Last updated on May 27th, 2024 at 06:30 am
Designing a home tailored to the unique needs of each client can be a challenge. But for the right architect, a difficult job becomes manageable, and the resulting process seamless.
Below is a list of the best residential architects in Palm Beach, Florida. These architects are well-versed in a number of architectural styles, from traditional to contemporary. They were chosen based on their backgrounds, experience, and unique ability to cater to the design needs of their clients with ease.
Fairfax & Sammons
214 Brazilian Ave, Suite 100, Palm Beach, FL 33480
For Fairfax & Sammons, classical architecture is an endless wellspring of inspiration for its practice. Anne Fairfax and Richard Sammons, the firm’s founders, believe that traditional, classic architecture is timeless and able to offer creative solutions that respect history, order, and proportion. Anne and Richard are both members of the INTBAU College of Traditional Practitioners (ICTP), an international professional body for practitioners in traditional architecture, under the auspices of his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a home in Palm Beach, Florida. The home, known as “Il Cortile” was a complex build, employing techniques for fabrication and the installation of stone and metalwork no longer readily available in contemporary times. The result was a home centered on a courtyard and its adjacent outdoor rooms— the plan allowed the connection of the owners and their guests to interior spaces. This kind of demanding artistic work is made by the firm’s highly skilled artisans. Much work went into ensuring that the house was authentic.
Ken Tate Architect
319 Clematis St., Suite 814, West Palm Beach 33401
Ken Tate Architect is a prolific firm with projects spanning in 17 states, from California to Tennessee, and even all the way to The Bahamas. The firm is led by its namesake, Ken Tate, whose experience includes having been under the tutelage of renowned architects and whose architectural interests cover ancient and pre-Industrial forms, pluralism, and intuitional fascinations. To this day, Ken’s practice is informed by these interests, as they help him complete the designs for projects he and his firm take on.
The featured project above is an example of the firm’s work on an award-winning Italian Revival home. Inspired by the classical elements of Andrea Palladio’s architecture, as well as by the romantic character of the Mediterranean Revival, Ken opted to build a home that pays homage to and enhances the streetscape of New Orleans’s Saint Charles Avenue. Features include a single-story portico with a cut-stone arcade and a balustrade terrace, iron gates, a second-story pergola, and a tower. As a result of Ken Tate’s work, this gorgeous was awarded the 2019 Pinnacle Stone Award and the 2019 Addison Mizner Award for best single-family residence over 10,000 square feet.
Silberstein Architecture
524 NE 2nd St, Delray Beach, FL 33483
Jeffrey Silberstein, AIA, principal of Silberstein Architecture, has extensive experience designing schools, museums, religious communities, historic renovations, restaurants, multi-family housing, and private residences. Upon his graduation from the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, he received the American Institute of Architects Medal of Excellence in Architectural Education, a distinction given to only one graduating architecture student in an accredited school of architecture. This award was a sign of Jeffrey’s promise as an architect; he continues to realize that potential through every design he completes.
2018 © Nickolas Sargent Photography
The firm’s focus these past 20 years has been on residential design. The firm’s work has garnered many American Institute of Architects Honor awards. It has also received recognition in a number of publications, including Dwell, Interior Design, Florida Design, Home, Tropic, Miami Home & Design, The Miami Herald, The Sun-Sentinel, and The Palm Beach Post. Pictured below is a great example of the firm’s award-winning work. The Jupiter Residence is a contemporary abode. Built with imposing sharp lines and parallel pillars, the home is all about structure and symmetry. With looking windows located almost everywhere in the house, light and air are able to enter freely into the space, allowing a fresh and open style of living to take place.
Rex Nichols Architects
1600 S Federal Hwy, Suite 970, Pompano Beach, FL 33062
For Rex Nichols, AIA, working with the right team is all he needs to be able to adapt to the unique requirements of any project, from luxury single-family to medium and high-density residential and mixed-use buildings. Rex has over three decades of experience designing award-winning projects that have earned numerous awards from organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
The perfect example of RNA’s work is this AIA award-winning home, pictured below. The project, titled “Admirals Cove,” was published on the Virtual Globe Trotting’s website as the Leonard Abramson house. This 17,785-square-foot modern home is a mix of contemporary architecture and Mediterranean style and was built in a mere 6 months. Rex Nichols Architects proposed a residence that takes advantage of the views of the Intracoastal Waterway. The firm focused on finding an architectural style that maximizes the use of glass and French doors to allow the indoor spaces to flow into the exterior where the oversized pool and spa provide a setting for relaxed entertainment.
Harry Gandy Howle & Associates PA
645 Beachland Blvd., Suite 6, Vero Beach, FL 32963
Harry Gandy Howle & Associates PA is led by its namesake, Harry G. Howle, AIA, ASLA, ICA and senior associate James Stein, AIA. At an early age, both Harry and James showed a fascination with and appreciation for design and architecture, that deep interest set the stage for their future careers and success in their field. At present, Harry and James have had the pleasure of having their designs span everything from the mountains of North Carolina to the Southeast coastlines—even reaching as far as Cozumel.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a residential project. Titled “Coastline Classic,” this home brings together beach living with traditional architecture. The structure has a classic white exterior with a low shingle roof and roofline. The two-story house sits at the perfect height, enough for the rooms to overlook the pool at the back of the house.
Smith and Moore Architects
1500 South Olive Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Smith and Moore Architects has built a reputation as a trusted steward for some of Palm Beach’s most cherished landmarks. Headed by founding partners Harold Smith and Jonathan Moore and principal partners Peter Papadopoulos and Daniel Kahan, the firm is well-versed in the creative use of traditional forms with a synthesis of modern taste and historical models.
The firm’s process involves combining contemporary construction techniques with tested architectural traditions to create timeless solutions that meet the needs of modern-day living. Whether focusing on new construction or historic renovations and restorations, the firm is committed to designing projects that respect and enhance their surroundings. One example of the firm’s work is this lakefront villa, located in Palm Beach. The residence was built in the Spanish Revival style, with the low-pitched flat roof harkening back to Mediterranean influences. The home features numerous balconies and a balustrade terrace that gives the home an open, welcoming feel.
MHK Architecture & Planning
211 Seaview Ave, Palm Beach FL 33480
MHK Architecture & Planning is a prolific practice with approximately 550 homes built throughout Florida, the Caribbean, the Carolinas, New England the Cape, and Colorado in its 10 years of operation. In addition to residential work, the firm also specializes in resorts, hospitality, mixed-use, commercial, and multi-family residential projects. The firm’s principal, Matthew Kragh, AIA, leads a team of 40 design professionals with a strong commitment to building and design excellence.
The firm builds homes in a variety of styles, including Modern, Coastal, Colonial Revival, and Traditional. Typical features of the homes it builds include low-pitched roofs and charming façades. The dominant color for the exteriors is a classic white, painted on stucco or concrete materials. Inside, the homes vary in character; many of the homes feature open and inviting floor plans.
Yra Design Inc.
5707 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 8, West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Yra Design Inc., led by principal Dennis Rainho, is a design firm that provides high-quality architectural services to the Palm Beach area. The firm is staffed by experienced employees who have more than 60 years of combined architectural, building, and planning experience. Yra Design also has a global portfolio of custom luxury estate designs and a wide spectrum of commercial projects, including mixed-use urban developments, high-rise condominiums, and hospitality designs.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a residential project. This home was built in the transitional Mediterranean style, with its low-pitched roof and asymmetrical structure. The balustrade terrace at its front gives the home a grand atmosphere, while the presence of the garage to the side offers a modern touch.
Kanthan Design Corporation
631 Potter Rd, Boynton Beach, FL 33435
For Abhi Kanthan—principal architect and co-founder of Kanthan Design Corporation—the practice of architecture involves striving towards perfection. Abhi’s highly sought-after boutique architecture, interior design & planning firm is operated in collaboration with co-founder Brenda Kanthan.
The firm aims to build homes that are vibrant, sustainable, durable, and of value to their owners and to the community the homes are built in. For the Dias Residence, pictured below, the firm designed the home in a contemporary Mediterranean style. Elements of the four-bedroom home include rusticated stone and concrete flat tile roofing—elements that bring sharp attention to the bronzed fenestration throughout the home. Other features include 4.5 baths, a butler’s pantry with a completely open floor plan, a theater/media room, large covered lanais, a side-entry three-car garage, a formal dining room, and a lap pool.
Taliaferro Design
306 Moorings Dr, Lantana, FL 33462
Taliaferro Design was built through its founder Trudy Quesada’s passion for design and individuality. Trudy and her team are well-versed in contemporary, modern, transitional, traditional styles and development, and are proudly partnered with local subcontractors and businesses to provide the best quality, custom features for residential homes, vacation condos, and home expansions.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a modern-style home. This living room, with its washed grey color palette, is the picture of relaxation. The room is wide, housing a fireplace and an entertainment system as well as wide picture windows overlooking the outdoors. The space creates a generous, fun space for relaxation, entertainment, and socializing.
Village Architects AIA
400 N. Cypress Dr, Suite 21, Tequesta, FL 33469
Village Architects AIA is a design firm dedicated to excellent design; the firm brings highly focused attention-to-detail for each project. The firm offers custom high-end residential design services primarily to Southeast Florida. Its principal, Mitchell E. Miller, AIA, NCARB, has been designing custom single-family homes in that area, as well as in the Bahamas.
Pictured below is a stunning example of the firm’s work on a Mediterranean-style villa. At first glance, the home is grand and bright, with two balconies and a myriad of windows to let in light and air. The home also caters to outdoor living spaces, allowing its residents to lounge and dine outside, enjoying the warmth of the Florida weather.
