Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Miami Haute 100 list, award-winning architect Chad Oppenheim is continuing his efforts to balance urban and green design.
CHAD OPPENHEIM
CATEGORY: Originators
COMPANY: Oppenheim Architecture + Design
INDUSTRY: Architecture
WHAT MADE HIM HAUTE: In the eight years since its inception, Oppenheim’s firm has accumulated more than $6 billion in project work and has won more than 14 American Institute of Architects awards. That’s because the firm doesn’t focus on just the exterior but rather works to create dramatic interior spaces that evoke the senses. Thanks to this approach, OAD has partnered with some of the most important hospitality companies around the world on various projects, including the new Dellis Cay, where the world’s biggest “starchitects”—including Oppenheim—were tapped to create luxury hotels and residences on an island in the Turks & Caicos. On a local front, Oppenheim is a board member at the Wolfsonian-FIU and a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
WHAT MAKES HIM HAUTE NOW: Oppenheim has partnered with Audi and landscape architect Enzo Enea to donate a new entrance to Simson Park, one of South Florida’s last natural hardwood hammock ecosystems. Oppenheim hopes that the project will bring more awareness to the park, which is largely overlooked by the ever-growing number of residents in the Brickell area. The 5.5-acre park, located at 15th Road and South Miami Avenue, will receive further upgrades from Enea design, with plans to implement educational features in the future. Oppenheim’s hometown project is not the only one that he and Enea are collaborating on. In honor of Art Basel (the original, not the Miami Beach version, which happens to be where the duo first met), on June 13 the doors opened to the first ever Tree Museum by Enea, and Enea’s Headquarters by Oppenheim, located in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. The Tree Museum, located on the grounds of a 14th century monastery, houses more than 2,000 trees amidst garden spaces that beautifully combine man-made and natural landscapes. The following day, Oppenheim Architecture + Design opened its Basel office, further cementing the Miami boy’s international appeal.
Haute Living editor Meredith Mulligan discusses both projects in more detail in her post “Chad Oppenheim and Enzo Enea Join Forces.”
