Rex Nichols Architects-designed glass home coming to Fort Lauderdale

The 4,000 square foot Florida modern home is built using LEED principles in energy-efficiency, innovation, and recycled materials

Glass House Architects | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rex Nichols Architects

We should acknowledge that it was Mies van der Rohe the architect who designed the 1st Glass House. Due to litigation, Ms Farnsworth did not allow Mies to name her home as the Glass House, but the follower Philip Johnson did. You can imagine how Mies van der Rohe felt when he saw Philip Johnson naming his design as the 1st Glass House.

A contemporary Glass House designed by Rex Nichols Architects and developer, Jeff Hendricks Home, is coming to Florida. The 4,000 square foot residency is awaiting permit approval in order to begin construction at 2309 Barcelona Drive in Las Olas Isles in Fort Lauderdale but that didn’t stop RNA from releasing its exquisite renderings. According to the press release, “the Glass House” will cost about $5 million once its completed mid-2019.

In a press release, Fort Lauderdale architects RNA design leader for contemporary architecture, Alex Penna says the modern house’s inspiration came from adding a contemporary aesthetic to a similar steel and glass house constructed in 1945 by architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. Penna also says he’s influenced by Deconstruction - the school of philosophy initiated by Jacques Derrida and the psychoanalytic approach of Jacques Lacan. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom, property will be an open-concept space with floor to ceiling unobstructed views of a private back garden.

web link - 3D walk-through video of RNA Glass House.

Glass House Architects | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rex Nichols Architects

An open plan kitchen, dining room, and great room create the ideal atmosphere for entertaining, while still obtaining a family living appeal.

Glass House Architects | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rex Nichols Architects

A spacious office with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors in the front of the home offers a serene and sweeping space.

Glass House Architects | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rex Nichols Architects

The abode will also include a wrap-around pool and Jacuzzi, complete with an infinity waterfall, that’s accessible through exposed sliding glass doors.

Glass House Architects | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Rex Nichols Architects

What really distinguishes “the Glass House” from modernist architects is the fact that the design is not primarily set for function, but it is also to create a building design that can be seen as a sculpture. The contemporary Glass House not only tries to stay away from the pure functionalism and simple forms of Mid-Century architecture, by giving emphasis to the building aesthetic towards a sculptural design, but it also incorporates sustainability design with LEED standards. LEED standards a criteria seen in developments such as Midtown 29, Terminal B at PortMiami, and the eco-friendly, $28 million super yacht, Safira.

Alex Penna, the architect firm’s design leader who holds a grandfathered LEED AP® accreditation, is thrilled to be building Fort Lauderdale’s first glass house by LEED standards, notes a press release.

LEED AP accreditation is through the U.S. Green Building Council, a private, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. In an exclusive interview with Curbed Miami, Penna explained that even though the project owner didn’t request a LEED certified home, his RNA team built it with LEED’s sustainability principles. For Penna’s version of the “Glass House,” he focused on three LEED standards —energy-efficiency design, innovation in design, and recycled materials which, for all intended purposes, makes for a green design home.

“Because the project location is in Florida, we [were] inspired by energy-efficiency design, providing shading, daylight-efficiency, and cross ventilation,” Penna says.

For example, Penna and company used high-end daylight and sunlight computer simulator software to create a canopy that blocks direct sunlight at noon and during the summer to reach the interior of the home. There’s more innovation. For instance, in the living room, a sun-shelf redirects year-long direct sunlight beams that passes through the skylight to become a source of natural light to illuminate the space, Penna says. “The redirection of the sunlight will enhance daylight levels, distribution and quantity,” Penna says. “This is a great way to save money on electricity for the entire year. ”The home also uses composite wood (a form of recycled wood with thermoplastic components), high energy-efficiency heating pumps, roof icynene insulation from renewable materials, and insulated low-e glass.

Contact Rex Nichols Architects

https://www.rexnicholsarchitects.com/

T- 561-445-3520

Article by Carla St. Louis

Miami Curbed

Link To Article:

https://miami.curbed.com/2018/5/31/17409072/florida-rex-nichols-architects-glass-home-leed

Why architect as developer?

By combining the roles of the Architect & Developer, we have greater control of the project making faster decisions, providing a more efficient process and maximizing the potential for a better profit for our investors.​

Investment Opportunity 

South Florida based architectural and development firm RNA is launching its Architect as Developer™ business with ultra-contemporary projects for single-family homes and mid-rise residential in South Florida and the Northeast. This is a unique opportunity for the savvy investor.

The Architect as Developer™ business model is a complete real estate investment package that includes site selection combined with the most compelling architectural design to maximize aesthetics and ROI. Other equally important tasks include preparing and facilitating the permitting process, production of working drawings, construction, and project management.

Southern Florida provides ideal demographic and topographic opportunities for the construction and development of high-end residential properties. Based on their reputation and history as the preferred Fort Lauderdale architects for contemporary design, RNA expects the opportunity for growth and success in the field of property design and development for this region as eminently achievable.

RNA has determined that many Architect as Developer™ investment opportunities exist beyond South Florida, specifically in the Northeast where New York architects, Boston architects, and Provincetown architects tend to repeat the same design themes reflective of the Colonial America architectural vernacular. Weathered Shingle Style homes are commonplace to the coastal communities of Downeast Maine, the Outer Cape Cod villages of Provincetown and Truro, the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and the Hamptons. Traditional Adirondack style log cabins and rural Vermont country cottage designs are a repeated theme by New York developers and Boston developers.

The contemporary design of RNA and Architect as Developer™ model will provide a fresh and sophisticated perspective to contemporary architecture and will appeal to the next generation of luxury residential development. The traditional four-square wooden boxes reminiscent of previous generations will yield to more elegant and contemporary design; clean lines, open spaces, connections to nature.

Site-sensitive design and large expanses of windows will engage with natural surroundings, whether the Intracoastal waterways of Fort Lauderdale, the windswept beaches of Cape Cod and the Islands, the rugged beauty of the Maine Coast, or the four-season resorts of the Adirondacks and Vermont.

The Architect as Developer™

The Architect has a vision for the project. The Developer has the knowledge of the community and access to the construction trades. By combining the roles of the Architect & Developer there is a singular aesthetic vision, sensitivity to the natural environment, knowledge of prevailing client tastes, faster decision making, experience with high-tech sustainable building materials, project management, and access to preferred contractors.

The role and contribution of RNA has become more and more evident over the years as builders profited from RNA’s collaborative guidance. Designing, developing, and constructing our projects is a natural direction for our business. As the architect, Fort Lauderdale developers' RNA is the facilitator with the vision. Studying the proven business models of the most successful developers over the past 25 years has refined our proof of concept.

While return on investment cannot be guaranteed, it may be reasonable to assume a 50% return on the initial investment within a 24 to 48 months period. Variables include site purchase price and unanticipated costs of development and sale of the property.

About RNA

RNA, formerly known as Rex Nichols Architects, emerged 30 years ago and has been focused on designing alluring and innovative contemporary style luxury homes and mid-rise residential properties for clients and developers in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and the surrounding region.

Over time, our business has expanded from designing to include developing multifamily residential properties and condominium projects in South Florida and the Northeast. Through this ongoing process, RNA has evolved into an Architect as Developer™firm creating opportunities for investment in the most desirable and prestigious locations.

RNA’s awards for contemporary architectural design spans 30 years, including:

• Eleven national (AIA) American Institute of Architects awards.

• Top 50 Coastal Architects in the USA by Oceans Home Magazine (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

RNA development proposals include detailed pro forma financials for each project, ensuring optimal ROI for the savvy investor. Flexibility regarding design and material selection makes RNA a proactive partner while maximizing investment opportunities and optimal aesthetic results.

Case Study: Emaar Properties

Rex Nichols Architects “RNA” is proud that preeminent developer, Emaar Properties, has recognized its visionary work. Although RNA accomplishments are well known in the U.S. and especially South Florida, it was the portfolio of Alex Penna, RNA Design Leader for Contemporary Architecture, which caught the attention of Emaar Properties Senior Manager of Design. Emaar felt the contemporary architecture featured on the RNA website perfectly aligned with the architectural style envisioned for their high-profile Dubai Creek Harbor development.

Luxury lifestyle, spectacular cultural offerings, and monumental architecture are characteristics of The Emaar Group’s boundary-pushing projects. Emaar Properties is widely recognized for Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in the world since late 2008, and The Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world by total area. Emaar developments are a significant contributor to the architectural beauty of the United Arab Emirates.

Equally impressive is Emaar’s Dubai Marina, an artificial canal city built along a two-mile stretch of Persian Gulf shoreline. Aside from dockage for the world’s largest yachts, Dubai Marina accommodates more than 120,000 people in residential villas and towers.

Emaar describes Dubai Creek Harbor as an iconic waterfront development. This mixed-use development of monumental scale is situated on the banks of the historic Dubai Creek just 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai and the Dubai International Airport. Dubai Creek Harbor will also be home for the world’s second tallest tower at 3045 feet. Dubai Creek Tower, designed by the renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is scheduled for completion in 2020.

References

1) John Portman – the Architect as Developer. John Portman is known as one of Atlanta's most influential architects. Three years after graduating from Georgia Tech with an architecture degree, John Portman opened his first architectural firm in Atlanta in 1953, known today as John Portman & Associates

2) The Master Builder: Jonathan Segal Interview. Ben Stevens recently interviewed Architect & Developer Jonathan Segal as part of his Skyline Forums website. Jonathan is well known for his online course Architect as Developer and has built many notable works in San Diego, CA.

by Gary Kittredge and Alex Penna

For more information,

Contact Rex Nichols Architects

https://www.rexnicholsarchitects.com/

561-445-3520

#architectasdeveloper #fortlauderdaledevelopers #fortlauderdalearchitects

Additions and Renovations to Historic Buildings Using Contemporary Style

Additions and Renovations to Historic Buildings Using Contemporary Style

If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it but if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life – Frank Lloyd Wright.  What a simple a shape is to one may be a masterpiece to another. Find an architect to create the balance between what once was and what something needs to become is naturally a challenge as they design additions to and rehabilitate historic properties. This task is not only challenging but also exhilarating for an architect.

Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Desden, Germany - Wikimedia Commons

The Palm Beach architects, Boca Raton architects and West Palm Beach architects’ guidelines for preserving, rehabilitating, restoring and reconstructing historic buildings are discussed in the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Those responsible for developing and promulgating preservation standards and guidance, specifically as it relates to historic buildings, is the office of Technical Preservation Services (TPS) in the Cultural Resources Directorate of the National Park Service.

There is no formula for designing a new addition or related new construction on a site, nor is there generally only one design approach. Given the task to create a new addition or add on to an existing structure the architect must keep in mind the proportions between the original historical building and the current new addition. Dresden’s Military History Museum in Germany, designed by Daniel Libeskind, is an ideal example of how the architect kept in mind the massing scale and detail of the original building yet the new addition is clearly unlike the original neoclassical structure.

Rex Nichols, the chairman of historical preservation board in Boca Raton, says “one of the more challenging aspects of a design is to incorporate a fresh, clean, minimalist, contemporary style that is compatible to the historic building. Part of an architect’s responsibility as they plan their design is to keep in mind the use of current technology and sustainable materials and practices such as impact windows and doors with low E glass, maximum insulation and solar panels for energy conservation”. 

The topic of sustainability shaped by Florida architects can also be found in detail in the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. New additions and related new construction that meet the standards can be any architectural style, traditional, contemporary or a simplified version of the historic building. To maintain the historic character and the identity of the building being enlarged many architects would argue that there should be a balance between how different the new addition is and its compatibility to the original historical building. The danger in this approach is the possibility of there not being any distinction between the old and the new design resulting in predictable, dull solutions. As one looks around at many contemporary buildings, the excitement of the design is the expression of the architectural proportions and forms which do not necessarily relate to the function of the building.

By using a more contemporary design the architect has the freedom to create a less predictable and more exciting design solution while still taking advantage of the most current and up to date intelligent materials and technology available. The final design of the new construction is a clearly distinct piece of architectural style that stands as its own and both compliments the original historical building yet simultaneously does not distract from or hinder the integrity of the original.

By Michael Hutchinson and Rex Nichols

For more information,

Contact Rex Nichols Architects

https://www.rexnicholsarchitects.com/

561-445-3520