Throughout his career, American architect Rene Gonzalez has been exploring ideas of elevated living and raised housing - his fascination comes as a practical response to rising sea levels in and around his hometown of Miami. His inspiring designs are now on display for the first time at Miami’s Meeting House, in the new exhibition: ’Rene Gonzalez Architect: Elevated Living’.
Featuring models, drawings, hand sketches - presented through Gonzalez’s own sketchbooks - and photography, the new show, which opened in the downtown Miami gallery on the weekend, explores the challenges and possible solutions related to this increasing threat.
Three houses from Gonzalez’s rich portfolio - Farrey Lane House, Golden Beach residence and Prairie Avenue residence - as well as his architecture school project thesis on Florida Keys, demonstrate a range of approaches towards building off the ground level.
The projects are currently either already in construction or in design development. Spanning cantilevers, stacking methods and stilts, these houses may differ in their design response, but all serve as valuable case studies. In all cases, the ground floor is given a specific function, yet at the same time is allowed to flood, protecting the rest of the house.
A series of talks by relevant experts will accompany the show, enhancing the ongoing dialogue around the issues touched by the exhibition.
