COD 2025 Spring Conference: Design at the Intersection of Climate, Culture, and Beauty – Miami and Coconut Grove

Description

Climate, hospitality, and culture have historically driven growth in the South Florida region; most recently, design culture has emerged as both an identity and an economic driver. This fast-paced and dynamic metropolis, just over a hundred years old, has transformed from a swamp into a major American city, showing no signs of slowing its growth. The region boasts works by world-renowned architects such as Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, and Frank Gehry, while also preserving a legacy of unsung regional modern treasures designed by architects like Morris Lapidus and Marion Manley.

Our conference program will highlight these and other award-winning architects in Miami, Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, and Coral Gables. We will explore the contrasts of density, scale, material, and landscape in this dynamic region while understanding the profound role of design in shaping regional modern and contemporary neighborhoods, tropical landscapes, and vibrant urban centers. Designers, academics, and clients will guide us through prominent urban areas such as the Miami Design District, Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road, and the University of Miami campus. We will also walk through urban and lush tropical landscapes, both public and private, designed by Raymond Jungles, ArquitectonicaGEO and Savino+Miller. Our opening keynote and tour also feature buildings in the landscape and take place in the beautiful Kampong Tropical Botanic Garden which boasts a new pavilion by STRANG Design. Attendees will also tour new public housing by AIA Gold Medal winners Angela Brooks and Larry Scarpa and learn about new educational projects by Arquitectonica. Lastly, we will have exclusive access to rarely seen residential architecture, ranging from grand tropical paradises of Alfred Browning Parker to a mass timber bungalow by Atelier Mey.

Event Overview