Spring 2022

8232 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach

Teagan Polizzi and Brandon Soto

“Tropical Architecture for the Future” Comprehensive Studio led by Juan Calvo

The North Miami Beach Youth Center (NMBYC) is located on Collins Avenue, directly across from Oceanside Park. The lot currently houses a small skate park that predominantly draws school-aged athletes. Therefore, the NMBYC proposes a large public recreational building dedicated to the young population of the area. Existing activity levels on the site strongly suggest that the program could be a catalyst of a transformation for the neighborhood.

Inspired by the site’s centralized banyan tree, the design features a hypostyle hall with open-air terrace spaces and stacked program blocks, utilizing both concrete and wood elements which blend with South Florida's tropical context. The ground floor accommodates high-traffic programs like a juice bar and skate shop, while the second floor includes a gymnasium and exercise rooms. Classrooms and a table tennis area overlook the gym on the third floor. The building design exercises an engagement of resiliency in response to the growing environmental conditions of climate change and sea-level rise. The majority of the NMBYC can function without air-conditioning through utilization of the strong winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean from the east. The entire building is raised four feet above grade to withstand flooding and sea-level rise. Constructed of concrete and wood, the project’s goal is to reference tropical principles while staying true to South Florida concrete construction.