01/08/09

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Revuelta's vision

Architect Luis Revuelta

To get to know one of Miami's most creative architects, just take a look at the skyline, where Luis Revuelta's urban vision has come to life in soaring glass and steel. By designing elegant buildings like Bristol Tower, 900 Biscayne Bay and Wind, he has defined Miami's standard for urban high-rise living.

And despite the troubled housing and credit markets, the Miami "architect of the year," and soon-to-be Hall of Fame designer, sees no end to the city's potential.

Like many artists, Revuelta is influenced and inspired by the work of others. He cites the work of architects I.M. Pei, Richard Meier, Kenzo Tange and Santiago Calatrava among those he admires.

"They all did buildings where the geometry flows," said Revuelta. "The mixture of angular and curvilinear shapes has always fascinated me. The key is to make a static building flow, to give it movement through shape. That's the most interesting challenge of architecture."

South Florida's subtropical climate impacts Revuelta's design decisions, he explains. Terraces are a common element, giving owners outdoor space and adding a spatial aesthetic to the building. In addition to creating energy efficiency by shading the home, terraces add movement to the building as light and shadows move across the exterior.

With tens of thousands of units currently under construction and the real estate market in a correction, Revuelta believes South Florida will continue to be an attractive market for international buyers.

"We have such a great location. Foreigners with funds can still invest in Miami for a second home or as an investment," said Revuelta. "Everyone wants Miami to become a world-class city, so building in the central core won't stop. But maybe we built too much too quickly."

Over the next few years, Revuelta expects to see a lot of these condos on the rental market. Eventually, the price and demand for real estate will equalize. The unanswered question is: How long will it take?

Still, market recovery time aside, Revuelta remains a strong proponent of the central urban core and believes the downtown area will bounce back.

"The population base is there," he noted. "There will be a critical mass to support a vibrant and residential downtown. People attract businesses, retail and restaurants. It will be a cycle that feeds on itself."

A University of Miami graduate, Revuelta has been an architect in Florida for more than 30 years. He spent 15 of those years as a principal with Fullerton, Diaz, Revuelta P.A. and has been a principal with Revuelta, Vega, Leon P.A. since 1995. He was recently named Architect of the Year by his peers at the Miami chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and will be inaugurated into the Miami-Dade College Hall of Fame in April.

With all the hard work, awards and accolades, Revuelta still finds joy in the architecture. Specifically, he enjoys the challenge of identifying a client's needs and meeting them with a solution.

An architect's architect, Revuelta's creations are as diverse as the city in which he works; he has designed high-rise and low-rise luxury condominiums, office buildings, hotels and automobile dealerships. For fun, he would like to design a highly energy efficient, mixed-use building. "Making it energy efficient and functional in a climate like this would be a fun project," he said.

Revuelta's latest project is Regatta 2, a seven-story condo development on the shores of Indian Creek in North Beach. He has created a curvaceous design marked by glass walls.

When completed, Regatta 2 will have 118 waterfront residences with a private marina. The 115 units for sale — ranging from studios to three-bedrooms — are priced from $270,000 to $1.56 million, with boat slips going for $125,000. Completion is slated for spring 2010.

The site had formerly been home to Royal Court Villas and the Queen Elizabeth Apartment Hotel. The façade of the hotel has been incorporated into the design.

Both the Weintraub Companies and G&D Developers are handling the development.