally lived on higher ground; poorer folks have lived in fi Architecture, ‘71, heads the rm Zyscovich, Inc., a fl ood-prone areas. Adding to the problems of low-lying Treme is 120-person fi rm that designs everything from schools to the I-10 freeway, built in the 1960s, which splits the community in high-risesM to master plans. Yet, 35 years after graduating from Pratt, two. When planners went to the neighborhood to help organize the Zyscovich still cites his years studying on the Brooklyn campus local communities, they found themselves mired in generations- and in Italy as major infl uences on how he practices urban design. old battles. “People would not go from one side of Treme to the Whether on the corner of Flatbush and Fulton or in Venice’s narrow other because, either way, we had had the meeting in the ‘wrong streets, Zyscovich immersed himself in cities, gaining a respect for church.’ White or black, each time we were insulting half the their context and economic diversity. people.” recalls Zyscovich. It was during his time at Pratt, in the late 1960s and early His team came up with a plan after analyzing New Orleans 1970s, that his philosophy, Real Urbanism, evolved. “The city history and culture, which changes from block to block. They was dealing with diffi cult issues surrounding racial equality,” says wanted to maintain the area’s “sense of self,” to use Zyscovich’s Zyscovich. “It was a time of change in our culture and the economic term, and to unify the district. One element they proposed was surroundings of the school at the time were a real education.” tearing down the freeway so the city could weave itself back Zyscovich saw that, “If you take people who live in together. The plan was formally approved at the end of 2006 by the New Orleans City Council and accepted by disinvested or dysfunctional cities and show them designs of courtyard plazas, they become angry, because they are just trying to keep the the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Zyscovich is excited, since this move triggers funding for the embattled city. rats from infesting their houses.” He soon understood that “Real He hopes that his past experience and sensitivity to place will help New Orleans regain its future. —M.Z. Urbanism is about making a place based upon what is authentic about that place and not about imposing outside ideas. It is about envisioning a continuing evolution of the city that keeps it diverse and socially equitable. A sense of place is dependent upon the status and the point of time of that — its culture, race and income. You have to ask: Who are the people?” His design inspiration now comes from multiple understandings of the city — from recognizing how a new grocery store can positively affect a community to preserving existing historic architecture. The long- time activist served as chairman of the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) early in his career. The group was important in creating the city’s Art Deco District in 1979, which protected the streamlined hotels and Moderne apartment buildings that line South Beach. In years since, he’s proudly watched the formerly decrepit neighborhood transform into an international destination while still holding onto a mixed demographic. Recently, Zyscovich, Inc. was asked by the development and housing advisory fi rm Lambert Advisory to participate in the New Orleans Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan. The Big Easy, which had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, had been in steady decline for years prior to the catastrophe and posed an enormous challenge. While the neighborhoods in which he worked—Bayou St. John, Treme/Lafi tte, 7th Ward, Fairgrounds, and St. Bernard—were the most diffi cult because of the injustice and poverty, Zyscovich says, “they also were the most culturally signifi cant neighborhoods, full of music and cuisine.”