What clients ask us most.

For most new homes, additions and any work that changes the structure or exterior of a building, the building department will require professionally prepared, signed and sealed drawings. In many cities, including Coral Gables, exterior work is also reviewed for design by a board of architects. Smaller interior updates may need less. The rules depend on the scope and the city, so the quickest way to know is a short call — we'll tell you what your project actually needs.

All three bring real skills to a project, and the titles are easy to mix up. The difference is in training, what each is legally allowed to do, and who is accountable for the drawings.

Interior designers specialize in the inside of a space — layouts, finishes, lighting, furniture and how a room feels to use. They're often a great partner on a project.

Architecture graduates have completed a degree in architecture and have strong design training, but haven't yet completed the experience and exams required for a license. They can't use the title "architect" or sign and seal architectural drawings.

Licensed architects are professionals registered with a state architecture board, with years of rigorous higher education — typically a bachelor's degree followed by a professional Master of Architecture from an accredited university program. On top of that education, they must complete thousands of hours of supervised experience (typically two to three years) across every phase of practice, including coordination with structural and MEP engineering, and must pass a six- or seven-part national exam, depending on the exam version, covering structures, building systems (MEP), codes, construction documents and project management. According to NCARB, it takes an average of about 12 years from the start of school to earn a license — and continuing education is required every two years to maintain it.

What that means for you: a licensed architect can sign and seal your drawings for permit and is legally and professionally accountable for them. They're trained to resolve how the building stands up, keeps water out, resists wind, protects people in a fire and meets code — not just how it looks — and can take your project from first idea through complete construction documents.

Construction is one of the largest financial investments most people make. Decisions made on paper — the structural system, materials, window and door specifications, how the layout ties into existing conditions — can change the construction cost dramatically. An experienced architect anticipates those decisions early, coordinates the drawings so contractors bid on complete information, and helps you avoid costly change orders, redesigns and delays later.

Choose based on experience with projects like yours, your comfort working with them, and how clearly they communicate — not on fee alone. Selecting the wrong architect can ultimately cost far more in money and time than any difference in fees. Look at completed work, ask how they handle engineering and code review, and make sure you'd be comfortable working with them for the life of the project.

Consultations are scheduled by appointment. The first conversation takes place over a conference call or by email: we ask about the scope of work and talk through your goals, timeline and budget, and what you'd like to achieve. We then send you a detailed proposal for the scope of work.

When it isn't yet clear what the property allows, we offer an initial feasibility study as a separate service — reviewing zoning, setbacks, buildable area and site restrictions so you know what's possible before committing to design. A feasibility study can be a stand-alone service with no further commitment, or part of the full proposal — in which case its fee is credited toward the project if you choose to move forward.

Every project is different, so fees are based on scope — size, complexity, and the engineering included. We provide a written proposal once we have a good understanding of the project scope, so you know the cost before design work begins.

Our office is in Coral Gables, Florida. Most of our work is in Coral Gables, Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and the surrounding South Florida area. We are also registered in multiple states and have completed many out-of-state projects.

It depends on the city, the scope and how complete the submission is. Review comments are the most common cause of delay, so our drawings are prepared as fully coordinated architectural and engineering sets, and we respond to plan-review comments promptly and efficiently. We'll give you a realistic expectation for your specific project.

The Florida Building Code designates Miami-Dade and Broward counties as the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, with much stricter requirements for permit documents. Architectural and engineering plans must be designed and specified to a higher level of detail, and exterior products — windows, doors, roofing and more — must be approved for HVHZ use, with documentation such as a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or Florida Product Approval numbers.

In the HVHZ, plan reviewers check wind design, product approvals and structural connections closely, and every missing detail becomes a review comment — and every round of comments adds time. An architect who works in the HVHZ regularly specifies approved products from the start, details openings, roofs and connections the way reviewers expect, and coordinates the engineering with the architecture. The result is fewer review cycles, fewer surprises during construction, and fewer costly product substitutions later.

Yes. Work on a designated historic property generally requires review by the city's historic preservation staff and board before a permit is issued. We've completed multiple projects on historically designated properties — the goal is always new work that respects the original house and moves smoothly through review.

Yes — commercial work is a major part of our practice. We design retail stores, restaurants, hospitality, medical and healthcare facilities, offices and mixed-use spaces, from interior tenant build-outs to full building renovations. We work with business owners, tenants, property owners and landlords, from a single tenant space to multi-tenant buildings — whether you're opening your first location or expanding to another.

A tenant build-out, also called a tenant improvement, turns a leased space into one that works for your business. It can include a new layout and finishes, accessibility upgrades for entrances and restrooms, egress and life-safety requirements, fire alarm and sprinkler coordination, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing changes. If your business is a different use than the previous tenant's, a change of use or occupancy may also be required, and most landlords need to review and approve the drawings before work begins.

Some uses carry extra requirements. Restaurants typically involve kitchen exhaust hoods, grease interceptors, added plumbing and electrical capacity, occupant-load calculations for seating and, in Florida, plan review by the state's Division of Hotels and Restaurants in addition to the local building department. Medical and healthcare spaces can involve specialized equipment, stricter infection-control and accessibility requirements, and items such as shielding in imaging rooms.

We understand how these pieces fit together, so your space is designed around the way your business operates — and drawn to move efficiently through review so you can open on schedule.

Our team has extensive experience in structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) engineering. Depending on the project, engineering is either completed in-house or coordinated with consultants we work with regularly — and because we understand the engineering, we coordinate it closely with the architecture. Design decisions are made knowing how they'll be built, and the drawings are coordinated before they reach plan review, reducing the delays that come from managing multiple firms.

A condo unit shares structure, fire separations and building systems with its neighbors, so the codes are stricter — work in one unit can affect the safety and infrastructure of other residents. Renovations typically need a permit and the association's approval. Your architect must understand the building's limits and how new work can safely connect to the existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. We have completed many condominium renovations across South Florida, in low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise buildings.