A new, 375,000 square-foot FBI office building in Miramar, Fla. has returned a developer's 18-inch-deep, gravel-encrusted site back to the Everglades.
"We realized early that man's encroachment had basically eviscerated the ecosystem," says Mark Sexton, partner in Chicago-based Krueck + Sexton Architects. "Someone had filled the Everglades in with gravel, as if to say: 'Here, build on this - if you can drive on it, you can build on it."
So they reverted to the property to its original use.
FBI Building, Miramar, Fla., Krueck + Sexton Architects
"What the land was is what it always wants to be: a natural Everglades," he says. "So we wanted to create a secure emphasis and make it one with the natural habitat, knowing that nature would come back with flora and fauna and wildlife."
The firm won the commission for the building in a two-phase process. In the second phase, six firms were left in the running. Among them were Foster + Partners, Thomas Phifer, Jahn Architect, Rex, and Asymptote.
"They were fairly tough competitors," he says.
FBI Building, Miramar, Fla., Krueck + Sexton Architects
Two months after they'd won the commission, they submitted three proposals to a jury of architects serving as peer reviewers. One suggested a single, 13-story structure, another offered a pair of seven-story buildings with a connector, and still another proposed a three story structure with a larger footprint.
"They came back with the seven-story plan they deemed the most appropriate," he says. "They liked the balance of creating an image of contemporary architecture and still preserving the land, which is very precious."
FBI Building, Miramar, Fla., Krueck + Sexton Architects
The new building now houses 750 to 800 FBI employees, with a capacity for 1,000. It came in at about $194 million, including construction, land acquisition and project management.
Architect of record was Gensler; phase two design/build was by Hensel Phelps; photos by Nick Merrick @ Hedrich Blessing.
J. Michael Welton writes about architecture, art and design for national and international publications, and edits a digital design magazine at www.architectsandartisans.com, where portions of this post first appeared. He's also the author of "Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand," published in May by Routledge Press.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.