\nAfter years of undertaking projects around the globe, acclaimed architect Chad Oppenheim fell in love with Miami and built an Italian-influenced base for his family
\nVilla Allegra, designed by Chad Oppenheim. Photos by Laziz Hamani and Eric Laignel
\nMany designers have created beautiful houses, but not everyone can say that they built a happy home. One who certainly has is Chad Oppenheim, whose Miami bolthole, entitled Villa Allegra, is the epitome of domestic paradise. Oppenheim hasn\u2019t always been tied to one spot. An international presence, the architect has spent years moving from continent to continent while garnering global recognition for his eco-conscious designs for private residences, office buildings and large-scale urban resorts.
\nAfter a career defined by transience, Oppenheim is now settled in his base in the balmy climes of Florida. Villa Allegra is located on Miami Beach, occupying 836 metres of living space designed to be open, comfortable and flexible.
\nFrom Italian, the word allegra translates as \u201chappiness\u201d and the name is an apt descriptor for Oppenheim\u2019s home.
\n\u201cI lived in Italy for some time and I wanted a villa that exuded the kind of good vibes I found there,\u201d says the New York native, who also lived in Japan for a short period after receiving his KUME Fellowship.
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\nFamily is central to the architect\u2019s idea of happiness. He shares the two-story, minimalist villa with his wife Ilona Oppenheim, author of popular cookbooks, and their two young children, Hendrix and Liloo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we built this house around 13 years ago, it was just my wife and me, but since then we welcomed our two kids,\u201d he says. \u201cMany guests and clients also come over once in a while. The house is actually used quite a bit to entertain.\u201d
\nReflecting Miami\u2019s tropical climate, Villa Allegra\u2019s exteriors and interiors are airy and luminous. Oversized windows are scattered around the house and there are several rooms with skylights to take advantage of the Florida sunshine.
\nThe incredible weather is also a factor in Oppenheim\u2019s choice of the swimming pool area as his favourite part of the villa.
\n\u201cThe pool creates an incredible experience for me,\u201d he enthuses. \u201cI love to just sit there, relax and look at the house.\u201d
\nA garden located right next to the master bedroom is another refuge where he can enjoy the peaceful, natural beauty of his surroundings.<\/p>\n
Oppenheim has a reputation for merging several elements in his design while showing a deep respect for nature and the environment. Since founding his global practice, Oppenheim Architecture + Design, in 1999, he has always incorporated these themes in his works.
\n\u201cOur concepts are simple,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe believe strongly in building architecture in the spirit of the place, so it\u2019s very important for us to capture the essence of a building. For us it is all about what we can do as architects to create a visceral connection to the environment in which we build.\u201d
\nA professor in architecture at Florida International University, Oppenheim educates his students about the importance of sustainability and green architecture, just as his homebuilder parents inspired him to appreciate functional design while he was growing up.
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\nHis international projects encompass a range of acclaimed properties including Wadi Rum Resort in Jordan and the Net Metropolis commercial complex in Manila, a Highly Commended development at the Philippines Property Awards 2014.
\n\u201cWe also dream of other projects in Asia \u2013 we\u2019re just finishing a hotel for Disney in Shanghai \u2013 and we\u2019ve been helping with some projects in Indonesia,\u201d enthuses Oppenheim of his globetrotting workload. \u201cIt is an honour to be able to apply our philosophies and create some of the world\u2019s most beautiful projects in Asia.\u201d
\nChad Oppenheim collected this art piece \u201cHalo\u201d (2006) by Peter Zimmermann when he was in Europe
\nAlthough his job has taken him everywhere \u2013 he was just about to jump onto a flight during this interview\u00a0\u2013\u00a0his priority is spending time with his family as much as he can, whether it\u2019s at Villa Allegra, their mountain cabin in Aspen, Colorado or their holiday home in the Bahamas.
\nWith two growing children and frequent houseguests, he acknowledges that his various properties, including Villa Allegra, cannot always look picture-perfect.
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\n\u201cEven though our house looks pristine in photos it is a functional house,\u201d he says. \u201cWe don\u2019t believe in something being too precious. A house is supposed to be enjoyed and that\u2019s very important for us. At home we ride bicycles, scooters, skateboards and hover-boards and we do a lot of art projects with the children.\u201d<\/p>\n