Tropical Modernism: The Formation of a Unique Regionalist Movement

Speakers

William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB

Marie Penny

Silvia Alosio

Gabriela Dines

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Tropical Modernism: The Formation of a Unique Regionalist Movement

This session will offer an exploration of the roots of local modernism in Florida and the Caribbean through the analysis of the works by significant architects, such as Alfred Browning Parker and Marion Sims Wyeth. These architects, among others, considered this “cultural area” to be a palimpsest, a place where they could rework the colonial legacy and the pre-Columbian history along with rediscovering the use of local materials, the traditional construction techniques, and - more in general - the vernacular architecture, resulting in the development of its own regionalist movement.

The speakers will uncover the layers of these forms of expression and how Tropicalism emerged in each instance, through a fresh perspective from their backgrounds in local architecture and historic preservation, scholarly practice, and architectural archives.

 
Speakers
  • How South Florida’s Geology Gave Rise to its Regionalist Sense of Modernism
    William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB 
  • The Tropical Ranch: Examining the Ranch Style in Palm Beach
    Marie Penny 
  • The Gulf of Mexico: The Other Mediterranean? Elements of Tradition and Modernity (in the Work of Eugenio Batista and Luis Barragan)
    Silvia Aloiso 

 

Moderator

Gabriela Dines

 

All sessions will take place at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Exact classroom locations to be announced.

Moderator

Gabriela Dines

Gabriela Dines is an architect from the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires. She holds a Master of Historic Preservation from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, a Specialization on Theory and History of Preservation from the University of Alcalá de Henares, a Specialization in Restoration of Historical Buildings awarded by the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, and a Master of Science in Architecture Studies and Research in Preservation/Urban Studies from the University of Miami. 

Speakers

Silvia Alosio

Silvia Aloisio is an architect and Ph.D. in architecture and construction (Sapienza University, Rome). She has participated in various research projects promoted by different international institutions. In particular, she worked for a year at the “Mediterranea” University of Reggio Calabria, Italy, on the regeneration of abandoned/depopulated historical villages in Calabria region. From 2018 to 2022 she collaborated with a research group named “Laboratorio di lettura e progetto” at Sapienza University of Rome. Since 2015, she has been collaborating with the Center for Hydrogenerated Urbanism, University of Florida, and the Italian UNESCO chair in “Sustainable Urban Quality and Urban Culture, notably in Africa" (Sapienza University), organizing workshops, conferences, exhibitions and seminars in Italy and the United States. 

Marie Penny

Marie Penny is the Michael D. Coe Archivist for Planting Fields Foundation – a historic estate located in Oyster Bay, New York. After graduating from Queens College at the City University of New York with a Masters in Library Science, she began her career as an archivist at the architectural firms of Rafael Viñoly Architects and Meier Partners, where she oversaw the Richard Meier Model Museum. She later served as the Director of Archives at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, an organization dedicated to preserving architectural heritage. She is a regular contributor to Palm Beach Illustrated and has been published in ARRIS – the Journal of the Southeast Chapter of Architectural Historians. Marie is passionate about bringing archives to life through publications, exhibitions, and presentations.

William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB

William H. Arthur IV, AIA, NCARB is a third-generation architect in the city of Coral Gables, with an academic background in Urban and Regional Planning, Historic Preservation and Latin American Studies. William’s certificate in Historic Preservation was earned under the guidance of former State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and former Associate Director for Cultural Resources of the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., Janet Mathews, Ph.D. William has been involved with more than 1,200 construction projects, including more than 100 in the City of Coral Gables within the last six years. William has sought to design from a perspective that is both culturally-sensitive and historically-minded. William has a personal heritage in the City of Coral Gables, since his grandfather’s working in the city since 1949 with midcentury Architect, Igor B. Polevitzky, FAIA, and William’s own work with Alfred Browning Parker’s son, Robin Parker. Finding merit not only in the constructions that he studied, but also their impact on the people who utilize them, William developed a sense of obligation to the city and the unique fabric of architecture that formed it.