The owner of re.Presentation, an architectural model making
company, asked the architects to design their new headquarters located on SW 8th
Street (Calle Ocho), in the heart of the Little Havana area in Miami.
While the owner’s
program included studio areas, offices storage, paint booths, offices, etc.,
the architects convinced the owners to consider the inclusion of a residential
component to the program. This way, the
project could get certain benefits from being a mixed-use development in the
Latin Quarters District of Little Havana.
The building is
organized architecturally in a simple and straightforward manner. The ground floor plan is occupied by the
model making studio on the west half of the site, while parking occupies the
east half. Part of the zoning ordinances
of the Latin Quarters District requires that “storefront” design be
incorporated in all buildings to encourage pedestrian participation along the
sidewalks of the District. The two
bedroom residential component “floats” over the entrance to the parking area,
as a sentinel structure 24 hours a day.
Perforated metal panels provide shading and privacy, yet transparency to
the residential unit that looks over Calle Ocho to the south.
The two building
functions are clad in differing materials to further accentuate their mixed
uses in combination on this urban context.
The materiality and colors of the building components make reference to
the historical roots of the settlers of this neighborhood from the early 60’s
which the Latin Quarters District design regulations try to impose in a more
literal way than was presented in this project.
The re.Presentation building, in the heart of Little
Havana, stands as a vibrant and appropriate interpretation of a new structure
infusing new life into a struggling neighborhood, even within an artificial
historic context.
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