Modernisation of a series of buildings that constitute an entire city block in the heart of Coconut Grove—the oldest continuously-inhabited neighbourhood of Miami, FL. The buildings, historic 1950s structures, will play roles as future centers of commerce within the neighbourhood.

Modernisation features include facade recolouring, new awnings, building signage, and tenant signage standards. The completed project unified the buildings and its tenants with a cohesive design approach.





The three distinct buildings, featuring varying architectural styles, were approached from an identity standpoint. As the separate properties—spread across a city block—were placed under new ownership, the perspectives of the passerby and customer were considered. Research was conducted on the history, textures, and distribution of Coconut Grove, as well as its leading businesses.




After testing a selection of candidates, a final hue was chosen to be applied across the buildings. The colour blue was identifiable and flexible as it was applied in various styles thought the facades. A darker shade in a striped pattern was chosen to offset the white facade of the most sun-affected building, while varying tints were used to highlight the middle property in the shadow of a tree canopy.






As the corner property sits across a central shopping mall, visibility and signage standards were considered in the process. A backlit, extruded sign was designed to be displayed across the top of the building, while tenants’ logos were modified to be installed across the valances of the awnings—visible to pedestrians on either side of the street.





The project, being a redevelopment of existing structures with minimal modification, explored methods to implement sustainable systems that were functional and attractive. A green wall was proposed for tenant back-of-house entrances, as well as a green roof with a stripe pattern mirroring the building’s awnings.



Renovations to these properties, along with a curated selection of new anchor tenants, marked a significant change from their previous state—being celebrated and welcomed by residents and local news outlets.




PROJECT TEAM


Client

Main Highway LLC
Design Firm
Arquitectonica
Lead Designer
Andrew Persoff
Co-Designers
Hira Sabuhi
Christine Zavesky
Tenant Image Credits
Images property of respective owners