MIAMI’S BAYSIDE JUNGLE APARTMENTS
13 Dec 2016
Miami’s new residential development, Grove at Grand Bay, is a landscapers dream. The project has been designed by US landscape architect Raymond Jungle and utilises over 15,000 plants, to keep in tune with the surrounding vegetation and native flora.
Developed by real estate firm Terra, the ‘Grove at Grand Bay’ has been designed by Bjarke Ingels Group in collaboration with Nichols, Brosch, Wrust, Wolfe + Associates, with Raymond Jungles undertaking the project’s landscaping. The units – ranging from 120 to 930sqm feature floor-to-ceiling windows and 3.6-metre-high (12ft) ceilings. A full-floor penthouse, listed earlier this year for $28 million, has an expansive terrace, a private pool, five bedrooms and ten bathrooms.
The scheme’s two 20-storey structures twist at a 38-degree angle, optimising views from the 3.6m deep wraparound balconies over the stunning Biscayne Bay area. The luxury residential properties contain a total of 98 units, topped with dual level penthouses, and both buildings have a green roof with amenities. Amenities include a total of seven pools, a spa and fitness centre, an onsite art gallery, and the children’s playroom is fitted with whimsical decor, including seating shaped like giant pebbles.
The real draw card for the development, however, is bringing the outdoor areas as close to home as possible. Outdoor spaces provide the focal point for the property’s common areas, while individual units feature expansive outside living areas. “As soon as you come out of the canopy all of the first-floor units have a view over the greenery,” says Bjarke Ingels.
“David Martin (president, co-founder of Terra) drove me around Coconut Grove and showed me all the streets and tunnels through the canopy of this extremely large vegetation.”
“Quite quickly we came up with this idea of trying to ‘re-grove the grove’. The idea is that you arrive inside a grove with the shadow coming from the canopy of trees. All the landscape that is out there, six months ago, none of it was here. It is pretty insane how quickly it took root. I’m pretty sure that in another six months it will feel like it was always here. We worked with landscape architect Raymond Jungles, who provided all these amazing plants. I think there are hundreds of different species — he totally broke the bank with the amount of vegetation!” Bjarke continued.
The materials for the structures proved challenging for the extensive landscaping and vegetation undertaking. “We had a concrete expert from Munich, who made his career restoring gothic cathedrals, comes and make concrete look like raw concrete! In a way, we tried to combine our own Scandinavian tendency for simplicity with local materials. The stone is incredibly porous, which means it weathers quite quickly, and it allows greenery to take hold. The building is brand new, but it almost looks like it has always been here,” says Bjarke. The 're-groving' effect was a success, with the structural material allowing vegetation to take hold so well in such a rapid space of time.
In keeping with the spirit of the area that has historically homed artists, creatives and writers, local designer Raymond Jungle created his landscape vision to comprise more than 15,000 plants, 500 trees and several water features. Raymond, known for his creative and ecologically sensitive landscape architecture, has used the simple-yet-detailed hardscape elements created by the Bjarke Ingels Group as the backdrop for his program. Standing out above all other design features are a series of water features, hundreds of existing giant figs and gumbo limbos that have been incorporated into the canopied landscape, and a vast array of plant varieties that create a dramatic volume and a tactile experience for residents. Most of the trees and plants used are native to Coconut Grove and the result is a lushly landscaped campus that echoes the sustainable tropical beauty of South Miami.
“Raymond Jungles called the apartments the natural stone of South Florida!” jokes Ingles. Natural stone or not, the luxury development has received numerous accolades, helped to rejuvenate the community and local area and above all, it has raised the bar for landscape designers and architects the world over.