our
projects

Haitang Bay Sports Town Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Completed Dates: August 2018 - November 2018 Site Area: 56 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Vanke Haitang Bay is a Master Planned Community that reconstructs the unique beauty of the natural environment back to its original state, creating a destination where the built and natural environments coexist. Located at the mouth of the Queen Bay, connecting with the freshwater Tielugang lake, at the outskirts of Sanya, Hainan Island’s newest community resort and Sports Town will be the destination of marine tourism, the home of the National Sailing Team and the destination of nature addicts. It provides several beach resort hotels, one of the island’s largest marinas, and a residential and shopping district that will make it one of Hainan’s most unique waterfront destinations. The planned resort rebuilds mangrove islands to protect them from tidal currents and filter ocean + river water to safeguard the ecosystem. It re-establishes the original tree canopy to mitigate typhoon-force winds and raises the built elevation to address the rising sea level. New waterways created through the development improve water movement and offer additional frontage.

North Avenue Railroad District Project Type: Urban Planning and Design Project Status: Completed Dates: November 2019 - March 2022 Site Area: 43 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: NDT Development The project comprises a master plan and proposed regulatory framework of the Nora District in West Palm Beach. The vision must support the implementation of a new compatible zoning overlay district for the study area. The project includes a narrative and exhibits intended to serve as guidelines for a new regulatory framework of the site. The project also consists of a comprehensive review of land use, zoning, and development potentials. This regulatory framework provided the guidelines for a change in zoning and other improvements as part of an overlay district carefully calibrated with the planning department. The design team developed a unique vision for the District based on three guiding principles: Urban Development, Urban Connections, and Vibrant Places. These principles inform the creation of an attractive urban environment that connects people with places.

North Springs District - Heron Bay Project Type: Zoning and Development Analysis Project Status: Completed Dates: March 2021 - May 2021 Site Area: 69 acres Team: Plusurbia Client: Upper Buenavista Management, LLC Emporium is a Master Plan created in response to The North Springs Improvement District and the Cities of Parkland and Coral Springs. The design was selected among several submissions for its innovative approaches to Golf Course retrofit and its approach to improving accessibility and services for their residents. The Committee selected the proposal as a three-part project that includes health, design, arts, and entertainment in a village-like environment surrounded by nature reserves. The proposal incorporates distinctive landscape architecture mimicking organic and natural forms and visually and physically connects the buildings with the canals and preserve. Brownfield mitigation was achieved through a thorough commitment to sustainable design from the inside out – creating land formations, encouraging active uses by providing healthier spaces and energy-efficient structures, and minimizing the broader environmental impact. The 150-acre preserve is part of a more extensive drainage system ensuring multiple connection points between the proposed development and the Preserve’s trail system.

Project Type: Master Planning and Conceptual Design Project Status: Completed Dates: February 2020 - May 2020 Site Area: 590.75 acres Team: Castillo Arquitectos (lead) + Plusurbia Design + Leon Sol arquitectos consultores + Zanetta Illustration Client: JOR., S.A. El Encanto District Master Plan was carried out during a Design Workshop called a "Charrette." This was carried out at the El Encanto facilities in February 2020. During an intensive work session of 5 consecutive days, the designers collaborated with the client to define the project's objectives, generate consensus regarding its vision, and represent a strategy for strategic projects to be developed in different stages of intervention in El Encanto. The Charrette began with an extensive reconnaissance visit to both Phase 1, the Huizúcar area, and the 68 blocks in San José Villanueva. The resulting Master Plan that was developed responds to the needs of El Encanto and its stakeholders, providing a holistic approach to the District's urban design. It features four strategic pillars: 1) Mobility, 2) Public Space & Infrastructure, 3) Housing, and 4) Landscape & Ecology. These four pillars address the various challenges faced by El Encanto. It defines the necessary strategies to improve mobility and connectivity, as well as an overall urban development plan; it proposes a mix of housing types and suggests ways to promote climate-resilient and green housing; finally, the Master Plan promotes a comprehensive approach to landscape design, with an emphasis on restoring natural areas and creating recreational spaces. In all, El Encanto’s Master Plan is designed to help the city become a more livable, vibrant, and sustainable place for locals.

Brandon Town Center Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Under Construction Dates: September 2018 - February 2019 Site Area: 56 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Rotunda Land Development The Brandon Town Center is a mixed-use, walkable downtown environment planned for Brandon, a primarily suburban community located east of Tampa in Hillsborough County. The project includes a variety of uses, including commercial, entertainment & recreational space; multi-family residential; single-family homes; civic & government services; parks; and public art. The project's goal was to create a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented downtown environment that would provide an amenity to the community while providing a positive return on investment for our client. The plan features a main street with mixed-use buildings flanked on either side by attached single-family houses (row houses). There is a stormwater and recreational pond and a food hall that anchors the central green space and looks out onto the pond. The design also includes public open spaces for recreation, seating, shade trees for cooling, and play structures. Innovative stormwater managing techniques will be deployed, including green infrastructure such as rain gardens, permeable pavements, and bioswales to manage stormwater runoff. Each area is designed according to the wants and needs of the community, with special consideration given to the existing landscape and ecological systems. A vehicle-free street type is used in the master plan to provide enhanced pedestrian connectivity, safety, and comfort. The streets are designed to be naturally traffic-calmed, with on-street parking, wide sidewalks, street trees, and textured crosswalks.  These streets aim to create a pedestrian-friendly environment that can host various activities, such as outdoor markets, performances, and promenades.

Village of El Portal Design Guidelines Project Type: Planning Project Status: Completed Completion Date: October 2020 Site Area: 256 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Village of El Portal The Village of El Portal Council unanimously adopted the first El Portal Design Guidelines on October 27, 2020. The guidelines were developed after the Village Mayor Claudia V. Cubillos and Village Council directed the Planning Consultant to develop Architectural guidelines; these guidelines aim to preserve and enhance the Village of El Portal's unique character while allowing for change through new development. The El Portal Design Guidelines articulate design principles that guide architects, developers, and property owners in creating a built environment compatible with existing structures, open spaces, and the public realm. They intend to provide a framework for the successful execution of quality urban design and architecture in El Portal, addressing building composition, scale, and articulation to establish a measure of architectural harmony that accommodates diverse styles and uses and addresses landscaping and site design elements. The guidelines also facilitate the review process by clarifying the architectural expectations of the community. These standards aim to achieve street-friendly buildings, authenticity, climate responsiveness, and contextuality. This document sets general guidelines concerning its purposes and contents and are not meant to be regulatory.

Hialeah Heights Project Type: Master Planning Project Status: Completed Completion Date: April 2020 Site Area: 33 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: City of Hialeah Emerald Bay is a Conceptual Master Plan created in collaboration with the property owners, their consultants, and the City of Hialeah’s Planning Department to encourage a mixed-use, connected walkable development. The initial research and stakeholder meetings of the existing municipal regulatory conditions and a review of existing site plans in the area showed great potential to create a traditional neighborhood-style site planning and development framework. This project aims to provide a well-knit neighborhood lifestyle in a walkable environment. It offers several green spaces and amenities such as a clubhouse, pool, dog park, fitness center, and water features. It also considers a multimodal approach by providing walkable and bikeable streets that can connect to adjacent future projects. The design is divided into two properties with current industrial use that are designed similarly and function independently. This proposed multi-family design, within the City’s annexed area named “Hialeah Heights” at the northwest of the City’s boundaries, is planned to provide an urban framework that can expand to adjacent properties connecting to the proposed streets and block structure. It proposes 900 medium-income rental multifamily units designed in 3-4 story garden-style apartment buildings with 2- and 3-bedroom units. The design creates a traditional neighborhood with diverse building types, creating an exciting and vibrant community that encourages pedestrian movement and social engagement.

Project Type: Mixed-Use Apartment Building Project Status: Completed | April 2019 Site Area: 5.4 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: North Side Mixed Use LLC This mixed-use project is a development that encompasses retail, residential and a existing storage facility. The scope of work was to prepare a package with visualization, construction documents, and table calculations to be presented to Miami Dade County’s Planning Department for Administrative Review. The 5.4 acre site provided the opportunity to design a mid-rise building with ground-level retail and apartments above. The goal was to bring a living experience that would become part of the fabric of its surrounding neighborhood. The design was inspired by the vibrant culture and typology of the area, providing an inviting connection to the street level for pedestrians.

Westdale Wynwood - Mixed-Use Planning and Zoning Project Type: Planning & Zoning Project Status: Completed Site Area: 273 acres Team: PlusUrbia Client: Westdale Wynwood Westdale Wynwood's concept follows directly in line with the transitions called for in Miami 21. East, West, North + South. The neighborhood has been referred to as Little San Juan, a name reflecting the Puerto Rican population that moved into this neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s, many of whom worked in the garment district to the south of NW 29th Street in Wynwood. Many of the institutions in the neighborhood still retain and carry the influence of the Puerto Rican community – the De Hostos Senior Center on NW 2nd Avenue to the south of the block, the Mission San Juan Bautista and Roberto Clemente Park further north along NW 2nd Avenue. The Westdale Wynwood Block is uniquely located between several civic uses and large buildings to the east and south, and west, and the duplex typology that exists in the residential neighborhood immediately to the north, which supports the proposed change in zoning and redevelopment for multifamily housing of 3-5 stories. Namely, to the east is existing T5 (5-story) zoning along NW 2nd Avenue; across NW 2nd Avenue is the All Boys School; to the south, across NW 30th Street is the MDC De Hostos Senior Center, AT&T utility building, and the expansive Hartner Elementary School campus, to the west is a 4-story senior living facility.

Interamerican Campus Plaza Project Type: Urban Design & Land Use Planning Project Status: Completed Site Area: 4 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Miami-Dade College The plaza will create a community gathering place worthy of the most extensive bilingual learning environment in higher education. The amenity-filled open space will re-stitch the community, connecting the Miami-Dade College Eduardo J. Padrón Campus’ 7,000 students, faculty, and staff with the vibrant Little Havana neighborhood around it. An active central space will transform lanes of unsafe traffic into a dynamic, pedestrian-oriented hub. The plaza creates a grand civic space for events and opportunities for the MDC Eduardo J. Padrón Campus to share its wealth of assets with the diverse community that it anchors. Just as Little Havana has evolved with the unique history of Miami, the plaza is designed to develop and grow as an unrivaled center of the community. The civic space can be built in phases as urban furniture, nature, lighting, a mural, a dramatic gateway feature, an amphitheater, and other elements are added. The transformative plaza will build a bond between the Miami-Dade College Eduardo J. Padrón Campus and the community the day it opens.

Little Havana 'Me Importa' Revitalization Master Plan Project Type: Neighborhood Revitalization Project Status: Completed Site Area: 1,700 acres Team: PlusUrbia Design + National Trust for Historic Preservation + Dade Heritage Trust + Urban Health Partnerships + Live Healthy Little Havana + City of Miami Client: Health Foundation of South Florida Plusurbia led the team in the partnership, preserving the authenticity of Little Havana while creating design guidelines for proper growth and development and setting the stage for zoning recommendations. The unprecedented project was in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which named Little Havana a “National Treasure.” The effort also focused on healthy urban living, a goal of project partner Live Healthy Little Havana. Dade Heritage Trust and Urban Health Partnerships were also partners in this initiative to retain character, density, scale, and affordability in Little Havana. This is an outgrowth of PlusUrbia’s advocacy for a complete streets approach to the pending FDOT redesign of the Calle Ocho corridor (SW 7 and SW 8 streets between SW 27 and Brickell avenue). Images were created of a 21st-century Calle Ocho with multimodal transportation alternatives such as dedicated bike and transit lanes, comfortable wide sidewalks, and additional safe crosswalks in a vibrant urban setting. Dade Heritage Trust 2017 Annual Preservation Award Making Cities Livable Conference - Honor Award for Excellence - A Healthy City for All 2019 APA Florida 2019 Award of Excellence in the Grassroots Initiative category APA Florida Gold Coast Chapter 2019 Award of Excellence for Best Plan, Report, or Study         

Gables WaterWay Residential Planning, Zoning, and Concept Architecture Project Type: Feasibility Study Project Status: Planned Completion Date: January 2014 Site Area: 4.8 acres Team: PlusUrbia Client: Bankers International Realty Feasibility study for an area on the south side of South Dixie Highway (US1), across the street from the University of Miami. The task consisted of a preliminary zoning study of each parcel. It also provided a volumetric study, analysis and renders of the properties combined, maximizing the permitted development under the current code. PlusUrbia worked on this project for a private developer to determine the best way to take advantage of this iconic site and unlock its full potential. The design for the buildings in the development fits with the site's surrounding context and the characteristic Architecture unique to Coral Gables.

Wynwood Steps Mixed-Use Concept Architecture Project Type: Concept Architecture Project Status: Completed Dates: April 2016 Site Area: 1.75 AC Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Goldman Plusurbia was tasked to create an innovative way to intertwine public and private space in a mixed-use project for one of the most prominent sites in the Wynwood Arts District. The Project combines the street-level pedestrian experience, creative office, and retail space through a seamless circulation strategy. It created an outdoor amphitheater-stepped seating space using a recessed gran stair overlooking the street combined with native landscaping. The design also considered pedestrians' circulation to access public and private areas. The result is a beautiful and vibrant place that perfectly complements the surrounding district while providing a safe, comfortable, and inviting experience to all who visit. Given its location and the civic space provided, the project has an iconic identity, showing that urban design can be both aesthetically and functionally successful when thoughtfully designed. This project is also a great example of how sustainability can be integrated into design through landscape, featuring native species and drought-tolerant plants requiring minimal maintenance. The design indicates how urban design can bring communities together, create beauty in the cityscape, and positively impact the environment. It is an inspiring example of how responsible urban planning and design can make our cities more livable, sustainable, and enjoyable. Plusurbia is committed to creating resilient cities with projects like this one that demonstrate how thoughtful design can promote social inclusion and environmental stewardship.

RS Mixed-Use Building Site Planning and Design Project Type: Urban Design/Zoning & Concept Architecture Project Status: Completed Site Area: 2.5 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Confidential Plusurbia Design was tasked to investigate potential zoning changes to assembled properties totaling approximately 2.5 Acres and provide design concepts to explore the development of a future mixed-use building in Miami's Design District vicinity. The design proposes a high-rise above an active horizontal podium detailed with a juxtaposition of vertical facade details that tear down from the top floors. A publicly accessible amenity is envisioned above the podium, creating a food and beverage destination for the district.

Papagayo Vistas Master Plan Project Type: Residential Development Project Status: Planned Completion Date: September 2016 Site Area: 166 acres Team: PlusUrbia Costa Rica is the ecotourism destination of the Americas. It has incredible and well-preserved natural beauty, hospitable people, distinctive culture, and a friendly and safe reputation. It has brought about a sustained increase in the number of tourists and second–residence seekers it welcomes yearly. Guanacaste combines tranquil beaches, spectacular shoreline views, interior tropical jungle, mountainous terrain and trekking, wildlife habitats, and access to Costa Rica’s famous national parks. All while within reach of new hospital facilities, such as the CIMA Hospital, and nearby towns with services, shopping, and restaurant and entertainment options, such as Playas del Coco, Flamingo, or Conchal. The site is located in elevated terrain to the south of the village of Playa Panama, overlooking the waters of Bahía Culebra, 3km south of Playa Panamá Beach. The site is 67 hectares (166 acres), roughly rectangular in size, and dominated by two long parallel ridges and a third ridge that peaks at one of the highest points in the area (160 m / 525 ft). The site’s topography provides good views of Bahía Culebra and the Gulf of Papagayo and inland toward the Sardinal plateau and the Tempisque river banks.

Wynwood Steps Mixed-Use Concept Architecture Project Type: Concept Architecture Project Status: Completed Dates: 2017 Site Area: 2 AC Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Goldman Plusurbia was tasked to create a sustainable design for a new mixed-use building in the heart of the Wynwood Arts District.  To maximize the potential of this unique site as an anchor to the world-famous Wynwood Walls, we embraced the existing character. We developed an innovative concept focused on breaking down and re-configuring space and facade into a series of layered lattices. The result is a building that grows from an inviting street frontage and park, seamlessly integrating into its surroundings, breaking down its scale through the layering of materials and recessed planes. This design provides an energy-efficient and visually stimulating environment for its street-level occupants and visitors.

Coconut Grove Grand Avenue Revitalization Project Type: Corridor Vision and LandUse + Architecture Project Status: Completed | July 2017 Site Area: 27 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Client: Confidential The team created a Master Plan to inspire revitalization via urban infill for an area of Main Street. The design was tasked with addressing: retail, residential, circulation, walkability, open space, height, and parking. The goal was to integrate with the existing mixed-use development, which is undergoing a significant renovation to better meet the 21st-century needs of the popular neighborhood that has seen its retail go through a long decline until recently. The contextual design includes mixed-use buildings that will produce an excellent return on investment and re-stitch and improve the urban fabric of the main corridor.

AlKhuwair Center Project Type: Architectural design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: June 2012 Site Area: 4.07 acres Team: PlusUrbia + studio LFA + Gerardo Valle P. Arquitectos Asociados Client: Mr. Ali Daoud (National Beverages Ltd.) Nested in a revitalizing district on the outskirts of Muscat, Oman, Al Khuwair Mixed Use Center is envisioned to set a new standard for future development in the area. The project is a pragmatic mix between residences and commercial uses. This proposal seeks to reaffirm an architecture of distinctive Middle Eastern character with the creation of four different buildings connected on the top floors to create a courtyard. Shade elements and ample breezeways allow for a free flow of breezes. The stylized mixed-use complex will have a movie theatre, high-end stores, offices, apartments, and a 5-star hotel with rooftop amenities for the residents and hotel guests, such as a spa, pool & sun deck, clubhouses, gyms, and lounge areas.

Songhua Lake Ski Resort Project Type: Urban & Architectural Design Project Status: Built Completion Date: May 2014 Site Area: 1,730 acres (7 square kilometers) Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + Brillhart Architecture + Gerardo Valle P. Arquitectos Client: China Vanke Lake Songhua Resort features a thriving mixed-use town center, with ground-floor retail and housing above. PlusUrbia created the master plan and architectural design of the town center that serves as the nucleus of the large resort. Located near Jilin in Northern China, the town center’s grand opening was held in early 2015.  The Deputy Secretary General of the China Ski Association praised the resort for having the best infrastructure and highest service standards of any ski resort in China. The town center features pedestrian-lined streets along a cluster of seven buildings. Condominium and hotel space occupies the upper floors of each building.  The main building houses the ski rental center, clubhouse, restaurant, and VIP room on its ground floor. The architectural style features a rustic look with wood, stone, and pitched roofs. 10th Annual KINPAN National Award, China, 2015

Santa Bárbara Project Type: Master Plan & Form-Based Code Project Status: Under Review Completion Date: February 2015 Site Area: 315 acres Team: PlusUrbia + Castillo Arquitectos + GSH studio Client: Archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzaltenango Totonicapan Santa Bárbara is a site that belongs to the Archdiocese of Los Altos, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala’s second-largest city. The Archdiocese needed to develop a land management plan to develop the property comprehensively while allowing the land to continue serving the church. This is the first time the Catholic church has sponsored a comprehensive, vision-oriented plan for urbanization in the recent history of Latin America. The church will serve as a steward of the land and the project,  where the institution itself does not become the developer but chooses one to join the vision to build together a prosperous, integrated community that will provide much-needed housing opportunities, jobs, and educational spaces for a rapidly growing population. *Rendered perspective views by Castillo Arquitectos.

Dalian Harbour City Project Type: Urban design Project Status: Under construction Completion Date: December 2010 Site Area: 42.6 acres (Phase 1) Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + studio LFA + Revuelta Architecture International + ACO Design Client: China Vanke Located in the new Puwan Economic Development area, Harbour City will be the first development design as the reference for the rest of the region. The project covers an area of 104 Ha divided into 5 phases with a range of densities between 1.65 and 3.0 FAR. This allows for various building typologies such as townhomes, garden apartments, and 9-30 story high-rises. With careful consideration of the visual impact that such development will have on the immediate landscape, PlusUrbia and its consultants carefully laid out the building volumes and the block structure to consistently respect the natural systems that are currently in place. With that premise, the design implements an overlay of built form that continues nature and the visual richness of the hills rising in the background juxtaposed to the horizontal waterfront by utilizing a layered building system. In the inner harbor of the new Puwan Development Area, Vanke's Dalian Harbour City rises from the shores of a regional park, becoming a residential and commercial center of reference in the area.

Qingdao 360 Project Type: Urban & Architectural Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: October 2012 Site Area: 83.4 acres Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + OSKI studio + GSH studio + Revuelta Architecture International Client: Vanke This proposal seeks to create a new art district: Q360 will be the heart of Qingdao’s creative pulse. The warehouses will attract local artists drawn to the open spaces, high ceilings, and abundant natural light. The simplicity of the architecture becomes the stage around which  “life happens,”  where artists will use Q360 as an inspirational workspace, giving performances, creating graffiti artwork, showcasing sculptures and street installations, and leaving their distinctive mark on the structures themselves. Q360 will become an emerging art community filled with galleries, studios, restaurants, shops, offices, and residential towers. Like their Chinese predecessors, 798 Art Community in Beijing, and M50 in Shanghai, Q360 will become a blossoming arts district in the center of Qingdao’s art scene.

DongJiang Gang Master Plan Project Type: Urban & Architectural Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: February 2012 Site Area: 17.3 acres Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + studio LFA+ LopezJaimes + Walter Chatham Client: Vanke Tianjin DongJiangGang, located on newly reclaimed land on the waterfront of the Bohai Bay in Tianjin, China, creates a new paradigm as a livable community in the region being in harmony with its environment, embedding sustainable and inherent site elements in a built and natural twine that results in a jiving environmental concert. A careful study of northern-European waterfront city-making traditions in similar climatic conditions to those of DongJiangGang led the design of DJG to become highly conscientious in its design intentions and results that promote discourse ­­between its built and unbuilt dichotomies, from the desire to create safe, healthy, and educated communities that evolve into resident-oriented and environment-friendly master plans, design results in the culmination of well-stitched patch-work between commercial centers, residential units, and waterfronts providing open water views to all residents and visitors from both public and private locations. Therefore, the wharf becomes a superb setting for this romantic idea of shared spaces and commonwealth, where people can enjoy ocean views indoors and varied outdoor areas. The master plan promotes this common-wealth idea by providing ‘shared’ views of the water maximized by willing the buildings into v-shapes that, enhanced with height, hierarchy, and variation in residential typologies, create a homogeneous array of unit types that encourage social interaction. Careful attention has been given to the shoreline design that becomes the central community amenity. This continuous linear open space makes a unique recreational space for residents and visitors alike. It protects and promotes the area's natural beauty while standing as a unifying edge that transitions from “life-by-the-water’s-edge” to a rational interpretation of traditional waterfront living. The language of the architecture attempts to bridge a contemporary paradigm of the historical precept on newly reclaimed (man-made) land. Un-served by immediate stylistic or historical context. Simplicity and elegance are paramount to creating a backdrop to the site's natural beauty, engaging the sun, water, and site edges without whimsically applying paradigms that contradict or dictate new forms or discourse. In respect to this dialogue between nature and unique form that detaches and engages the site conditions, DJG employs simple shapes and colors that are disposed and utilized following pragmatic precepts: i.e., openings to provide views, volumes to orient and terminate vistas, so architecture creates backdrops and responds to their civic duty of creating and enhancing spaces subdued by the human scale and proportion laws.

Project Type: Master Plan Competition Project Status: Planned Completion Date: March 2010 Site Area: 17.3 acres Team: PlusUrbia (lead) + Studio LFA + LopezJaimes Client: Vanke The site’s advantageous zoning and planning directives have resulted in a design closely related to the best traditions of Northern European Harbours such as Haffen City, Borneo in Amsterdam, and Malmo in Sweden while creating a new Chinese architectural paradigm. The design considers all the conditions conveyed to us during our visit to Tianjin and builds upon its relationship to the Harbor by not only being inspired by it but actually reusing shipping containers and learning from their dimensions to define the design’s form. The Wetlands have provided a very romantic story for this project where the port can disintegrate into ruins, “a memory of place” similar to the writings of J.B. Jackson. The port is therefore reused artistically within the project's architecture, both in its units and as monuments at key points. They become gateways into nature and, finally, part of nature itself, an economical and environmental way to construct architecture and the landscape - two very important aspects of any project these days. Above all, and even though this type of architecture has been attempted before, very few whose use of recycled elements is inherent in the history of the actual site, a port, and waterfront where nature intrudes and creeps into the architecture such as here.

Huxindao Master Plan Project Type: Urban Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: July 2009 Site Area: 23.5 acres Team: PlusUrbia + OAD Client: Vanke Huxindao delivers a new definition of luxury to Xiamen.  Inspired by Wu Xing or five movements or elements, the project roots itself between the spiritual and the pragmatic. This vision for Huxindao does not impose but offers a distinct palette of lifestyles suited to every preference. The approach was to organize all components of this community, creating five distinctive neighborhoods.  Each neighborhood presents a distinct environment; each is aligned with one of the five movements of Wu Xing and satisfies its residents with full amenities and comforts, and first-rate accommodations. A multitude of gardens, parks, and additional facilities located throughout the site provides other environments of distinct design and great diversity. Huxindao offers a complete, varied, and rich set of living environments while providing outstanding balance and convenience for a luxurious lifestyle. From the comfort and intimacy of the household to the sumptuous and diverse amenities, every aspect has been considered to satisfy all needs and wants. Huxindao will be the ultimate luxury address in the city of the delightful living. Designed with Oppenheim Architecture.

Tianjin Harbour City – Construction Update Vanke’s Tianjin Port development proposal offers an unprecedented opportunity to address an intriguing confluence of challenges in a most urban and prominent location within Tianjin’s Binhai New Area. This proposal benefits immensely from a solid contextual foundation. It is challenged only by the call to rise to the highest expectations of world-class urbanism of signature style, offering a quality of life of benchmark standing.  The proximity to the water and its advantageous location near the CBD frame the design strategy, reminding us that the project must capture the essence of its maritime place and link clearly to the open water views, which can be enjoyed from the upper floors while also establishing clear connections with the activities and offerings to be enjoyed in the vicinity. This proposal seeks to reaffirm an urban design of distinctive Chinese character with wide-open spaces permitting the free flow of breezes and ample sunlight to bathe the vast green spaces while deploying a wide variety of building types, namely: towers, bar buildings, townhouses, and other structures of distinctive configurations and dispositions.

Emergency Social Market (ESM) Project Type: Modular Growth Study Project Status: Planned Completion Date: April 2012 Site Area: 17 acres Team: PlusUrbia + OSKI studio Client: In-house study ESM has been designed to grow organically over time. Both the housing stock and the planning evolve with the community's needs by systematically adding modules and consolidation of parcels systematically. ESM applies to building blocks or modules to single-family and multi-family designs. The single modular house may be placed on different lot types to become detached, semi-detached, or attached (in townhouse form). A base module of 3 x 3 meters is used for housing typologies that can grow and evolve from a small one-bedroom house to a full-size three-bedroom house. Modular multifamily units are also based on a 3 x 3-meter module allowing additions and sub-division. A basic two-bedroom unit is a standard that can be increased by joining the abovementioned unit. It can also be subdivided to allow commercial uses to be part of the mix, creating live-work units that serve the community’s needs. Internal spaces are secured by gates and provide semi-private open spaces shared among the households. A 19 sm unit is designed to be the smallest possible denominator provided for a family. With an average parcel size of 100m, these basic homes can grow to 131 sm in two floors. The intent is to provide enough flexibility for a family to make the investment and make their homes a long-lasting investment in creating a community.

Tianjin Harbour City Project Type: Urban & Architectural Design Project Status: Under Construction Completion Date: May 2010 Site Area: 23.5 acres Team: PlusUrbia + OAD Client: Vanke Vanke’s Tianjin Port development proposal offers an unprecedented opportunity to address an intriguing confluence of challenges in a most urban and prominent location within Tianjin’s Binhai New Area. This proposal benefits immensely from a solid contextual foundation. It is challenged only by the call to rise to the highest expectations of world-class urbanism of signature style, offering a quality of life of benchmark standing.  The proximity to the water and its advantageous location near the CBD frame the design strategy, reminding us that the project must capture the essence of its maritime location and link clearly to the open water views, which can be enjoyed from the upper floors while also establishing clear connections with the activities and offerings to be enjoyed in the vicinity. This proposal seeks to reaffirm an urban design of distinctive Chinese character with wide-open spaces permitting the free flow of breezes and ample sunlight to bathe the vast green spaces while deploying a rich variety of building types, namely: towers, bar buildings, townhouses, and other structures of distinctive configurations and dispositions.

Wynwood Walls Garden Project Type: Landscape Design Project Status: Built Completion Date: November 2015 Site Area: 0.43 acres Team: Plusurbia Client: Goldman Properties Plusurbia Design, in collaboration with Goldman Properties, designed the space, which transforms vacant land at 260 Northwest 26th Street, to invite visitors to immerse themselves in artistic expression. The Garden’s design enables the display of excellent street art by incorporating sight lines that allow visitors to experience murals from various vantage points. The angled benches, sloping planters, and other elements create a perfect stage for artistic Wynwood “selfies.” Wynwood Walls Garden created a new gathering and art space on 0.43 acres adjacent to Goldman’s world-famous Wynwood Walls and Wynwood Doors. The Garden, a showcase for the Walls of Change installation, features repurposed shipping containers and planters that provide seating, artistic concrete, and natural textures. ULI Southeast Florida/ Caribbean Vision Award 2016

Mixed-use Concept Architecture Project Type: Architectural Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: November 2017 Site Area: 1.48 acres Team: Plusurbia Design Miami is a vibrant city known for its stunning architecture and mix of cultures. Our team was tasked to design architectural concepts that take inspiration from Asian cultures and creates a node along one of Miami's transportation corridors. The project's design was inspired by the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese lattice, using it as a design feature that doubles as a passive heat-gain control strategy. The dual towers incorporate other traditional Asian elements that were seamlessly integrated into the design of the building, creating a unique structure that fits within the Miami skyline. The project's residential units offer stunning views of the city, the ocean, and the Everglades to the west. The commercial component includes retail and office space and entertainment. The buildings are topped with Chinese-inspired gardens that follow Chinese feng-shui principles creating a peaceful oasis at the top of the buildings.

Project Type: Urban Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: June 2010 Site Area: 9.4 acres Team: PlusUrbia + GSH studio + OSKI studio Client: Vanke Jing Ao International Commercial plaza is at the intersection of two major vehicular arteries in Tianjin, China. This small-scale intervention is the commercial component of a larger residential project by the same client. It incorporates learned systems that provide a variety of experiences to visitors while integrating the intervention into its surroundings. The hotel and offices become a strong destination that feeds the commercial spaces intertwined along a coherent and carefully choreographed circuitous sequence of courtyards, corridors, and plazas in a woonerf-type spatial composition. The interventions create a wholesome experience of seamless transitions that collate a variety of retail tenants, enhancing the project's standing as a full-fleshed destination enclave in a critical location of the city.

New Town Phoenix Project Type: Urban Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: May 2010 Site Area: 76 acres Team: PlusUrbia + studio LFA + OAD Client: Vanke New Town Phoenix proposal offers a unique opportunity to address the re-development needs of a vibrant city with a rich history almost destroyed during the 1976 earthquake. Located in the central area of Bohai Bay, Tangshan borders on the Bohai Sea in the south lies against the Yanshan Mountains in the north, and adjoins Beijing and Tianjin in the west Qinhuangdao in the east. The site is conveniently located northwest of the city’s central business district, in one of Tangshan’s newest neighborhoods, considered the city's heart. The site is near the old airport location and close to a beautiful set of recently designed parks and memorials. Through a recent partnership with private international companies Tangshan, it will soon become an ecological city and serve as a model for its measures to relieve the pressure on the country’s congested and polluted mega-cites. Tangshan has constantly sought to renew itself, always maintaining hope and ensuring that past prosperity ensures future success. Thanks to its residents' dedication and determination, Tangshan has become an exemplary model of the city “reborn.” Over the last century, Tangshan has emerged as a major hub of China’s modern industries. It has witnessed the founding and implementation of China’s first mechanized coal mine; the first standard-gauge railway track; the first steam locomotive; and the first barrel of machine-made cement, among others. Tangshan enjoys a first-class infrastructure and industrial capacity complemented with iron, steel, coal, electric power, building materials, machinery, chemicals, and ceramics as the pillars. The city has established itself as a critical industrial base for energy and raw materials in the country.

Songhua Lake Ski Resort Construction 7 Square Kilometers Lake Songhua Resort features a thriving mixed-use town center, with ground-floor retail and housing above. PlusUrbia master planned the site and designed the architecture to work in harmony with the contours of the natural terrain. This minimizes the need for re-grading the site, which saves costs for the developer and has the more significant benefit of reducing the impact of development on the site that features Qing Mountain, Lake Songhua, and about seven square kilometers of nature spread across a valley.  The bus terminal was designed for transit connections to nearby Jilin, a city of 27 million served by major rail routes. PlusUrbia also designed an ice skating rink and more than a dozen mid-rise buildings that will be built in the second phase of the resort’s development.

Colinas de Arraiján Project Type: Urban & Architectural design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: August 2014 Site Area: 234.3 acres Team: PlusUrbia + GSH studio + MER studio Client: Soucy Ingenieros In the heart of the Panamanian jungle, Colinas de Arraiján offers a secluded area for anyone wishing to escape the city. The first phase of this project consists of a master plan containing residential areas, which include 269 townhouses (120 square meters) and 175 single-family homes (200 square meters), as commercial and civic spaces.

BAC House Project Type: Architectural Design Project Status: Planned Completion Date: April 2012 Site Area: 3,200 SF Team: PlusUrbia + 1521 Design Studio Client: Bakehouse Art Complex Board of Trustees Bakehouse Art Complex is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to attracting emerging mid-career artists in South Florida to a workplace that provides affordable studios, exhibition galleries, and professional development opportunities. Initially built in the early 1920s as the American Bakeries Company, The Bakehouse Art Complex (BAC) purchased the property and retrofitted the facility into working studios for artists and exhibition galleries. PlusUrbia and 1521 Design Studio collaborated on this project, which attempts to redefine and upgrade their primary exterior event space and lobby, improving the circulation and visibility of both the gallery and the studios. For the exterior event space, we conceived an intervention that is endowed with a considerable level of autonomy. By clearly defining the space and providing a compatible yet distinct language, the existing and proposed intrinsic characteristics are redefined in a new choreographed space. This strategy offers a location for outdoor venues and a welcoming entrance to the BAC’s facility. The design provides a well-defined three-dimensional space that becomes the heart of the new BAC. The objective of the lobby is to create a space that captures the essence of the former bakehouse while incorporating contemporary elements such as industrial lighting, a stainless steel table, and repurposed wood.  This ensemble results in a nostalgic and elegant atmosphere. In collaboration with 1521 Design Studio.