Esplanade at Aventura

Located adjacent to the Aventura Mall, Esplanade at Aventura offers visitors a new way to socialize, shop, and dine. We identified three guiding principles–Cosmopolitan Lifestyle, Tropical Abundance, and Artistic Expression–to ground design and programming decisions. At Esplanade, the landscape takes center stage with a green ribbon of tropical landscapes encouraging movement throughout the site. The design maximizes its 82,000 square feet of planted area to create an immersive environment that contributes to its premier aesthetic, while mitigating heat and humidity. The colorful, textured landscape includes 27,000 shrubs, groundcovers, and bromeliads that emphasize diverse species well-adapted to the local climate. Crucial to Esplanade’s design was the preservation and enhancement of the tree canopy, now extending over 100,300 square feet, that provides shade and improves comfort and usability. The precise selection of trees features 191 palms and 242 canopy and ornamental trees, including over 30 that were relocated on-site to preserve existing mature specimens.

The most complex and challenging aspect of the project was integrating the 12-acre development atop a 156,000-square-foot parking garage. We were challenged to create an environment where visitors remain unaware of the parking structure beneath them. To achieve this, we collaborated with the structural engineer to create recessed areas in the roof of the garage allowing for adequate soil volumes to support plantings and mature trees. This solution not only met the structural challenges of supporting greenery above the parking structure but alleviated disruption to the visitor experience.