From envisaging luxury waterfront private residences on Hibiscus and Palm Islands to shaping Miami’s skyline with projects like the American Airlines Arena, Reinaldo Borges boasts a diverse portfolio in South Florida and the Middle East. His firm, Borges Architects + Associates, is currently celebrating 20 years, its design philosophy driven by tropical modern architecture and a passion for sustainability. Borges often glides over South Florida in an ultralight seaplane, seeking inspiration. borgesarchitects.com
What are you working on? We’re starting on a new Istanbul-based restaurant-lounge concept on the water in Miami, finalizing the Celino Hotel on Ocean Drive, and creating a delivery-only kitchen concept, an important service now with COVID-19. Plus, in Fort Lauderdale, a senior housing high-rise we designed will be the first of its kind in South Florida.
How has the threat of sea-level rise affected what clients are looking for? South Florida is blessed with great exposure to water and that drives a lot of the real estate valuation in our community. At the same time, we are challenged by a future with lots more water. We are designing several waterfront luxury homes with innovative climate-ready strategies to ensure they have resiliency to storms and sea-level rise. It’s a passion of ours to think through the future and design smarter, long-lasting projects.
Looking ahead, share your predictions for 2021. Integrated wellness concepts with sustainability and resiliency design will be big. From trends on how we drain our cities and waterways to reducing our energy footprint, it’s all part of the new normal for architects, planners and those involved with the city and its infrastructure.
