Faculty win AIA Miami Design Award for Penumbra
November 8, 2025
BY emily Capdeville
Associate Professor Christopher Meyer and Professor of Practice Shawna Meyer, through their practice Atelier Mey, received an AIA Miami Design Award for their project Penumbra, located in Miami's Coconut Grove.
Penumbra, which received a Residential Design Award, is a revitalization and adaptive reuse project of an existing single-family home located on a deep, narrow lot in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami embraces the essence of urban density. The design focuses on enhancing the home’s exterior living spaces by integrating them with the surrounding gardens and landscape, thereby optimizing the connection between the built environment and Miami’s tropical climate.
The relationship between the tree canopy and the roof canopy is a crucial design element that enhances both the visual appeal and functionality of the space. The roof extends into and retracts from the surrounding vegetation, seamlessly integrating with the gardens. It contours to capture filtered light and reflections from the pool, resulting in shimmering light on the underside of the roof that activates the interior spaces.
Conical skylights are strategically positioned within the roof plane, allowing natural light to filter in and creating dynamic atmospheric conditions within the interior as the day progresses. This design emphasizes the importance of light and color within a tropical landscape while marking the passage of time through the relationship of shadow, material, and surface.
The gardens are designed to be resilient and low-maintenance, incorporating materials that are well-suited to the local climate. Building materials are chosen for their efficiency and sustainability, focusing on low-tech, high-performance solutions that are grounded in the local context. Overall, the design emphasizes harmony with nature, creating an inviting, functional, and durable space that fosters the homeowners’ connection to their environment.
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