Bernardo Fort-Brescia — Functional Sustainability in Architecture

Bernardo Fort-Brescia is a longtime presence in the Miami urban design community and founding principal of Arquitectonica. He has earned hundreds of awards over the past four decades, including an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Florida “Honor for Design” Award. Bernardo Fort-Brescia is known for commercial designs that straddle the intersection between functional and ecological harmony.

Having completed a master’s in architecture at Harvard University, Mr. Fort-Brescia accepted a teaching position with the University of Miami in 1975. He joined forces with a number of emerging architects in 1977 and established Arquitectonica’s Coconut Grove studio. He spearheaded the firm’s pioneering sustainability ethos within an architectural industry that was globalizing at the time.

Over the years, Mr. Fort-Brescia has been involved in a number of major design projects, ranging from Hong Kong’s Cyberport Technology Campus and Festival Walk to New York City’s Bronx Museum. His studio has also designed San Francisco’s Lumina and Infinity Towers. Bernardo Fort-Brescia received the Urban Land Institute Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, the first time an architect had been so honored.