Local studio Strang Design has created a contemporary residence with a garden terrace in Miami, Florida, complete with Brazilian influences and vintage touches.

The studio, which specialises in projects along Florida's vast coastline dedicated to "environmental modernism", completed the expansive, 8,500-square-foot (2,590-square-meter) house – known as the Angel Oaks Residence – in 2021.

The five-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom house pays homage to the clients' Brazilian heritage and serves as a showroom for vintage furniture and artwork that the couple collected through extensive travel.

"We carefully located the home amongst the existing oaks, from which its name was derived," the Strang Design team said. "The careful placement of the home gives the sense that it has been there for ages and grew amongst the trees."

The two levels of the home are materially distinct. Rough-cut Jerusalem tile and exposed board-formed concrete serve as a heavy ground-floor base.

The second storey is wrapped with vertical ipe wood fins that jut out from a densely landscaped planter.

"The inspiration and functionality go hand in hand," the studio said of the greenery.

"Contrasting the stark white of the upper floor, the planted roof hangs down and allows vines to move up the elevation, creating a 'green wall' that camouflages part of the home in the existing grove of oak trees."

The U-shaped home centres around a large pool with family spaces directed centrally on the ground floor and private bedrooms overlooking the backyard on the second level, set back from the perimeter by the planter.

"Connectivity within the home, despite the size, was important," the studio said. "The home is large but not overly programmed to allow for very comfortable spaces to gather."

The division between exterior and interior is minimal with materials and light bridging the boundary.

Unfilled travertine flooring crosses from the patio to the interior and teak was used for the walls and along the ceiling, bringing a sense of warmth to the space. Camel leathers, solid cotton and linen soften the strong materials.

"Throughout the home, you will notice the use of strong natural materials is consistent with the overall warm, organic palette," the team noted. "The careful mixture of these textures and thoughtful applications invokes a sense of unity in the home."

Pops of colour and shape add surprise to the spaces like a Janaina Tschape painting in the living room and an octopus suspended in the trees outside.

In the centre of the plan, Sukabumi tile gives way to a rectangular pool, surrounded by native species selected by La Casona Garden. The garden includes a dedicated wildlife habitat section, certified by the National Wildlife Habitat.

"The lush landscaping combined with the raw materials and bold consistency in form creates a timeless home.”

Nearby, Christian Wassmann also used plants as a characteristic material in a bungalow extension, and the bold board-formed concrete appears in Brillhart Architecture's stilted home.

The photography is by Kris Tamburello.

Project credits:

Architecture: Strang Design: Alex Mangimelli, Maria Ascoli, Vanessa Arteaga Peña, Viviana Conley, Catherine Crotty
Landscape designers: La Casona Garden
Structural engineers: Henry Vidal & Associate, Inc., Francisco Cuello, Jr.
Civil engineer: Jorge G. Maldonado
General contractor: Contemporary Builders, Inc.
FF&E: Mia Cucina, Opustone, Apparatus Light Fixtures, Elias Slime, ES Windows, Subzero, Wolf,
Styling: Sense Unleashed