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COPYRIGHT 2001 The Miami Herald
Byline: Barbara De Lollis
Apr. 22--Developer Craig Robins believes he can make high design and architecture -- not penthouse views -- the selling points in Miami Beach.
With his plan for Aqua, he will take the same number of units a high rise would contain, but put them on twice the amount of land in the form of mid-rise apartment buildings and townhomes. He wants to offer an alternative to high-rise living, the dominant lifestyle on Miami Beach.
"We're taking a Portofino, Murano or Blue/Green Diamond, but taking the high rise and spreading it over the land," said Robins, who expects to begin construction this fall. "It conforms. Nothing looks out of place. It feels like a neighborhood."
Without a soaring tower for the eyes to scale, people can absorb details that will give Aqua identity, such as courtyards, small parks and alleys, Robins said. He describes it as a modern-day version of the traditional neighborhood, with a variety of contemporary architecture that draws on South Beach's history, from its Art Deco buildings to Morris Lapidus' Fontainebleau Hotel.
Other details stray from the norm. Homes will have windows that actually open. And instead of having towering masses blocking the water, Aqua's 120 apartment units and 46 townhomes will...
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