The Schematic Design

Background And The Process

The original property was a double lot site. We knew from the beginning we would need to split the lot, keeping the house and selling the portion with the original pool. We would need to use the funds from the pool portion to start construction on the house.

My partners and I look at each project from different angles: the commercial, financial, practical, and of course the design and construction. A solid commercial project typically maximizes the build area, pushing the total square footage under AC to the maximum limit the zoning code allows. The sale prices are based on the market value of each square foot, meaning the more feet the better from this angle.

These days, clients also have specific requirements regarding the number of rooms to meet their needs for a house in this location and at this level. The space layout will be competing with projects in similar locations. For the Jetsons House, Miami Beach is the main competitor.

My partners recommended the design include the following spaces:

1 Master bedroom w/master bath and walk-in closet

3 bedrooms w/baths and well-sized closets

1 additional bedroom w/bath (possible office)

Spacious living room, dining room, kitchen and breakfast area

Full bath for swimming pool

1 car garage (or more)

Covered outdoor terrace

Swimming pool & landscaped garden

My role in our development group/partnership is architectural design. As much as possible, I try to stay away from the commercial side because it seriously limits my creativity. I am grateful I have achieved some beautiful projects, but often, I paid the price. Some of my projects exceeded the quality needed for that particular market. Beauty is hard to quantify, unlike square footage, which is easy. Gardens and courtyards are not valued at suitable prices, a major market flaw in my view. So, I was left with very modest design goals, utilizing less outdoor spaces, and maximizing the indoor footprint, to ensure the home could maximize its profits. Some say, it is all about the money.

Unfortunately, money alone does not satisfy my soul or my mind. One of my biggest challenges is making myself care enough about the commercial aspect of a project. I deeply respect the facet of art in architecture, and I often choose purity of artistic vision or beauty above all other goals. I choose high quality materials, spaciousness, and other expensive characteristics which may or may not make the project more successful financially, but I do it for the beauty.

My partners emphasized that we are a development group and we must operate with a profit mentality. I understand, in order to be successful as a developer, I need to listen to the people in charge of sales. They keep a better grasp of the market and what potential clients will value. But my partners also have a conflict of interest. One studied history and philosophy, and the other was born and raised in Europe. They also love beauty, architecture, history, heritage, community and gardens.

This project, The Jetsons House, presents a unique challenge because it has meaningful, historic significance for the city of Miami. It is part of the Miami Modern Movement (MIMO).

My design team researched the history of the house and the concepts behind its design. We then built a digital model of the existing house exactly as it was. I initiated different design intent models using an autodesk software that allows me to draw 3D models. Next we moved into exploring different alternatives that would fulfill the commercial goals of the project. I was not happy with any of the schematics I produced. I was drained and disappointed, fighting with Jetsons House to make it bigger, denser, and heavier.

When I presented the alternatives to my partners, one said “Wow, we lost The Jetsons. I cannot see the house anymore.” My other partner looked dissatisfied as well. My answer was laced with frustration. “It’s because you guys are not letting me be sensitive to the house. Can I design what I think will work without any square footage goals? Their answer was a relief. “Yes, as long as you include the spaces we need.

I was so happy to start the design process over, this time focusing on the history of the house. I also ‘asked the house’ — as I always do when designing a project — what it wants to be. I kept seeing curved, futuristic forms like spaceships. And pieces of Streamline Moderne, a design style emerging in the 1930s, inspired by the aerodynamic forms of transportation like airplanes, trains, and ships. It emphasizes a sense of speed, motion, and a futuristic aesthetic, using horizontal lines, rounded corners, and smooth surfaces.

I looked for images of Orbit City — where the cartoon Jetsons Family lived.

Growing up, The Jetsons was one of my favorite cartoons. I watched in wonder, experiencing every adventure with this close knit, functional, intelligent family, their dog and robot nanny, all arriving at their house in a flying car. I listened to the vision of the house, and the more I drew, the more surprised I was at the outcome.

The original Jetsons House by Rufus Nims, had a very light quality to it. Several descriptions stated, it felt like it was floating. At last I saw how the design should look with the curved roof of the staircase, a hovering thin curved slab and the Jetsons spaceship parked next to the house.

We finalized the model and presented it to my partners. Their reaction delighted me. They felt that the addition matched perfectly with the design of the original and flowed with the existing concept. At last! Stay Tuned for more of the process.