The brief for this project was to design a gymnastics center in North Beach, a predominantly residential neighborhood in Miami, FL. With the lush North Beach Oceanside park to the east and a canal to the west, the site is a prime opportunity for community space.

After analyzing the Walker Guest House by Paul Rudolph and the Stacking Green by VTN Architects, my partner and I highlighted two key concepts that would inform our design: permeability between exterior and interior, and a visible sense of geometry.

We placed the gymnastics hall at the core of our structure, creating a theatrical double-height space with bleachers on two sides and a viewing mezzanine. We clad the hall in marine-grade plywood to further the impression of a soft-core when compared to the concrete exoskeleton of the structure.

This project was nominated for and won the Third Year Design Award at U-SoA.