We conceived the Marina Apartments on Crespi Boulevard as a very rational structure.

Rather than taking the permitted 1.25 Floor Area Ratio and evenly distributing it over the five stories allowed by the Zoning Ordinance, we proceeded to stack things differently. The largest apartments with the most salable area wound up at the highest vantage point, with the best views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, as well as the city skyline. In the case of penthouses, they attain the steepest value by having private rooftop terraces with 180-degree views. Immediately below, the Fourth Floor has other two equally sized 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom apartments that are a step down in value by virtue of lesser elevation and having just balconies. The two 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartments are tucked right underneath, and the two 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartments are farther below. This Second Floor having the lowest and smallest of dwelling units is still half a floor higher than neighboring buildings, to the North and South, due to the Ground Floor being taller than usual. The resulting building profile is an inverted ladder where floorplates decrease the closer they are to grade.

Since we wanted all apartments to be close to the waterway behind, the tight vertical circulation core and main building support moved to the back of the lot too. That created a problem for proper access from the street, for the narrow site could barely fit the double-loaded, 90-degree efficient parking configuration needed and left no space for a corridor. The solution implied glorifying that Parking Garage, open to the elements but directly covered by the peculiar stepping massing of the building above, into a formal Entry Hall with a lot of vertical expansion. Nice finishes and direct views to the water, as filtered between the stand-alone restrooms and the stair and elevator vestibule by the pool, confer a more refined character to what would otherwise be a very utilitarian space. This overlapping of uses takes the experience of the car showroom one notch above, as a semiformal enclosure where pedestrians and vehicles coexist and onto which the lower apartments overlook, below the unimpeded view out to the horizon.

The visible steel stairway at the front satisfies the requirement for a second means of egress. It also plays a role as a stabilizer to the overall structure, and as such, it is embraced and not fought off, integrating into the design of the façade. Its central location, aligned with the bathrooms between the large concrete walls supporting the massive cantilevers, stays clear of main views from apartment bedrooms. It veers off to the side once it meets the Parking Garage, hidden behind the front façade wall to go over the driveway.

The marina, with capacity for four boats, defines the interface with the waterway and becomes the leitmotif for the whole building. The nautical theme pervades the latter, from the varying depth and width of the Living Room balconies that reminisce of the bridge for ocean liners of yore, to the window well in the middle of the building. This void not only lightens up the structure and deals with efficient distribution of scarce FAR, but also allows daylight and natural ventilation into apartments, and is crowned with an element resembling an inclined furnace stack. Two masts are attached to the top of the circulation core, as part of the support system for a lightweight metal cover above rooftop terraces. Plenty of small details like continuous balcony rows, wooden decks, and porthole windows and doors are recognizable throughout the complete building, and add up to the cheerfulness and emotional connection with the world of sailing and boating.