With offices in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila, Lima and Sao Paulo, Arquitectonica is a major presence on architecture's international stage.

From its inception in 1977, the firm received almost instant attention and acclaim from critics and the public alike, due to a bold modernism that was immediately identified with a renaissance in Miami’s urban landscape. Led by Principals Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear, Arquitectonica continues to push the limits of design with its innovative use of materials, geometry, pattern and color to introduce a new brand of humanistic modern design to the world. Today Arquitectonica’s practice spans the globe, with projects in 59 countries on five continents.

Arquitectonica has received hundreds of design awards and its groundbreaking work has been the subject of exhibitions at numerous museums and institutions. Well-known projects by the firm include the Microsoft Europe Headquarters and Accor World Headquarters in Paris, the Bronx Museum and Westin Times Square in New York, the Pierce tower in Boston, Festival Walk and the Cyberport Technology Campus in Hong Kong, the International Finance Center in Seoul, the headquarters of the Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China in Shanghai, the Mall of Asia in Manila, the Banco Santander Headquarters and JK Iguatemi in Sao Paulo, the BBVA tower in Buenos Aires, the US Embassy in Lima, the Sky and Sun Towers in Abu Dhabi, the Infinity and Lumina towers in San Francisco, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the Hilton Americas in Houston, the JW Marriott in Nashville, Miami’s Brickell City Centre, Port Miami’s Virgin Voyages cruise terminal, the Miami Beach Convention Center Redevelopment, the Miami Heat’s Kaseya Center and the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena.

H3 is the Theater, Arts and Cultural Building Design Studio of Arquitectonica International Corporation. https://www.h3hc.com/

Capabilities

Architectural Design
Interior Design
Master Planning
Landscape Architecture (ArquitectonicaGEO)
Theater, Arts and Cultural Building Design (H3)

Feasibility Studies
Due Diligence Evaluation
Site Selection
Programming / Space Analysis

Space / Tenant Planning
Graphic Design
Signage and Wayfinding
Building Evaluation

Sustainability

Arquitectonica focuses on ecologically sensitive, yet commercially viable design and is widely recognized for its ability to create unique forms of memorable imagery in close harmony with the environment. The firm explores the complex challenges of contemporary built and natural environments, developing solutions that balance a modern aesthetic with an environmentally sensitive practice to create value, identity and a sustainable environment. Arquitectonica’s philosophy is based on the principle of preserving a location’s geographic character – the entire combination of natural and human attributes that make one place distinct from another – an authentic design process that preserves the ecological and cultural environment.

In order to further green design practices, Laurinda H. Spear, FAIA, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP, IIDA one of Arquitectonica’s founding Principals, started ArquitectonicaGEO, a landscape architecture firm focused solely on resilient and sustainable design.

Founding Principals

Bernardo Fort-Brescia, FAIA

Principal

Bernardo Fort-Brescia is a founding principal of Arquitectonica. A native of Lima he did his early studies in Peru and Europe where he learned multiple languages which would later prove useful for his international career. He studied architecture and urban planning at Princeton University and received a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, where he later taught. He moved to Florida in 1975 to teach at the University of Miami. In 1977 he founded Arquitectonica with a group of young architects and set up a studio in Coconut Grove. Bernardo led the charge of expanding the firm across the country and abroad. The firm is known as one of the pioneers of globalization in the architecture profession.

The firm’s designs have defined modern Miami with projects that have carried the banner of Miami architecture around the world with diverse projects for hotels, residential towers, corporate headquarters, retail/entertainment centers, museums, theaters, arenas, convention centers, resorts and new cities.

Forty-seven years after its founding, Arquitectonica has designed projects in 59 countries around the world. It has US offices in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, and international offices in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America.

Bernardo is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a recipient of the AIA Silver Medal and the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Lifetime Achievement Award. He is active in community affairs including the University of Miami School of Architecture Advisory Board.

Laurinda H. Spear, FAIA, PLA, LEED AP, IIDA

Principal

As a founding principal of Arquitectonica and ArqGEO, Ms. Spear has been active from the beginning, and has participated in the design of many projects undertaken by both firms. She studied fine arts at Brown University, received her Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University and later a Master of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University. She has taught at Harvard and the University of Miami. Ms. Spear is interested in educating others in design excellence, she has lectured around the world, and her work has been exhibited in many prestigious museums.

Laurinda has designed many of the firm’s signature projects, and her designs have won over a hundred design awards. Many of Ms. Spear’s projects have been featured in books, as well as prominent magazines and professional journals. She was also instrumental in the expansion of Arquitectonica into design fields beyond architecture and planning. She first established the interior design practice, ArquitectonicaInteriors, which earned the firm its place in the Interior Design Hall of Fame. She also created the design products group, Laurinda Spear Products, which has over 150 products on the market under dozens of global brands. In 2005, Laurinda established the landscape architecture practice ArqGEO, focusing on environmental land planning, sustainability, innovation, and landscape design.

Laurinda is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a Registered Landscape Architect, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional. She is a recipient of the AIA Silver Medal, the Rome Prize in Architecture and the ULI Lifetime Achievement Award.