| Miami Beach, strategically situated on the shores of the | | | | African and Southern Spanish themes, was found to |
| Atlantic Ocean in Miami-Dade County, Florida, is | | | | be an appropriate and commercially appealing image |
| world-famous for its long stretches of powdery-white | | | | for the new Floridian seaside resort. |
| sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife, classy art-deco | | | | During the mid 1910s through the early 1930s the style |
| districts and wonderful real estate choices. | | | | was applied to hotels, apartment buildings, commercial |
| Although the oceanfront is the main tourist attraction, it | | | | structures, and even modest residences. Its |
| is not the only draw. The city is also host to an array | | | | architectural vocabulary was characterized by stucco |
| of classy restaurants, museums and art galleries. In | | | | walls, low pitched terra cotta and historic Cuban tile |
| close proximity to the famous beach front are the | | | | roofs, arches, scrolled or tile capped parapet walls and |
| city's arts, production and entertainment facilities, which | | | | articulated door surrounds, sometimes utilizing Spanish |
| adds extra appeal to owning property in Miami Beach. | | | | Baroque decorative motifs and Classical elements. |
| Miami Beach Has A Unique Tropical Climate | | | | - Post World War II Modern Style - Post War Modern. |
| Miami Beach has a true tropical climate with hot, humid | | | | The Post-war Modern style in Miami Beach exhibited |
| summers, and warm, dry winters. The city however, | | | | many elements of its companion style of the period, |
| does experience cold fronts from November through | | | | Post War Deco, but clearly established a path of its |
| March. However, the average monthly temperature for | | | | own in terms of modern functional simplicity. Floor plans |
| any month has never been recorded as being under | | | | were commonly reorganized from interior double |
| 64.4°F (January averages 67°F). For most of | | | | loaded corridors to "open air" verandas on one side or |
| the year, it is warm and humid, and the summers are | | | | more. Overhanging roof plates and projecting floor |
| almost at par to the climate of the Caribbean tropics. In | | | | slabs became typical of the new "style" along with |
| addition, the city gets most of its rain in the summer | | | | paired or clustered pipe columns to support them. |
| (wet season) and is relatively dry in winter (dry | | | | Symmetrical staircases became significant exterior |
| season). | | | | design features. |
| The hurricane season usually goes in tandem with the | | | | - Garden Style. The major defining trait of the Garden |
| wet season. The city's climate truly does matter in | | | | Style in Miami Beach is that the entryway and public |
| influencing how people choose their home designs, and | | | | walkways are placed on the exterior, where they are |
| generally residents prefer to build homes with a tropical | | | | open to the natural elements and surround a common |
| or Mediterranean flavor, which is well-suited for hot, | | | | garden area. A large central front entry leads to an |
| tropical conditions. | | | | open symmetrical staircase, ascending to the upper |
| Top Five Miami Beach Home Designs | | | | level(s), and behind it the courtyard. |
| - Bungalow Style. Bungalows were truly popular in | | | | The plan is "U" shape and basically consists of two |
| Ocean Beach from the earliest development years | | | | identical two to three story buildings facing onto a |
| through the 1930s. A lot of these simple homes may | | | | shared central garden/courtyard, often with a fountain |
| have been constructed from mail order house plans | | | | in the center, and joined at the rear. |
| taken from catalogues, however others were | | | | - Moderne Style. As "Art Deco" evolved on the Beach |
| designed by distinguished local architects. | | | | in the 1930s, modern transport and industrial design |
| Usually, bungalows were of wood frame construction, | | | | began to have an even greater impact upon new |
| one to one and a half stories in height, with gable roofs, | | | | construction. The "streamlined" character of |
| overhanging eaves, front porches , and large wood | | | | automobiles, airplanes, trains, buses, liners and even |
| sash windows. They afforded good cross ventilation, a | | | | home appliances inspired powerful horizontal design |
| shaded outdoor area, and adapted well to South | | | | mixtures, accentuated by striking vertical features and |
| Florida coastal conditions, generally being elevated two | | | | punctuated by icons of the technological era. |
| to three feet above grade on foundation walls or | | | | Continuous "eyebrows", racing stripe banding, radio |
| masonry piers. | | | | tower-like spires, portholes, and deck railings like those |
| - Mediterranean Revival Style. Mediterranean | | | | found on grand ocean liners, were among the unique |
| architecture was the "style of choice" for the first | | | | features to set this architecture apart from anything |
| major boom period in the city. It's connotation of | | | | before it. The creative incorporation of nautical themes |
| Mediterranean resort architecture, which combines | | | | showed this form of Art Deco to be true to its origins |
| flavors and expressions of Italian, Moorish, North | | | | in Miami Beach. |