PHILOSOPHY

TROPICA is, quite intentionally, unlike any other architecture firm in Florida.

1. Who We Are
TROPICA is a Miami-based architecture firm led by three partners—each an expert in a distinct but interconnected discipline: architecture, interiors, and landscape.
We design, build, and maintain every aspect of a project—from structures and interiors to native gardens and long-term landscape care. Everything is coordinated in-house: engineering, permitting, construction, and craft.

Few firms — anywhere — combine this level of expertise across so many layers of the built environment. Because we work directly with craftspeople, masons, woodworkers, and gardeners on-site, every element—floor plan, stonework, vegetation—belongs to one coherent vision, executed with care and depth.

We don’t just design buildings — we create places where ecosystems and people coexist, layering gardens into and around architecture. Interiors and landscape become one continuous, immersive experience—for humans, birds, and butterflies alike.

Each project is led by our founding partners—Josh (landscape/architecture), Mariella (interiors), and Andrew (architecture/build)—not handed off to junior staff. We take on only a few projects per year so we can remain hands-on, deeply involved, and always reachable. Instead of managing a fragmented team, you’ll have a single point of accountability.

2. Global Design Recognition and Experience

We’re proud to have been named the youngest firm on Forbes’ list of the Top 200 Architects.

Our partners have trained with some of the most respected and awarded architects in the world—including Herzog & de Meuron (Switzerland), Paulo Mendes da Rocha (Brazil), and Aires Mateus (Portugal)—all recipients of the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. Beyond credentials, we remain active in the global design conversation. We teach, critique, and collaborate with international universities and design institutions, staying at the forefront of emerging ideas in architecture, sustainability, and ecological design.

3. Design Philosophy

We appreciate the limits of our own creativity.

More than any other firm in Florida, our projects do not look alike. We consider ourselves archaeologists in spirit. We don’t design with a fixed style—we work through a process of discovery, rooted in storytelling, site, and the particularities of each client. Our buildings, interiors, and gardens are shaped around what you value—how you live, what brings you joy, and what makes a place feel like home. The more input you give, the more we can uncover something deeply specific and meaningful. Beyond our archaeological approach, we design in partnership with nature.

Some of the most beautiful and valuable homes in the world—like Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright—are places where nature is the protagonist. But this kind of experience doesn’t depend on geography. We craft inhabited gardens that offer private immersion in nature—even in the middle of dense
cities or suburban streets.

In this way, the architecture becomes a canvas upon which nature, client, and site co-create the
spirit of place.