Kobi Karp, Designing Genius
Having garnered worldwide acclaim as a virtuous architect, Kobi Karp is paving the way in design with a conscience.
How did your journey as an architect begin?
After earning degrees in Architecture and Environmental Design at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology, I started my career working on hospitality projects and all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Miami Beach. I opened my firm in 1996 with a focus on hospitality, mixed-use commercial, residential and multi-family properties.
What / who do you draw your inspiration from?
The environment. Before I start a new project I always focus on the potential location of the property on the land itself and its relationship to local environment and physical nature.
What are / have been your biggest challenges in your creative process?
The biggest challenges in my creative process has been to gather the most relevant and proper data in order to come up with the most unique and creative solutions to each individual project.
What inspires you to work on a specific project?
The concept is what inspires me to work on any project. If the concept is good then everything else falls in line.
What does your work process involve?
I like to study the area, history and environment for each project to come up with a design unique to the location.
Important lessons along the way?
The most important lesson is that the only constant in our life is change. In architecture, technology has evolved drastically and dramatically over a short period of time; it’s changing the way we design and build real estate. The important thing is to remember that evolution, in business and in technology, is constant and should be embraced.
The favorite part of your job?
The favorite part of my job is getting to know, study, understand and be exposed to different cultures, lifestyles and environments. It is this background of the uniqueness and the freshness that makes my job great.
What do you think sets your designs apart?
We are strongly focused on innovation and contextual consideration. Every design is inspired by the site’s history and context, and by the “urban fabric” that surrounds it in the form of the built and the natural environment.
What is the best thing about being an architect?
Creating something that reflects the community and the society of which we are a part of. I believe that as architects and artists, we are a reflection of our time and our society.
What has been your favorite building to design? I know, it’s like asking who is your favorite child, but there must be a special one?
I truly do not have a favorite building. My two favorite projects which are still ongoing and have been ongoing for decades and are still work in progress … are my two sons.
Describe your designs in three words.
Dynamic, personalized and unique.
If you hadn’t become an architect, what would you have become?
If I had not become an architect, I would have been doing something in the creative arts.
What exciting projects are in the pipeline for the rest of 2017 and 2018?
We are working on a number of exciting projects in the U.S. and abroad. In South Florida, some of our current projects include the Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences in Fort Lauderdale; Collins Park Hotel, a project that will combine six buildings in Miami Beach that will be restored and turned into a hotel complex; and 3550 South Ocean, Palm Beach’s first luxury condo project in a decade, to name a few.
In El Paso, Texas, we are working on the renovation and restoration of the historic Hotel Paso Del Norte, which will pay homage to the hotel’s history and will give downtown El Paso a luxurious and iconic landmark.
Abroad, I’m looking forward to the opening of Hodges Bay Resort & Spa in Antigua later this year. Hodges Bay features luxurious oceanfront homes, penthouses as well as villas, suites and hotel accommodations, innovative dining options, and expansive leisure facilities. This project was designed to immerse guests and residents in a world-class experience of luxury in an unspoiled paradise. For more information, visit
www.kobikarp.com
