Hello all,
I'm in upstate ny and thinking about moving to South Florida, say Naples/Fort Myers area and commuting to Miami. Do any of you know of interesting firms in that area. I work in a 4 office 400 person firm but could work in a small firm too. Any suggestions on where to start looking? Thanks
is this a joke? no, seriously...you do realize that commute from Naples/Ft.Myers to MIA is about 2hours (ea. way)
there was a post on this way back (pre-new site days) things are constantly changing down there, due to the shifting market. Currently there is an "urbanization" trend where large numbers of high-rise apt. are going up, specially in the downtown/performing arts district area. There are a few decent architural firms there. here are a few (my opinion in [brackets])
Zyscovich [solid work by a competent group of architects. design is controlled by a few ppl mostly Bernard Zyscovich]www.zyscovich.com
Chad Oppenheim [young "tool" with a super ego, doing good work. if only all of us had a rich girlfriend who financed all of our projects] www.oppenoffice.com/
Spillis Candela/DMJM [long time miami staple, with occasional nice projects. Recently saw their County Building in North, north Miami Beach. very different from everything down there, specially since it's across from Trump's buildings]
Arquitectonica [another "cool" firm every young masochist student longs to work for down there. If you like Bernardo scream and belittle you while paying you $6/hr, go for it!]
There are a whole bunch of big and small shops there too: [big] RKTL, HOK, Leo A Daly, HNTB, BEA, Perkins and Will, ADD Inc, Swanke Hayden Connell [small] upstairs studio www.upstairsstudio.net, Rene Gonzalez www.regonzalezarchitect.com, and a shitload more of little guys doing boutique stuff.
BTW
salaries are not that great down there. you still have the 3rd world country mentality/lifestyle where undercutting is rampant (more than usual) and you'll have guys underbid you by 1/2 or more.
good luck
no and no.
I would recomend you forget about living in Lee county (ft.myers/Nipples) and think about getting a place somewhere in S.E. Fl.(Miami, Ft.Lauderdale)... anyways, all there is in SW Fl is trailers (with relocated W.Virginians "white trash) and retirees (in McMansions), it also has beautiful beaches and great fishing...but you can always go visit on the weekends for that.
hmm, upstate NY...4 office/400person office...narrows it down to just a few. I was an inmate @ EYP for 4.5 yrs (DC office) although I visited the Albany office once in 2000.
The way it's been explained to me is that Ft. Myers is going into a boom, the gulf coast is cheaper, you can get more for your dollar where as the miami area is over populated and expensive. If I could get something near the beach it would make a 2 hour car ride worth it. Maybe I'm wrong. Did you live down there?
Why don't you just look into working in Ft. Myers then? There are architectural firms there. The tri-county area of S. FL is a ton of fun for nightlife and the beaches as well as the scenery on the beaches. The drawback is that it's a very expensive area that doesn't pay all that great. If you really want to travel across alligator alley every day I hope you are driving hybrid or else you won't be gaining much.
I'm not sure Ft. Myers has any decent firms/options. Good point on the hybrid I was thinking car pool, bus or motorcycle. It is a bit extreme I agree but I can't take another year of state taxes and crappy weather.
sorry to burst your bubble, but there seems to be a misconception on what FL is about. please forget about the 2hr commute across the alley! this is not the NE corridor. Hybrid car...no employer in Miami will hire you knowing where you live. Motorcycle? not going to happen, do you realize it rains (tropical downpours) almost every day over the alley?...it cuts through the middle of the everglades. BUS? que?...man that doesn't exist in the most urban of centers in FL, much less across the least populated stretch in FL. I know that is common up here, but that it not even a remote concept in FL.
Perhaps you're right the SE is sounding better with every post. What area is a good place to live. I'm looking to buy a single family home in a good school district in an area with good neighborhoods and "close" to a beach. Any suggestions?
Miami_Dade county prices (like many places) have skyrocketed out of control in the past 2 years. I'm one of those pesimist that thinks the bubble will certainly burst down there within a year or so. 20k housing starts so far this year? not healthy! with the large majority of those numbers comming from High-End High-Rise residential, the "owners" are investors out for a quick buck!
More and more North Dade/Broward county are looking like good alternatives. As far as school districts come, I have no idea...no kids here. Close to the beach=higher price$, but there are plenty of areas within 15min of the beach which are still affordable.
Zeidler Partnership is in West Palm Beach. It's a Toronto HQ'd firm with it's only American branch there. I worked there for a number of years. Fun office.
In addition to J3's comments. South FL schools aren't really good at all. You'd be best off with private schools, otherwise get outside of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. Your best cost of living probably would come in areas like Plantation, Davey or Pembroke Pines. Essentially suburbia but still not far from the beach. The commute into Miami is pure hell but you could take the turnpike and get a Sunpass. Much better than being cheap and sitting in stop and go each day.
this is all great advice, I really appreciate it. Someone I work with just moved up from that area and suggested Ft. Lauderdale as a good place to live and within commuting distance to miami. I see HOk has a couple of offices in Florida too.
Just yesterday one of my good friends in Ft. Lauderdale caught one of the last flights out of there. Just had brunch with her. Got some first hand accounts of what it's like down there. She's worried sick of what it's going to look like when she returns. Guess the hurricanes could be considered job security at very least.
Sep 3, 04 1:51 pm ·
·
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.
Miami firms
Hello all,
I'm in upstate ny and thinking about moving to South Florida, say Naples/Fort Myers area and commuting to Miami. Do any of you know of interesting firms in that area. I work in a 4 office 400 person firm but could work in a small firm too. Any suggestions on where to start looking? Thanks
is this a joke? no, seriously...you do realize that commute from Naples/Ft.Myers to MIA is about 2hours (ea. way)
there was a post on this way back (pre-new site days) things are constantly changing down there, due to the shifting market. Currently there is an "urbanization" trend where large numbers of high-rise apt. are going up, specially in the downtown/performing arts district area. There are a few decent architural firms there. here are a few (my opinion in [brackets])
Zyscovich [solid work by a competent group of architects. design is controlled by a few ppl mostly Bernard Zyscovich]www.zyscovich.com
Chad Oppenheim [young "tool" with a super ego, doing good work. if only all of us had a rich girlfriend who financed all of our projects] www.oppenoffice.com/
Spillis Candela/DMJM [long time miami staple, with occasional nice projects. Recently saw their County Building in North, north Miami Beach. very different from everything down there, specially since it's across from Trump's buildings]
Arquitectonica [another "cool" firm every young masochist student longs to work for down there. If you like Bernardo scream and belittle you while paying you $6/hr, go for it!]
There are a whole bunch of big and small shops there too: [big] RKTL, HOK, Leo A Daly, HNTB, BEA, Perkins and Will, ADD Inc, Swanke Hayden Connell [small] upstairs studio www.upstairsstudio.net, Rene Gonzalez www.regonzalezarchitect.com, and a shitload more of little guys doing boutique stuff.
BTW
salaries are not that great down there. you still have the 3rd world country mentality/lifestyle where undercutting is rampant (more than usual) and you'll have guys underbid you by 1/2 or more.
good luck
that should have been, www.renegonzalezarchitect.com
hey thanks a ton that's a great start. Is that 2 hours with traffic? I assume there's no corridor train route that runs across florida. Thanks again.
no and no.
I would recomend you forget about living in Lee county (ft.myers/Nipples) and think about getting a place somewhere in S.E. Fl.(Miami, Ft.Lauderdale)... anyways, all there is in SW Fl is trailers (with relocated W.Virginians "white trash) and retirees (in McMansions), it also has beautiful beaches and great fishing...but you can always go visit on the weekends for that.
you don't happen to work in...lets say Albany...EYP?
yes, why?
good deduction who are you sherlock homes?
hmm, upstate NY...4 office/400person office...narrows it down to just a few. I was an inmate @ EYP for 4.5 yrs (DC office) although I visited the Albany office once in 2000.
The way it's been explained to me is that Ft. Myers is going into a boom, the gulf coast is cheaper, you can get more for your dollar where as the miami area is over populated and expensive. If I could get something near the beach it would make a 2 hour car ride worth it. Maybe I'm wrong. Did you live down there?
Why don't you just look into working in Ft. Myers then? There are architectural firms there. The tri-county area of S. FL is a ton of fun for nightlife and the beaches as well as the scenery on the beaches. The drawback is that it's a very expensive area that doesn't pay all that great. If you really want to travel across alligator alley every day I hope you are driving hybrid or else you won't be gaining much.
I'm not sure Ft. Myers has any decent firms/options. Good point on the hybrid I was thinking car pool, bus or motorcycle. It is a bit extreme I agree but I can't take another year of state taxes and crappy weather.
sorry to burst your bubble, but there seems to be a misconception on what FL is about. please forget about the 2hr commute across the alley! this is not the NE corridor. Hybrid car...no employer in Miami will hire you knowing where you live. Motorcycle? not going to happen, do you realize it rains (tropical downpours) almost every day over the alley?...it cuts through the middle of the everglades. BUS? que?...man that doesn't exist in the most urban of centers in FL, much less across the least populated stretch in FL. I know that is common up here, but that it not even a remote concept in FL.
Perhaps you're right the SE is sounding better with every post. What area is a good place to live. I'm looking to buy a single family home in a good school district in an area with good neighborhoods and "close" to a beach. Any suggestions?
Miami_Dade county prices (like many places) have skyrocketed out of control in the past 2 years. I'm one of those pesimist that thinks the bubble will certainly burst down there within a year or so. 20k housing starts so far this year? not healthy! with the large majority of those numbers comming from High-End High-Rise residential, the "owners" are investors out for a quick buck!
More and more North Dade/Broward county are looking like good alternatives. As far as school districts come, I have no idea...no kids here. Close to the beach=higher price$, but there are plenty of areas within 15min of the beach which are still affordable.
Zeidler Partnership is in West Palm Beach. It's a Toronto HQ'd firm with it's only American branch there. I worked there for a number of years. Fun office.
Anyone down in those Miami firms actually working today? Just spoke with a friend in Ft. Lauderdale. She said it's turning into chaos down there.
Aside from the current weather down that way...
In addition to J3's comments. South FL schools aren't really good at all. You'd be best off with private schools, otherwise get outside of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. Your best cost of living probably would come in areas like Plantation, Davey or Pembroke Pines. Essentially suburbia but still not far from the beach. The commute into Miami is pure hell but you could take the turnpike and get a Sunpass. Much better than being cheap and sitting in stop and go each day.
this is all great advice, I really appreciate it. Someone I work with just moved up from that area and suggested Ft. Lauderdale as a good place to live and within commuting distance to miami. I see HOk has a couple of offices in Florida too.
Just yesterday one of my good friends in Ft. Lauderdale caught one of the last flights out of there. Just had brunch with her. Got some first hand accounts of what it's like down there. She's worried sick of what it's going to look like when she returns. Guess the hurricanes could be considered job security at very least.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.