O
ver the past decade South Florida architecture has undergone something of a style revolution. It started with Chad Oppenheim, a young Miamibased architect who first made a name for his firm Oppenheim Architecture + Design with his work on multi-story condominium buildings. Local developers were initially leery of Oppenheim’s approach, which combines a clean modernistic style with the idyllic tropical surrounds. But the financial success of the projects proved that the design sensibility in South Florida goes beyond the usual Mediterranean-Revival look. The purest example of what Oppenheim is trying to accomplish in Miami is a private residence called Villa Allegra, a home consisting of modern white boxes that frames an exotic interior finished in sucupira (Diplotropis martiusii). A tranquil exterior pool area surrounded by ipé (Tabebuia spp.) decking is truly paradise found, and a secluded second floor courtyard garden hints at the diligent environmental focus the firm integrates into its work. Architect Juan Calvo, who worked on the Villa Allegra project, explains the set of principles that the firm utilizes for its residential projects: “It is an approach of using a modern white box to highlight nature,” says Calvo. “The box represents light and the lifestyle that we live in south Florida. We spend a lot of time outdoors in the sunlight, golfing, boating, playing tennis. Most houses have porches and terraces, indoor/outdoor spaces where you can really appreciate nature. Light is a part of that lifestyle. People want the opportunity to bring light into their homes. The white box is almost like a lens allowing light to come in and be a part of the interior. The sucupira wood grounds that. White is still an abstract, stark color. Using natural materials like wood and stone is the way we balance most of our projects.”
VILLA ALLEGRA:
AN ARCHITECT’S HOME
The flooring throughout the home is exotic sucupira, as are most of the doors. In some areas the floor holds the room in the horizontal plane, then the wood turns vertical and becomes the wall. Exterior finishes of keystone and smooth stucco blend into the interior plaster for a modern, clean look that emphasizes the sucupira. The wood serves as a device to bring the exterior in through the white box, visually, metaphorically and from a performance standpoint. “It’s a forever wood,” says Calvo. “In climates like Miami where there is a lot of humidity, there is actually a lot of change of weather between interior and exterior. These homes are intended to be open to bring the outside in, so this type of wood is excellent for that. It still moves like any other wood, but it will last and not check.” The home was originally designed as a spec home, but upon completion Oppenheim loved it too much to sell, and thus Villa Allegra is the architect’s private residence. ■
Ten Exotic Species Worth Knowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 A Safe Bet for Decking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Deck Specs & Checklists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Mad About Padauk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Flooring Sustains Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Ipé Goes Urban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Exotic Wood Sourcing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
INTERNATIONAL WOOD
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