Perseverance of a Place

Envisioning Miami Beach in 2070. This project is a historical preservation of a 1930's Stripped Mediterranean Revival, at 1236 Drexel Ave in Miami Beach, FL, that is at risk of being affected by sea-level rise in the near future. Built right after the Great Depression in 1929, the existing building is a very small “Urban Villa'' type that hosts a unique trait when compared to nearby buildings: its courtyard (due to an addition in 1935). The building continued to persevere through Covid-19 when its Residential Office zoning allowed its residents to run businesses from home. Over the years, this building has been able to maintain its community and character and to continue to persevere through sea-level rise, the resiliency strategies from Buoyant City are applied through the design. The methods used to preserve this structure include: raising the entire lot and repurposing the first level with a commercial program, sinking the courtyard for above-ground water collection, and adding underground water collection and filtration systems. To incentivize this action of preservation, the design proposal includes, creating an additional building with both residential and a commercial programs that bring in income and benefit the community. Aside from this, the renders depict what 2070 could look like with several new ideas for technological advances that help address sea-level rise. For example: repair drones, acid-rain neutralizing arches, ride-share kayaks, package teleportation center, remote holographic visits and more! by Manuela Farnot and Lila Coffey