Gabriela Liebert
About
The Jetson House
Location
5261 NE 5th Ave,
Miami
Year
2025
Design Team
Gabriela Liebert, Home Vision DNA,
Branding
Gabriela Liebert
Photographer
x
Gross Area: X
Residence type: Single Family home
Green Certification: X
The Jetson House
History
Built in 1948 by Charlie Roman and architect Rufus Nims, this iconic Miami home was conceived as a response to climate, function, and beauty. Raised on columns to catch the breeze and escape the heat and wildlife of the ground, it reimagined how to live in the tropics long before sustainability was a trend. From its passive cooling strategies to its original tree placement, designed around light, shade, and temperature, every detail was intentional.
It is said this may have been the first residential building in South Florida whose weight was carried entirely by columns, not walls, an architectural innovation ahead of its time.
Some properties don’t just have history, they have soul.
The Jetsons House is one of them.
The Discovery
The house stayed in the hands of its original owner until 1975, then slowly began fading from use, sitting vacant for years. Developers came and went, unable to revive its potential.
And then, one day, it appeared to our team.
At the time, our team was fresh off a completed project and looking for something with depth and character. The Jetsons House wasn’t just another renovation, it felt like a calling.
A hidden masterpiece waiting to be rescued.
We stepped into a contract that had already fallen through. The moment we walked the site, we knew this was a rare chance to do something meaningful.
A New Vision
Architect Gabriela Liebert saw The Jetsons House not simply as a property, but as a piece of living art, one that deserved both reverence and reinterpretation. The challenge was immense: outdated infrastructure, an awkward layout, and the need to modernize while honoring the soul of the original structure.
There was no interior staircase. The lower floor had no kitchen. The flow was disjointed. But the essence was there, hovering, quietly intact.
The goal was never to maximize square footage. It was to design with purpose. To allow air, light, and form to guide decisions. To respect what was there, while giving the house new life.
Designing with Integrity
The Jetsons House has immense architectural and historic value, but it required a complete and thoughtful renovation. The original floor plan, while innovative in its time, had become impractical for contemporary living, there was no interior staircase connecting the upper and lower levels, and the ground floor lacked essential living spaces like a kitchen or cohesive circulation.
Rather than impose a new identity, we approached the project with deep respect for its origins. Every decision was guided by the desire to retain the spirit of the home while adapting it to modern life. The structure’s floating design was preserved, the architectural language maintained, and interventions were kept minimal but meaningful.
Ultimately, we chose a design that honored the home’s legacy, even if that meant sacrificing potential square footage. Functionality was reimagined, but never at the expense of character. This is more than restoration, it is about refinement. A balancing act between past and present, beauty and logic, vision and restraint.