Marilyn Avery, Architect

Thoughtful Design Helps to Change Community Attitudes on Homeless Shelters

The Broward Outreach Center was built in two phases.  Phase one included the renovation of an abandoned industrial building to include emergency dormitory housing for homeless men, semi-private housing for men enrolled in the Center’s supportive housing program, a health clinic, administrative offices, and dining facilities.  Four rooms for women and children were designed in a small first-floor wing adjacent to the health clinic.  Phase two included the expansion of phase one social services and construction of a 4 story facility for women and children, with semi-private sleeping rooms, lounges,  and classrooms

The political challenges to construct the first phase were significant, and required several years for approval.  Neighbors feared that the Center would attract criminals and negatively impact the safety and property values of the neighbors.

The design strategies used to address community concerns included the use of clean lines and bright colors, extensive landscaping on the streets, and providing outdoor areas, within the compound walls and out of public view, for residents to await services, interact with one another, and smoke (smokers huddled around doorways has a sinister visual impact - while unconscious and irrational, it exists ).  For the residents, we used high ceilings, natural daylight, and use of typically non-institutional finishes.

Phase one was well received by the community and spurred a redevelopment of the adjacent area, with other property owners copying the design strategies that the BOC used.  Ironically, when phase two permit hearings were held, the same people who were the most vocal adversaries of phase one transformed into our most outspoken advocates.  Several newspaper articles reported on that surprising development, as community support grew.

 We were greatly aided by generous community donations and civic groups who now understood the community benefits of the work being done at the Center.    

I took the lead in coordinating donations of furniture and interior finishes for the local community leadership groups.    Preparing handouts and email attachments with images of the rug and furniture types that worked well with the architectural design, we were able to create a consistent sense of place with donations from many different sources.

18,000 s.f. renovation and 17,000 s.f. new construction 

An Inner City Building Designed to Enrich Lives and Inspire Change

"You know immediately that something is different about this warehouse. It's the same height as the others but the roof forms some nice angles. The tri-color scheme -- terracotta, olive, and clay -- on its tripartite front wall tells you maybe it's not a warehouse at all. "It's about uplifting you," architect Marilyn Avery says of her creation, located in a downtrodden section of the Wynwood warehouse district. And who needs more of a lift than someone who has spent a little too much time on the streets (like a homeless mom). Rather than plopping down a bizarre-looking "object-building," Avery drew from the zone's indigenous warehouse vernacular. "I took that form and just made it exuberant," she explains, looking up from the sidewalk at the richly colored front wall. The parking lot is hidden in back so as not to clutter the exuberance of the entrance. When they step inside, parents and kids look up to a 40-foot-tall ceiling gently illuminated by outdoor light streaming in through the clerestory windows. There is also something soothing, even primal, about the natural materials. Shiny black granite and glossy medium-brown birch form a large reception desk. Waist-high birch panels run horizontally along the slate walls, and there's more wood inside the four classrooms in the form of cabinets and window panes. Then there's the Zenlike beauty of the smooth concrete floors. Much thought went into the indirectly illuminated basketball gym, with the help of lighting guru William Lam. Thanks to more clerestory windows and the reflective properties of various white surfaces (the walls and the fabric suspended from the ceiling), there are no glaring bulbs to mess up someone's game. All the lighting is indirect. "You never lose the ball up there," Avery affirms. “

-Andres Viglucci

Miami New Times

18,000 s.f. new construction including classrooms, a health clinic, a gymnasium, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and fitness rooms

Low Cost + High-end Feel

The Caribbean Office Building was one of the first projects that I did while going out on my own, and I continue to like it.  The siting is unique because the parking is hidden in the rear.  The client assumed that the parking would front the street, but was willing to consider alternative approaches.  The porch acts as a buffer to the busy street, and the angled front lot line allowed us to add street trees in front of the building.

The client had an image of a plantation house from the book "Caribbean Style" that he wanted to emulate.  The design is successful in evoking that image despite differing uses, materials, and cost.  The corbeling at the corners was the owner's directive, and the original design called for live creeping fig to cover the wall facing Jefferson Street.

The building also has great interior space.  Built as a spec office building, most of the space is two story, illuminated with natural daylight from above.  Although the interior finishes were not my choice, I'm including interior photographs to illustrate the quality of the space.

Built at roughly half the cost of comparable office space in the area, the "feel" of the space gave it a market advantage

Thinking Beyond the Scope

I was hired by Miami-Dade Department of Parks and Recreation to prepare the working drawings for in-house design documents that County staff had prepared.  The ramp and rails were designed with regular pressure-treated wood and all fasteners were visible.

After visiting the zoo and reviewing the documents and the site survey, it seemed that there was an opportunity to use natural materials and provide additional guest amenities to maximize the the guest experience and to attract more visitors.  The exhibit is very cool, and would be a perfect place for the zoo to generate additional revenues from events and parties after hours. 

This particular area of the zoo had no concession stands to purchase water and other refreshments.  No shade or seating had been provided for young children or older adults who chose to wait for other members of their party, in line to feed the giraffes.  

A survey error of 12” was discovered and required ramp redesign.  Because the zoo staff prefer their ramps to be designed with a 1:16 slope (per zoo), sixteen feet of ramp needed to be added.  

Accordingly, I re-designed the plan to extend the ramp within ADA parameters, to hide all fasteners, to provide a concession area with water and electric service to be used by zoo concessionaires during the day and by caterers at after-hours events, and to add a shade structure and seating near the exhibit entrance area.  

The inspiration for use of eucalyptus was the fence around the Zoo's merry-go-round.  Designed by one of the Zoo's maintenance staff (good designers are everywhere - it's as important to recognize good design as it is to provide it, IMHO...), it requires no upkeep, gets better with time, and looks wonderful with landscape.

Budget Meets Style on a Fast Track

This project was designed without any site visits.  Working directly with the owner and an experienced contractor, this project had a very short timeline and a very low budget.  

Working with readily available materials, a mixture of modern and traditional forms, and exceptional lighting design by William Lam, we came in on time and under budget.

Small Moves, Big Impact

When this small Miami Beach home was built in the 1950’s, Pinetree Drive was a quiet residential road that served houses that were built on the west side of the inter-coastal waterway.  

By the time that my client bought the house in the mid-90’s, Pinetree Drive had become a very busy road.

I was hired to design a plan that would change the focus from the front yard to the back yard and give the house some much-needed curb appeal. 

Zoning regulations precluded adding any additional square footage to the house.  The design strategies used were simple, had a major visual impact, and included:

Adding a small circular drive for guest parking and a low wall to screen the house and cars from the road;

Removing the screen from the existing front porch and replacing it with fabric curtains;

Adding a roof to the garage that was detailed exactly like the roof on the main section of the house;

Replacing most of the rear wall of the house with french doors;

Replacing all the windows and doors;

Adding a backyard pool with a Coral Rock patios and two pergolas;

Retaining the existing mature trees and adding new landscaping to the front and rear yards;

Removing the wall between the kitchen and living room and redesigning the kitchen.

A Miami Beach Residence Quietly Doubles in Size

The clients purchased a 1940's, two story house when they had their first child.  Three children later, they loved the location but needed much more space.  The only design feature that they requested was from the husband - he wanted a private study above the master bedroom suite, connected by a circular stair.

When designing residential additions in existing neighborhoods, I think it is important that the proportions and exterior materials of the new addition are consistent with the original house and other houses in the neighborhood...without sacrificing spaciousness and drama.

It was also important to me that the two existing mature trees should remain - they shade the home, filter the air, provide wildlife habitat, and increase the value of the property.

As with all of my design projects, introducing natural light into the interior spaces without producing glare or creating heat was critical.

The F.F. elevations for the new construction were mandated by flood codes to be 12” higher than they were in the original house; I had to figure out a smart way to do this while maintaining the existing roof line.  By incorporating a low ceiling over a six foot area on the rear wall of the kitchen, I could keep the roof line that I wanted while still providing high ceilings and an 8' glass wall (doors) overlooking the patio and pool into the kitchen.

Outdoor covered spaces for entertaining were included to add living  area while keeping within the maximum square footage allowed for the expansion.

As always, only natural finishes were used and all interior wood floors and cabinets matched.  Exactly.  Natural coral rock tile was used throughout the pool area, outdoor patios, covered outdoor spaces, and master bath, reinforcing a consistent  visual identity.

Storage space, always a challenge in smaller homes, was provided in the second floor corridor that connected the guest room and study to the existing house, using floor-to-ceiling closets and window seats.

I added a "pool bath" by the kitchen - a dedicated bathroom with shower designed for kids running from the pool and yard into the house, reducing the amount of tracked in dirt in living areas.

The husband’s study was designed with features that historic “Gentlemen’s Rooms” incorporated.  Beyond a "man cave", the room had two ways to enter and exit, a lock on the computer room door, and a private smoking patio, out of sight from all areas of the house and yard.  He loved it.

The master bath and closets had a unique linear design that incorporated a long vista into the entry to the master bedroom, terminated by a valued work of art.  The elongated master bath was extremely spacious feeling, incorporating windows with sills at 5' AFF to provide light, fresh air, and privacy. 

With the master bedroom separated from the two story portion of the house by the master closet/master bath corridor,  the bedroom could have high wood ceilings and a fireplace.  Floor to ceiling glass doors on the east side of the room opened onto a private sunbathing/massage/yoga “Master Garden”, in keeping with the principle of integrating both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Simplicity Meets Style

This project was a build-out of a new street level space in a luxury mall, located in a historic district.

The goal was to to provide a high-style look on a small budget.

By keeping HVAC systems over the rear of the space, we were able to have high ceilings in the retail space and "Grooming Gallery", making the small space appear much larger.  Custom sales fixtures were designed  to provide a sleek look economically.

The project passed historic review, was submitted for permit, but then was shelved when hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma hit the area in rapid succession, bringing most architectural projects to a halt.

Good Design Transforms Cramped to Commodious

What I like most about this project, aside from it's contextual sensitivity, is the way that the problems of visual, olfactory, and audio privacy in small spaces were solved.  Having built a small house for myself (before I went to architecture school) that failed miserably on these three design considerations, I always wanted an opportunity to figure out a way to solve the problem without wasting any square footage.  My practice in Florida had also taught me the benefit of designing outdoor "rooms" to increase a home's living space, and I wanted to figure out how to accomplish this in a cooler climate.

A friend’s great grandfather manufactured railroad cars during the Golden Age.  As was the fashion, he built an Adirondack “Camp” on Fourth Lake.  After three generations, the three large residences, three secondary residences, and four tertiary outbuildings no longer provide enough space for all family members during the summer.  

Two cousins wanted to replace a nondescript cabin, built, in the 1950’s, with a design that could accommodate both of them and be stylistically compatible with the historic Camp buildings.  Located within the Adirondack Park and subject to strict zoning regulations, the new plan could not exceed the size of the existing building. 

A local handyman designed a new cottage (the black and white drawings).   Alarmed upon viewing the plan (rightly so), the family contacted me to design a more contextual, refined alternative.  

The revised design provides acoustic privacy, high ceilings, a large working kitchen,  an 8' high wall of glass doors overlooking the deck and lake, and a well-lit interior that creates a sense of spaciousness.  In addition, better traffic patterns, and sliding "barn" doors at the entrances to each bedroom suite increased unobstructed floor space. 

The owners’ privacy is maximized by allowing guests to access the bathrooms without entering the individual bedrooms.

To augment the size limitations of the house,  a large deck was incorporated for the entertaining that the clients like to do.  Dinner parties for 20 people have been hosted, with plenty of space for food preparation and guest comfort.  An 8' deep portion of the deck off the main living space is covered by a roof overhang, effectively creating another room to enjoy, even when it's raining.

The original design included 8' tall glass doors in both bedrooms (where windows are shown), and loft spaces above the bedrooms.

My First Projects in My Own Firm

I will be forever grateful to Andy Parrish.  Andy, a rowing pal and owner of Wind and Rain Development, hired me to design affordable houses when I first went out on my own.

Together, we got an education into the pitfalls and rewards of providing affordable, well-designed houses to the residents of low-income communities.

Having lived in a house with terrible (embarrassing) lack of audio privacy, all of the houses were designed to avoid that problem.

With minimum room sizes mandated by HUD, and no money in the budgets for additional square footage, these designs were an interesting study in designing within constraints.

It was a learning experience - I still feel a bit sentimental when I look at these plans that my first intern colored...I think I'll keep them as-is.

While designing these houses, I became aware of a dopey zoning regulation, requiring two side-by-side parking spaces in each front yard.  It effectively ruined the streetscape and reduced street trees by half.  When lamenting this to my former boss, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, she suggested that I draw it, and she would work to get the change included in the zoning changes proposed by the City of Miami task force that she was leading (Lizz has the patience of a saint).  I drew it, she advocated for it, and four short years later(!), it was law.  Thanks Lizz!!

Saving a Small-town Landmark

I was hired by a client who had purchased a city block of historic buildings in Meridian, Mississippi.  He needed information that he could use to explore development costs and rental revenues associated with different approaches. 

he information had to be technically accurate so that engineering and construction costs for different development scenarios could be realistically estimated. And the information also had to be presented in a simple graphic format that could be used to convey different approaches to community leaders and financial investors.

Based on interviews with the client and his key executives, I developed a list of project goals.  These goals informed all subsequent investigations and conclusions.

I researched the history of the building, the existing site infrastructure and building HVAC systems, and reviewed prior design sketches for office layouts designed by employees of his company.  

After completing this review, I proposed and illustrated an incremental three-phase plan for developing the property, and summarized all of the research and conclusions in a report.

The report included photographs, sketches, accurate AutoCad layouts, and staging plans, intended for use by individuals multiple disciplines with different levels of expertise, including the Board of Directors, historic preservation agencies, engineers, and potential partners. 

Neighborhood Renovation:
Personal Commitment, Design Excellence, and Long Term Profitability

Land Development Magazine,. June 1995

There is a neighborhood on Starkville, Mississippi that has undergone a transforming renovation. Not exactly a redevelopment, with its implications of public/private partnerships, zoning battles, endless meetings and continuing legal costs. Rather, the process was more like a renovation. The same way a homeowner would renovate a beloved yet decrepit home, this neighborhood renovation was done slowly, thoughtfully, and incrementally. What was once a place of decay and neglect is now a profitable and unique “historic” residential district. Historic as it may look, it was built during the last 30 years by one independent developer.

Dan Camp is the builder who has made his neighborhood renovation project, The Cotton District, his life’s work. He has hand-built a rich variety of charming buildings that provide him with steady monthly revenues and a portfolio of properties that grows in value every year. In doing so, he has provided a unique and profitable development model; one with applicability in neighborhoods throughout the country. His approach is unique, and not for everyone. But for developers who share Dan’s skills and who are living in areas with similar land costs, it is a strategy that can be deeply satisfying and very profitable. Reviewing Dan’s experience, the following factors contribute to The Cotton District’s success: 

Personal Commitment
Neighborhood renovation requires a committed developer who undertakes the enterprise for long-term personal satisfaction and long-term profit.

Dan Camp’s commitment to The Cotton District was the key to its success. He moved into the neighborhood in 1969 with the intention take the neighborhood development as far as he could. At the time, Dan’s friends and family thought it was a very bad idea. But Dan had a vision for what he could accomplish over time and how the properties, and the neighborhood, would grow in value as the years went by. Dan developed his properties as rental units, maintaining ownership of the buildings. Had Dan sold out 5, or even 10 years after beginning to develop the neighborhood (if he could find a buyer), most naysayers would have smugly concurred with one another that, in fact, Dan’s idea had been misguided at best. But Dan’s is a long-term strategy. He persevered and succeeded.

Dan’s commitment to the Cotton District continues to this day. He has a full-time maintenance crew to keep the area free of litter and deteriorated finishes. He rigorously maintains the landscaping and public areas. Anyone in the neighborhood can call him about anything and know that he will respond immediately. He is at home in, and in charge of, the place he created. 

Commitment to Quality
The neighborhood developer should have the artist’s appreciation for beauty and the craftsman’s ability to produce it

Dan began his interest in architecture and urbanism from traveling. He developed an understanding that certain places were more beautiful than others. The beautiful places had finely detailed buildings, with handcrafted details to delight the eye. Beautiful places had shady courtyards and brick pathways lined with flowering hedges. Beautiful places had both sides of the street in an urban dialogue with each other. Beautiful places had a sense of history and made you feel special to be there. Dan’s goal, after spending time in beautiful places like Savannah, Natchez, Charleston, and Williamsburg, was to build such a place.

And Dan Camp is a craftsman. A master builder in every sense of the word. He understands wood. He knows stucco. He knows what his tools can do. Dan takes intrinsic enjoyment from building windows, doors, moldings, and finishes that recall the best places he has visited. He has the woodworker’s ability to see a cornice treatment while walking down a New Orleans street and replicate it in his shop 3 weeks later from memory. He makes accurate observations about materials, proportions, and layouts of neighborhoods that he loves and recreates them in the Cotton District.

Dan’s commitment to quality urbanism and architecture has gotten the project noticed. Even in a small town in Mississippi, Dan gets visited by some of the most famous architects in the world who come to admire his work. He enjoys exchanging ideas with them and understands how unusual this attention is. Dan was recently nominated for a prestigious national architectural design award. He’s happy to be the first non-architect to be recommended for the honor.

The Right Neighborhood
The ideal neighborhood must be in an area with very low land costs that are projected to remain low in the foreseeable future, and it must be located close to a target rental market.

The Cotton District was originally filled with dilapidated mill worker housing when Dan began developing in 1969. There were many tiny, inexpensive houses and vacant lots within a four block radius. Lots could be purchased for $3000. The town had no development pressure or competition for land. And the Mississippi State University was less than 2 miles away and provided a continuing source of renters - students.

The Right Unit Types
Small units are more profitable because they can sustain a higher monthly rent per square foot.
The Cotton District’s apartment units are very low in square footage and very high on charm and amenities. Floor plans can be as small as 400 square feet, but all have soaring ceilings, sleeping lofts with under-eave storage, porches or courtyards, dishwashers, and stacking washer-dryers. The monthly rental price per unit is the same as the rest of the market, even though The Cotton District units average 30% smaller than those available locally. They are ideal for students and young professionals who prefer to allocate their monthly rental budget to a smaller, better equipped space in a unique environment, rather than spending the same amount for a larger, conventional unit. In addition, Dan assembles some small units into larger buildings - buildings that look more like historic mansions than affordable housing. 

Incremental Development
The neighborhood developer should be willing to postpone profit taking and keep credit to a minimum.

Dan’s first Cotton District building had 6 units and was built in 1969 while he was still teaching. It provided supplemental income and funds to develop the next property. By 1972, Dan had 16 units and enough monthly rental income to quit his university job. He lived frugally (living at the time in a dilapidated shack known affectionately as “the snake pit”) and reinvested all profits. Credit was kept to a minimum. No capitol partners were needed. Dan set his own schedule and developed what his funds allowed.

In 1986, Dan developed a small PUD of for-sale row houses, to add some stability to the local residential base and to increase the overall neighborhood value. He stretched his resources and had moments that most developers can imagine, but Dan finished “Planter’s Row” and did, in fact, increase the value of the neighborhood.

!In 1991, Dan purchased a small restaurant in the neighborhood. Revamping its menu to cater to the University crowd, the “Grill” immediately became the neighborhood social center. Over the past 5 years, the overall neighborhood continues to mature and escalate in value. He is currently building “The District Exchange” a 2500 s.f commercial center for the local residents with apartment units above the retail. He’s looking for retailers who will stay open 24 hours a day to serve the student population.

Dan Camp is living the ideal life for the developer who builds for the joy of expression and who is committed to the long tradition of historic craftsmanship. He currently owns 150 rental units and the 2500 square feet of commercial rental space. He has 10 apartment units under construction now, with plans to build another 3000 s.f. of commercial space in the near future. 

The years of commitment have put Dan in the position to be able to enjoy his success. He travels, reads, and sketches - looking for inspiration. Dan builds continually more expressive and exuberant buildings. He experiments freely and lives with his successes and learns from his mistakes. He is leaving a legacy that will endure far into the future. For some, it just can’t get any better than this.

The Inadvertent Expert

A friend from high school has become the "go-to" guy for financial analysis of freestanding event venues and for the food/catering/event spaces in the biggest museums and public venues across the United States.

During the course of a conversation, he expressed his frustration with not being able to find architects who would review the drawings for new and proposed spaces in the same way that he reviewed the financials.

It sounded interesting.  Since that time, I've reviewed most of the large starchitect-designed buildings that have been built during the past 10 years.  Generally, I produce informal, hand-annotated sketches that go to the owners and architects.  Occasionally, "high concept" images are prepared for clients looking for an approach to take.

If a see a glaring need to convey a concept, I design graphics that are tailored to the intended recipient - an architect might get a detailed dimensioned autoCAD drawing, while an owner might get a series of pictures keyed to a map.

 A surprisingly high percentage of comments are incorporated into the final plans, making me a design team member who is both valuable and anonymous....

Because so many projects have the potential to generate secondary income through event rentals, I bring what I've learned into every design project.  

While some of the (most interesting!) projects are bound by implicit or explicit confidentiality agreements, the drawings on the left are examples of different review formats. 

The Dance Theater at Ground Zero

The Bronx Zoo

The Armory on Lexington Avenue in New York City

Philadelphia’s Barnes Museum

The Miami Art Museum

The Orlando Center for the Performing Arts

The Milwaukee Public Museum

The Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston

The J.B. Speed Art Museum

University of Georgia Sky Club

The Czech Consulate in New York City

While always a proponent of historic preservation, I became an expert in preparing these reports inadvertently:  while working for the County, I was approached about writing a CRAS for Opa-Locka airport.  Two large firms had been given the contract, and neither firm could get a handle on how to approach it.

With the help of the Aviation Department's amazing Antolin Carbonell, and the historian (and great friend) Ellen Uggucione, I divided the work into the four main phases of airport development.  I drew simple maps for each phase, and wrote the repot and filled out the State forms using that organizational matrix.

The County was very happy with the work that we did, and when another survey was required for the older building at he main Miami-Dade International Airport, we were given the contract.

Creating a report includes data compilation and review along with writing narratives and filling out State forms for each area and building included.  The primary skills required to prepare these reports is the capacity to deal independently with complexity, refine huge amounts of information to the salient points, and the ability to write clearly.

Architecture is a profession in which there is no substitute for experience.  Designing complex buildings that are both beautiful and functional AND preparing a set of documents that guarantee that the job is delivered on budget and on schedule requires skill.  And time.  I've been fortunate to have learned a great deal from many talented people during my years of practice.  And I've put in the time required for success. 

The experience has been very rewarding, and I continue to love this profession.

Placements for which I'm well-suited include:

-Working in a leadership/project management role in a company working to develop a diverse workplace. This includes companies that want to change their current pattern of not being able to retain the young women architects they hire.

With fewer women design executives than there were when I graduated, the need for well qualified mentors is a recurring reason that young women are leaving the profession.

The only women who can effectively mentor junior team members are those of us who are skilled in all phases of the design/construction process and and experienced in interacting in the unique culture of design offices and construction sites.

-Working as the on-site architect for a large project or a project in a remote area.  With extensive experience in construction management, including fixed-fee projects awarded through the competitive bid process, I’m well-suited to independently distill complex site issues to drawing/memos/spreadsheets that require attention from the Project Architect. 

-Working on a contract basis for a large company on an unusual or complex project for which they lack the time and staff to address thoroughly.  Hiring a skilled consultant provides companies with expertise without a long-term financial commitment.

Compensation is flexible and depends upon the job and the location.  I’m willing to travel, and would prefer positions that allow me to travel by car to allow my two dogs to accompany me.