Based in Miami, Fla., and with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila, Dubai, Lima and Sao Paulo, Arquitectonica is a major presence on the world architectural stage.
Founded in 1977, the firm received critical and popular attention and acclaim almost from its inception, thanks to a bold modernism that was immediately identified with a renaissance in Miami’s urban landscape.
Principals Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear have continued to explore and push the limits of their innovative use of geometry, pattern and color to introduce a new brand of humanistic modern design.
Today their practice spans the globe, with projects in 54 countries on five continents. Over the years, Arquitectonica has received hundreds of design awards, and the firm’s groundbreaking work has been the subject of exhibitions at numerous museums and institutions.
A native of Lima, Bernardo Fort-Brescia studied architecture and urban planning at Princeton University and received a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, where he later taught. He moved to Florida in 1975 to teach at the University of Miami.
In 1977 he founded Arquitectonica with a group of young architects and set up a studio in Coconut Grove. Fort-Brescia led the charge of expanding the firm across the country and abroad.
The firm’s designs have defined modern Miami with projects that have carried the banner of Miami architecture around the world with diverse projects for hotels, residential towers, corporate headquarters, retail and entertainment centers, museums, theaters, arenas, convention centers, resorts and new cities.
Arquitectonica comprises more than 800 architects with projects in 54 countries around the world. It has U.S. offices in Miami, New York and Los Angeles, and seven international offices in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America.
Fort-Brescia is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a recipient of the prestigious AIA Silver Medal. He is active in community affairs including the University of Miami School of Architecture Advisory Board.
For more information, www.arquitectonica.com
Image Credits: Photo courtesy of Regalia.