Chad Oppenheim, a charmingly good‑looking, 6'3"transplanted

New Yorker, is a great Miami success story. In less then ten years, this 32 year old wunderkind with a degree inm architecture and a talent for spotting real estate deals has made it to the boldface‑name category. That's because, unlike so many people who have spent a far longer time working and living here, Oppenheim "gets" Miami . And he not only gets it, but he's also

defining it in concrete and glass. He has even invented a new Miami lifestyle.

The open‑plan, double height and glass walled space that is now le dernier en for every new building in town was Oppenheim's concept. Local Realtors call them "lofts," but they bear no resemblance to the actual factory floor loft apart­ments that originated in older industrial cities such as New York . They are spaces that are uniquely Miamian, Oppenheim's bold vision of a cool way to live here and now, spaces that dictate a different lifestyle. In fact, rather than lofts, they should probably be called "Oppenheims."

Oppenheim arrived in Miami in 1995, a year after graduating from Cornell University 's school of architecture, and spent his first four years working for the prestigious firm Arquitectonica International. It was not until 1999, when he went off on his own, setting up Oppenheim Architecture + Design, that he was able to fully indulge his thinking outside the box approach. The loft concept was born in one of his earliest projects, the construction of a small condominium he named the Ilona after his beautiful soon to be wife, business partner and aesthetic muse. The site was an undistinguished piece of property in Miami Beach's upcoming South of Fifth area, lacking water views or even sufficient space for a pool, but rather than be discouraged by its limitations, Oppenheim used great, cutting‑edge design to generate excitement and financial success.

"This is where the loft concept originated

that is now copied everywhere." Rather

than lofts, they should probably be

called "Oppenheims."

The Ilona units have double‑height living rooms, glass walls and balcony bedrooms, so that even with relatively low square footage, there is a glorious sense of space and light. He also tried a concept totally new to Miami at that time, a rooftop pool and gardens. He based the idea of creating visual openness on his own 900‑square‑foot penthouse in an existing building, in which he had removed all the interior walls, creating a space similar to New York's loft apartments, albeit considerably smaller. Jeff Morr of Majestic Properties, a close friend who shared Oppenheim's boldest visions, agreed to merchandise and sell the Ilona lofts. "This is where the loft concept originated that is now copied everywhere," says Oppen­heim, "but we've been working on it for the past five years."

The wild success of the Ilona led Oppenheim to transcend the usual routine of architectural practice. Instead of just waiting around for clients with projects to contact him, he went out in search of new areas to develop, along with people he refers to as "we." Other than his wife, Ilona, the "we" changes from project to project. "There are a lot of we's," he says, but admits that he often works with Majestic because he and Morr still think alike. They certainly thought alike on the possibility of North Bay Village , a long neglected down‑market area they believed could emerge as a new hotspot. With a combination of creative design and merchandising, they were able to generate enough razzle dazzle that North Bay Village properties were soon being snatched up by other, much larger devel­opers. Nobody realized at the time that a lawsuit, brought by a radio station whose antenna shares space on the 79th Street Causeway, would tie up all con­struction for three years. Nevertheless, a lot of concrete has been poured in the last year and North Bay Village is now on the coolhunters' maps as a place to live on the water without South Beach prices. Chalk it up to another trend set by Oppenheim, who seems to have the magic touch, a magic eye and some terrific friends.

"Architecture is a complex three

dimensional puzzle. We try to find the

perfect balance, an equilibrium

between design and economics."

The project that propelled him into the ranks of power people is Ice, a smashingly modern, gleaming white high‑rise of two‑story lofts located in the Biscayne Boulevard corridor, which is now the hottest area of them all. His firm was actually the fifth to be hired to try its hand at the project, which was designed in a joint venture with New York architect Walter Chatham. One of the problems they all faced, besides a difficult site, was the unsuccessful launch­ing of several other attempted high‑rises along the same stretch of Biscayne Bay waterfront, in similar if not better locations, with architects far better known than Oppenheim. The others lacked, however, the dynamite combo of Oppen­heim's adventurous design and Morr's real estate savvy and astonishing ability to sell something innovative and completely new. "It was the first time I ever real­ized the value of advertising," says Oppenheim. "We were able to command prices far higher than we expected." Ice was an over‑the‑top sellout success, attracting buyers like bees to honey. It seemed to offer what everyone was look­ing for‑even if they weren't aware of it before‑and it revolutionized the Bis­cayne corridor.

Oppenheim has a modest explanation for his success as a developer of new areas and concepts. He is proud of his ability to tap into the vitality of the emerging Miami and anticipate what people will be looking for, but for him it's always about his main interest, architecture as a vehicle for creativity. "Most of the developers in town, the really big ones, are not going to take risks. They are going to work with the formulas they are successful and comfortable with. They are not going to hire a highly creative architect to fulfill their architectural fanta­sy, even if they have one. Of course, I have limitations as well. On any given day I have hundreds of millions of dollars of my clients' and investors' money at stake, people who trust us to do something that works. Architecture is, after all, a very complex three‑dimensional puzzle in which the stakes are very high. We do try to find the perfect balance, an equilibrium between design and economics."

Of course, a major element in Oppenheim Architecture + Design's success is that Oppenheim himself truly appreciates Miami's great physical and visual beauty. "Architecture in Miami must be open, clean, bold and minimal juxta­posed against Miami's incredible light, the colors of sea and sky, the brilliance of the gardens. It must be a sponge absorbing beauty." He tries to create an frame­work that provides wonderful living experiences for the adventurous buyer, a beautiful and hedonistic way to explore life, such as the sensual pleasures of eat­ing well and surrounding oneself with well‑chosen exquisite objects. He believes that architecture in Miami should allow the city's wonders into one's personal space, which is probably why his buildings all provide large and really usable ter­races for each unit. "Architecture ideally should interact with all the senses: sound, the rippling of water or rustling of bamboo; smell, fragrant flowers and vines as plantings; touch, the tactile quality of the materials; and even taste, an edible landscape of fruit trees and banana palms."

"Architecture in Miami must be open,

clean, bold and minimal. It must be

a sponge absorbing beauty."

One of the reasons for Oppenheim's almost meteoric rise may well be that he is never content to rest on his laurels. He adds another dimension to every project in an effort to make it more perfect than the last. Nothing is too new or far‑out for him to consider. For example, he is now tinkering with the futuristic concept of selling modular spaces rather than single defined units. The size and configuration of a future buyer's home would depend upon how many modules they elect to purchase and whether they want them stacked vertically or laid out horizontally. The modules would be one standard size, but could be combined in myriad ways. It's very difficult to conceptualize, according to Oppenheim, but his newest "we" group is working on it.

At this point in his career, Oppenheim is most excited about his newest project, Ten Museum Park, which he considers the most successful collabora­tion of "we" he has ever put together. He believes that Ten Museum Park is special, the closest he has come to his ideal vision, and he may well be right. Certainly it is more than simply a place to live, offering residents the amazing luxury of a world‑famous spa, a VIP social life, a convenient location in a hot new area, and Oppenheim's incredible open spaces in one package. Perhaps it's not so astonishing Ten Museum Park sold out in eight days, at prices well above the means of most of the population, and that there is a long waiting list in case any of the early buyers suffer an attack of remorse about the level of their self indulgence and change their minds. There appears to be quite a number of wealthy, hedonistic sensualists living among us. Check out the sidebar to see what you missed.