We turn raw ideas into plans for comfortable, livable, inspired buildings and residences in Miami, Florida.
We love to design. We love creating. Our specialty is working on coastal, residential projects, whether they be mixed-use buildings, multi-family, or single-family. Miami is a special place. We are near the ocean and subject to vicious hurricanes. This calls for special construction. Most of the US builds with wood frame, we do not! Sometimes houses and buildings here are subject not only to wind forces but also to flooding. We specialize in dealing with these issues.
In addition, we are passionate about creating wonderful, useful spaces, whether it's a multi-story apartment building or an addition or remodeling to a home. And this passion will ensure that you will get something truly valuable as far as beauty and functionality. And we hope that when we create a space, building, or home for you, you will feel amazing in it!
So, peruse through some of our projects below. Then, call us if you want to discuss your project.
United Architects, Inc.
A Miami Architecture Firm
Check out our featured projects and testimonials below
Peter A. Gudmundsson
Chief Executive Officer at BeHome247 / Proptech
Maria Luisa is a topflight architect whose work was creative, responsive to business needs, and well-managed. We retained her to design a pet crematory and retail space in Miami. Her design was innovative, attractive, and exactly on point for our business requirements. In fact, Maria Luisa suggested improvements to space utilization and process flow that we did not even contemplate. Furthermore, she is an expert at navigating the political steps necessary to gain county, city, and state approvals. Maria Luisa seems to know everyone and, clearly, they too are impressed by her competence and professionalism. I would actively seek Maria Luisa’s architecture and project management skills in the future. (From LinkedIn)
Robert Balzebre
Principal - Balzebre Investments
I am writing to express the professional conduct and impressions that United Architects
has maintained throughout the course of my working with their team.
To be specific, Maria Luisa Castellanos and United Architects worked with our team to come up with various alternatives to a difficult zoning matter. In each instance Maria Luisa was well versed on the local zoning and building codes. She also made an important outreach to each of the city officials. She did this to understand what situations which would require zoning variances for our plans. She took time to fully understand and express in her drawings the features that would enhance my property in the best way possible.
I thoroughly have relied on United’s thorough and professional manner in many projects. I am very grateful for the time I have been able to work with this firm. (From LinkedIn)
Maria Luisa was a pleasure to work with on our plans for a total interior remodeling. She was knowledgeable and patient, willing to make revisions, and most importantly, her plans passed the permitting review on the first round, with no revisions needed! Would definitely recommend and use her again! (From Google)
Maria Luisa is a wonderful architect and a wonderful human being. She is a problem solver, extraordinarily even keeled and extremely creative and knowledgeable.
Highly recommended! (From LinkedIn)
For More Testimonials
See more testimonials and letters of reference click here
United Architects, Inc., a Miami architectural firm with offices in Coral Gables, has been in continuous operation in Florida for over 30 years, founded by the principal of the firm, Maria Luisa Castellanos, R.A. Ms. Castellanos holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She also holds LEED AP certification which prepares her for consulting on “green” or sustainable projects. Lastly, Ms. Castellanos holds a Florida real estate license. This means that not only can she help you with your design needs, but she can help you purchase investment properties. You can read more about this here - why an architect-realtor would be a great asset when buying income-producing property. For starters, we can study the zoning of the property for you so you don't make a mistake purchasing a property for an intent that cannot happen under the zoning code. We are familiar with Miami 21, the zoning code for Coconut Grove and downtown Miami, as well as the zoning codes of Coral Gables, Miami Beach, North Miami, South Miami, and Miami-Dade County, among others.
Our work appears throughout this entire website. Some pages have our work and some pages are entirely informational. Some give background on the city and the county in which we reside. Others give information on the architectural design and construction process. We hope you find the website interesting, engaging, and useful to you. If you are in the research stage, you may want to read some of the free articles that appear here.
You may wonder why you should talk to us. Maria Luisa Castellanos, R.A., has been living and practicing architecture in the Miami area for over 30 years. This gives her a familiarity with the local officials, the zoning codes, and the Florida Building Code, which will enable you to get your project built faster and with fewer complications. The zoning code for each city is different. For example, the City of Coral Gables has a Board of Architects which must review all modifications to existing buildings and residences as well as all new construction. Yet, not all of them have review boards. The City of Miami Beach has review boards for the historic districts and for residences that are larger than the normal size. So, it is important to pick an architect who is familiar with the different cities and zoning codes and processes.
Call to set up a complimentary initial appointment to discuss your project. If you call me, Maria Luisa Castellanos, the principal of United Architects, at 305-439-7898, I will come out to your property in Miami-Dade County and give you a free evaluation of your ideas. In that meeting, we can develop a clear vision of what can and cannot be done. I can help turn your vision into reality.
If you want to read how to build a commercial building addition in Miami, input your information in the adjacent box and you will receive an article called, "11 Steps to Building a Commercial Building in Miami".
It covers what to look for before purchasing land, such as testing, the various phases of a design project, and actually building a project - from initial phases to closeout.
