Located on Hibiscus Island in Miami Beach, the latest design by award-winning architecture firm Choeff Levy Fischman is an environmentally inspired tropical modern waterfront sanctuary. The two-story, five-bedroom, five and a half bath home spans just short of 6,000 square feet on a narrow 9,186 lot.

Designed with warmth in mind, the architects incorporated limestone flooring and natural Ipe wood throughout different walls of the home. The kitchen boasts carefully crafted Italian millwork and a designated bar area made of stained Italian Oak that comes with two Sub-zero wine coolers – one for reds, one for whites. Calacatta marble was integrated into the kitchen’s backsplash and countertops, and the kitchen island to brighten up the space. The kitchen’s dining area sits directly in front of a large window, which frames lush landscape found outside.

The residence was designed with pocketing sliding glass doors that reveal the shaded patio and pool area perfect for avoiding South Florida’s heat. The disappearing glass doors create a seamless connection between inside and outside, expanding the indoor and outdoor living areas with consistent limestone floors.

Outside, the home’s shaded 590 square foot pool sits beneath the floating master bedroom suite and includes a cascading water feature with stone accents. Adjacent to the pool, just across the floating steps, the architects designed a partially covered shallow lounge where homeowners can dip their feet, play with small children or set up lounge chairs for sunning. Smooth white stucco, board-formed exposed concrete, and significant colorful Brazilian Cumaru wood add to the home’s exterior tropical ambiance. Lush foliage adds life and color to the mostly muted residence.

Upstairs, the master bedroom features bay views, wood floors, and walls of white stucco and warm Ipe. The master bath includes a large soaking tub that sits across from the balcony facing the water and a large gray marble shower with glass swivel door. A unique home office space also has unobstructed views of the outdoors.

Besides the home’s stunning design, the forward-thinking architects at Choeff Levy Fischman also designed the home to include several sustainable features to help protect the home against Miami’s various natural elements. The home includes a full, onsite rainwater retention system where water is cleaned, filtered and maintained on the property, percolated through soil via exfiltration trenches; insulated glazing utilizing low-energy film to minimize solar heat gain and glare, and reducing energy impact costs; high Albedo roof membrane to minimize heat and cooling loads.

Choeff Levy Fischman also designed the south facing waterfront home to withstand hurricane winds, storm surges, and ongoing rising sea levels. Most obvious when pictured next to its neighboring homes, the Hibiscus Island residence’s seawall stands at 7.26 NGVD – code requirement at the time of the design was 4.8 NGVD. The home also sits 22 to 26 feet away from the seawall, allowing for additional barriers from storms.