2400 WYNWOOD

While at Faulders Studio, I played a key role in the exterior design of 2400 Wynwood, a 63,000 sq. ft., 5-story work-live building located in the heart of Miami’s Wynwood Arts District. Commercial space is located at street level, 20 thoughtfully designed work-live units spanning levels 2 through 5, and indoor/outdoor amenities are located at the 6th level rooftop.

Nestled in the heart of the vibrant Wynwood Arts District, 2400 Wynwood draws inspiration from a neighborhood renowned for its dense collection of world-class street art and dynamic gallery scene. Embracing the concept of "form follows function" to seamlessly integrate with its distinctive surroundings, the building’s exterior transforms into a new kind of outdoor gallery. Wrapped in a collection of thickened walls that serve as expansive art canvases, the project stands adjacent to the iconic Wynwood Walls outdoor mural museum and fronts the bustling pedestrian corridor along NW 2nd Avenue.

The exterior architecture is defined by a bold arrangement of supersized precast concrete walls and frames, carefully stacked, lodged, and counterbalanced with precision and freeform artistry. This design recalls Wynwood’s industrial, ad hoc past while establishing a contemporary, sculptural presence. Unlike conventional thin building skins supported by floor plates, the envelope transfers its weight and mass independently to the ground level, resembling a composition of oversized, loosely stacked bricks or blocks. This approach imbues the “canvases” with a deliberate material weight, adding depth and character to the design.

Sculptural qualities are further accentuated by extending the precast concrete elements above and below the interior floor plates, breaking the traditional horizontal rhythm of floor lines. Solid-void relationships are carefully navigated to balance interior lighting and views, resulting in a unique window experience for each work-live unit. The three primary street-facing elevations adopt a puzzle-like design approach, with no two wall canvases identical, giving each façade a distinct identity. Rounded and chamfered corners at the northeast and southeast recall design motifs from Wynwood’s historic manufacturing buildings while softening the building’s overall street-level presence.

At ground level, the thickened art walls cascade down to meet the sidewalk, inviting close-up exploration and interaction with pedestrians. Higher up, at the northwest corner, projecting slabs extend outward toward the neighboring outdoor museum, with interlocking cantilevers enhancing the walls' sculptural authenticity rather than allowing them to be perceived as mere surface treatments. The smooth finish precast pushed outward beyond the glass by a minimum of 2’-0”, enriching the building with surface depth and texture that dynamically changes with light, shade, and shadow during the daytime, and at night through soft uplighting of the artwork. The experience of viewing the artwork evolves with perspective. From different vantage points, murals seem to leap across canvases or realign unexpectedly along interlocking edges and surfaces, offering a dynamic and ever-changing narrative that celebrates Wynwood’s rich artistic culture.

(Murals are shown for illustration purposes only. Final artist commissions have not been selected.)