Before Santa comes his little elves descend upon Miami and take over our town for the biggest, baddest art fair in all of the land. They erect little art villages all along the beach and the bay for more than 13 official art fairs and the original fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center. And they make our city look incredible. It's not just the influx of art minded people or the sheer number of artworks shipped to Miami from, well, everywhere, it's the thoughtful and preci

Miami is a beautiful city with it's turquoise ocean and maze of water and bridges. Water inspires everything we do. It shapes our buildings, our road network our cityscape. But rarely do trees, flowers and landscaping influence our design in the same way. Flash forward to Upper Buena Vista-- a one-story retail/restaurant compound which was completely designed around the existing banyan and oak trees on the property. This project is not just about the simply crafted buildings

What can we learn from a repurposed shipping container on a downtown Charleston sidewalk? Charleston South Carolina is the quintessential southern town, known for it's historic architecture, it's foodie scene and its southern charm. But beyond the brick streets and the perfectly preserved shops are inventive and whimsical designs for the 21st century like this alternative to standard sidewalk scaffolding. How does a historic city stay relevant and even hip? Change the small s

If Rome had a do over, the architects would have made something like this. It's not enough that the Design District visionaries at DACRA created a monumentally beautiful neighborhood with some of the most exquisite examples of building design in Miami. Phase two unveiled four new city blocks and this gorgeous alley, designed by architect Daniel Toole. In many of my posts, I show examples of how other cities have brilliantly addressed some of the more banal aspects of their ou

Last May, on a trip to LA, I snapped a bunch of pics of my favorite neighborhoods including Beverly Hills. But it wasn't until I returned to Miami and drove through the Design District that I considered the possible connection between these two coastal shopping meccas. Could it be that the Design District was modeled after the famed Rodeo Drive? I believe the Design District is an even better version of the old school Beverly Hills. Here's why. Let's start with branding. Beve

For the past year, my team and I have been diligently working to plan and create the Baywalk pop-up--a temporary public art installation on downtown Miami's waterfront. Why-- because Miami deserves a stellar waterfront walkway. Over time I've recruited an internationally acclaimed architecture firm and collected an assortment of public endorsements, funding and finally a true partnership with the City. Here's how we did it and how you can do it in your City. (Note all imagery

Back in July, my hubby and I booked a last minute trip to France in anticipation of our new baby and the imminent halt on our wanderlust. Kudos to my girlfriend who suggested the trip- a wine tour in the hills of Bordeaux! She booked a lovely B&B on the outskirts of the city, and we rendezvoused at Bordeaux's newest gem--the Cite du Vin--a museum dedicated to wine. Here's a town that bustles with activity. This museum is a result of the current mayor's flurry of public improv