PRINCIPAL
William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB
William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida and earned the AIA Henry Adams Gold Medal in 2011. William has worked in design, construction and planning in South Florida for more than 17 years, often in collaboration with his family’s practice in Architecture.
William seeks to design from a perspective that is both Culturally and Historically-Minded. Since 2009, William began to collect and catalog his grandfather’s early works, familiarizing himself with his heritage of fine Architecture and design.
Finding merit not only the constructions that he studied, but also their impact on the people who utilize them, William developed a sense of obligation to Miami and the unique architecture that formed it.
Since 2008, William has examined how buildings function with or without the use of air-conditioning, in both Miami and Havana, Cuba using a special travel license granted to him by the U.S. Treasury department. William continues to build upon the practices and techniques learned from this rare opportunity to utilize the local government as an asset rather than a challenge, and is invited return to Havana, Cuba annually to participate in an Urban Design Charrette hosted by local architects and city staff.
William currently serves as lecturer at Florida International University, critic at the University of Florida and is occasionally cited in newspapers and articles around the world.
Three (3) academic projects designed by William have received State AIA awards and in 2010,
William received a teaching award from the University of Florida citing his extraordinary contribution to the school’s teaching mission.
email:info@whaiv.us
phone:+01 (305) 770-6100
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Nicholas “Whitey” Lowe
Earned the AIA’s prestigious Bronze Medal while at the University of Florida in 2011, the state’s highest recognition for a non-licensed architect. Subsequent to graduation, Whitey provided designs and construction documents for some of Florida’s most-awarded firms.
As an advocate for a digital approach in architecture, Whitey serves as the firm’s Technical Director.
email:whitey@whaiv.us
phone:(305) 770-6100 Ext. 503
INTERN
Cristina Gomez
Cristina Gomez, NCARB is a current Masters of Architecture candidate at Florida International University’s school of Communication, Architecture + Arts. In 2015, Cristina was the school’s BEA scholarship recipient. As part of her pedagogy towards State licensure as an architect, Cristina interns as a Design Director at WHAA.
Cristina’s experience in architecture is extraordinary. Her first project at WHAA consisted of a 4-level, 21,000 sq.ft. threshold building with subterranean construction. Cristina’s 2nd project at the firm realized a 2-level, 4,000 sq.ft. multi-family building near FIU; called Florida International House, a project designed to promote affordability in one of the County’s most income-diverse neighborhoods. Cristina’s current projects extend beyond multi-family into restaurants, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
email:cristina@whaiv.us
phone:(305) 770-6100 Ext. 501
Adriana Contarino
Ms. Contarino had a fantastic participation in our Architectural Experience Program, beginning June 2017. Her experience consisted of a demanding and quick-paced internship, that served as introduction to both industry and workplace. Her internship covered all major aspects of the discipline of architecture, including the six practice areas identified by NCARB. I supervised Ms. Contarino directly, and made notes of her exceptional contributions:
Ms. Contarino did very well in appreciating the different scales and types of projects in the office, ranging from small historic renovation projects to Urban projects of regional impact.
Ms. Contarino was quickly-adapted in working both individually and as a team, particularly in issues involving public interest and urban impacts. Her ability to oversee multiple projects simultaneously greatly-benefited her workplace colleagues, and provided others in the office with clarity and direction.
Ms. Contarino demonstrated exceptional interest and responsibility in public welfare. Ms. Contarino observed both overarching and subtle shifts in the city over time, and contributed greatly to our office’s understanding of pressing matters in the city, like gentrification and diversity.
As result of her work, Ms. Contarino quickly became our liaison with city officials. Ms. Contarino organized work to be presented to the public, and participated liaison numerous public presentations.
Leah Zaldumbide
GROUND LEVEL
2nd,3rd,4th and 5th LEVELS
ROOFTOP
The project includes planted balconies, an open-air breezeway, rooftop terrace and a subterranean parking garage with automated car elevators. The interior design reflects some of the original mid-century modern design that relate to the essence of Coconut Grove. The plan features the precedent study of Le Corbusier, who can be credited for prompting a variety of mid-century thinkers. His Dom-ino project proposed an open floor plan consisting of concrete slabs supported by a minimal number of thin, reinforced concrete columns around the edges, with a stairway providing access to each level on one side of the floor plan. The frame was to be completely independent of the floor plans of the houses thus giving freedom to design the interior configuration. The model eliminated load-bearing walls and the supporting beams for the ceiling.[1] Features have been borrowed from the world-renowned invention of the open floor plan layout. The design speaks to the open nature of conversation and engagement in an effort to energize the space.
The project proposal attempts to embrace innovation while looking to past and present projects and conversations surrounding office constructions in Coconut Grove. One example is Office in the Grove as it is a recognized building of the International Style set on a pedestrian friendly landscaped berm. The project was designed in 1974 by architect Kenneth Treister, who grew up in Coconut Grove and has embedded an influence of sculpture, art and storytelling into his projects. The Brutalist derivative of the office building brings qualities of worldly design into the introverted Coconut Grove city fabric. There became a time when post-WWII Miami became less focused on selling to international buyers and had a small group of local designers who tried to create an architectural aesthetic that was reactive to a specific climate- which the architectural historian Jean-Francoius Lejune calls “Tropical Brutalism”.[2]
Public, the new Private:
The explanation of how Brutalism was meant to be an expression of the notion of the public may be hard to understand today but was based on notions like patios, open air-circulation, monumental public entrances, and sheltered loggia “assertively conveying a nobility of public service in behalf of the law” as architect William Morgan wrote about his Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale (1976-79).[3] The definitions and differences between public and private space have been analyzed to incorporate a new vision for the business center of a growing Coconut Grove.
[1] Sennott, Stephen, ed. (Jan 1, 2004). Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Architecture. Taylor & Francis. p. 366.
[2] https://archpaper.com/2017/06/miami-office-in-the-grove-tower/
[3] https://archpaper.com/2017/06/miami-office-in-the-grove-tower/
27@ Lincoln
IS DESIGNED BY LEAH ZALDUMBIDE, CELINE MAZAR, ADRIANA CONTARINO, CRISTINA GOMEZ and STEPHEN HARTLEY, LEED AP, BD+C, Copyright © 2018 WM. H. ARTHUR ARCHITECT, INC. (WHAA).
Design the city could benefit from:
“While the lack of affordable housing and the glut of luxury condos were getting all the attention, another segment of Miami’s real estate has started to heat up: The lowly, unglamorous office space.”[1] Sited adjacent to BIG’s Grove at Grand Bay, the project plans to further amplify the built environment of the East Coconut Grove area. The proposed construct mixes programs of office, parking garage and retail space to accommodate growth within the building. It sits at an important intersection of time; historic Bahamian and Georgian architecture to the West and a high-density hub catered to a healthy working class lifestyle to the East. The area offers a quick walk to local organic food stores, running and biking trails, coffee shops, nighttime bars and bayfront views- offering an assortment of breaks from the nine-to-five.
[1] https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article149374309.html
SPECIFICATIONS
3151 SW 27th Avenue (Unity Blvd)
Coconut Grove, Florida 33133
2920 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, Florida 33134
(305) 770-6100 or (305) 770-6070
Renderings, graphic materials, plans, specifications, are proposed only and based on conceptual development plans that are subject to architectural and other revisions at the sole discretion of the developer, builder, architect, or as may be required by law, and should not be relied upon as a guarantee or de facto representation.
27@ Lincoln designed by WHAA Inc. 2016.
Rendering by WHAA, Inc. via Curbed.com ©
WHAA is a Full-Service, Third-Generation Firm for Miami Architecture. With a heritage originating in Miami since 1949, WHAA was created by William Hamilton Arthur IV in 2015. WHAA works in Miami’s most diverse and Culturally- Sensitive neighborhoods. Our buildings are Efficient, Environmentally- Sensible and Historically- Minded.
Our experience is comprehensive— We Design, Procure and Manage all of our own Construction. Our clients have brought us into all sectors; Restaurant, Retail, Residential, Multi-family, Hospitality, Manufacturing and Aviation.
We are located at 2920 Ponce de Leon Blvd, downtown Coral Gables; the district George Merrick designed for Artists and Architects in 1924.
We have a strong commitment to the Environment— we consider the overall impact on both South Florida’s built and unbuilt Environments. Our traditions of passive energy design, open-air environments and atmospheric transparency came from our research, and were adopted from our roots with prominent Miami Modern (MiMo) architect, Igor B. Polevitzky, FAIA.
We represents an important change in the industry— Our Miami firm for Architecture alleviates the need to hire and coordinate additional consultants because we offer comprehensive project design, management and planning. We perform Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical and Structural design for most of our projects in-house, decreasing delivery and permitting times.
Our projects are effective— A report by Professional Bank, of Coral Gables found that new residential projects managed by us are constructed for about 25% less than the average firm in South Florida.
