The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach utilizes six different buildings from the pre-existing Miami Heart Institute, to create one cohesive luxury residential product with 64 unique units. Situated on over seven-and-a-half acres, the 700,000 SF of enclosed space in the existing 10-story structure (grandfathered in), allowed the developer to create 111 condominium units, 15 stand-alone villas, numerous amenities including a 34-slip marina, half-acre pool deck, etc. From an engineering perspective, the structural systems and building circulation was re-designed to accommodate the new loads and internal structural and programmatic requirements. From a construction standpoint, the removal of shear walls and demolition of various parts of the building, meant providing temporary structural bracing while new shear walls, elevator cores, enlarged roof slabs, and enlarged columns could be built. At the penthouse level, rooftop spaces formerly used for mechanical equipment were converted to terraces and thicker mechanical slab was poured dampening the sound and allowing for for full length pools, private gardens, and up to 8600 SF of private deck space.