Hosted by the ICAA Florida Chapter | 4 Credits toward the Certificate in Classical Architecture (Elective)
Guided by owner and Landscape Architect, Jorge Sanchez, and architect Rafael Portuondo, the visit to St. Lucie ranch will include a morning discussion and presentation on the principle topic of land planning in a bucolic Florida setting. The designers will discuss their process, their decision guiding principles, and the careful interplay between Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and the Natural. We will tour the gardens, the land, and principal rooms within the home itself. After these tours, box lunches will be enjoyed on the property. The afternoon will include a guided sketch session, in which participants will be more able to learn by drawing the principles guiding the design.
Please come prepared with sensible shoes for outdoors and weather appropriate attire. Sketchbooks, pencils, pens, watercolors and other drawing materials welcome for afternoon pleinaire sketch session.
Instructors:
Jorge Sanchez, SMI Landscape Architecture
Jorge Sánchez’s interest in plants, architecture and history has led him to landscape design. SMI Landscape Architecture, Inc. maintains a philosophy which incorporates a “botanical garden” approach fused with the historic and classical formal garden design framework, creating exotic and thoughtful design solutions. In addition to creating beautiful, usable spaces, SMI is also known for its preservation and restoration of old landscapes. SMI is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Arthur Ross Award. Several of their designs have been published and continue to be published in many national magazines, as well as in their books, “The Civilized Jungle”, “The Making of Three Gardens”, and “The Private Gardens of SMI Landscape Architecture.” Jorge has dedicated many years to zoning and architectural boards for the Town of Palm Beach. He is the recipient of the Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design from the New York School of Interior Design. He is currently a Director of the Garden Conservancy.
Rafael Portuondo, Portuondo Perotti Architects
Rafael Portuondo, known as one of today's top designers of classical architecture in America, is the president of Portuondo Perotti Architects. Ralph is the pride of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Miami. His timeless designs capture the Old World European classical elegance and bring them to life in today's luxury home creations. A sought after speaker at the Nation's top architectural institutions, Rafael is the soft-spoken artist setting the standard for excellence in timeless American Architecture.
This event is hosted by an ICAA Chapter. Please check the Chapter website or contact the Chapter directly for the most up-to-date details including dates, times, and pricing.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
1) Discuss the notion of Land planning and the development of raw land with care of the Florida fauna and flora of the area. The reach of environmental concerns as it relates to the practical form of the building and gardens.
2) Describe the role of environmental preservation and maintaining an environment proven to attract and promote wildlife flourishing.
3) Compare traditional contemporary practices in landscape architecture for a healthier environment and living.
4) Explore specific challenges of creating a human environment in wilderness, including sighting for proper light, and breezes, and placing outdoor living spaces for minimal mosquitos and pests in a tropical environment.
5) Discuss the plant selection already on site, and those imported into the design, including discussion of Florida native species and their role in maintaining a healthy balanced ecosystem.
6) Discuss the importance of planning for storm water management, drainage, and winds in this hurricane-prone environment.
7) Explore the clever interplay in the design between the natural and the manmade.
8) Discuss the unique roll of land planning as it pertains to density and sprawl. The creation of anti-sprawl with more traditional forms of human settlement types – the city and the countryside. Discuss how this way of planning works more in tandem with our natural ecosystems and in this way, exploring the notion of sustainability in human development, settlements, and land planning.
9) Discuss siting of the home on the property, its relationship to its environs, and its tangible ways in elevating the human experience, both practical and aesthetic.
10) Discuss notions of the natural verses the manmade, and classical architecture and landscape architecture within its more natural bucolic setting. Discuss the practical methods implemented to accommodate today’s building codes
11) Planning of a large site in an area that is hurricane prone. The interplay between the resiliency of both the built environment and the natural.