06/09/2026
JACOBEA SPANISH S, Coconut Grove Florida.
The above residence (3700 Hibiscus Street, Miami, Fl) possesses considerable architectural significance as it was built by Richard Kiehnel, a pioneering architect whose influence was instrumental in shaping the architectural character of South Florida during the early twentieth century. Constructed in 1921, the house embodies the Mediterranean-inspired design traditions that came to define the region's most distinguished residential architecture during a pivotal period of growth and development.
Kiehnel's work is notable for its thoughtful adaptation of classical and Mediterranean precedents to South Florida's climate and cultural context. Through careful attention to proportion, massing, and craftsmanship, he helped establish an architectural language that conveyed permanence, beauty, and regional identity.
His importance to the architectural history of Florida is reflected in a body of work that includes such landmarks as Coral Gables Congregational Church, Carrollton's El Jardin, Scottish Rite Temple, and the original campus buildings of University of Miami. These commissions helped define the visual identity of South Florida during its formative decades and established Kiehnel as one of the region's most accomplished architects.
Reflecting the same commitment to proportion, craftsmanship, and historically informed design evident in his celebrated civic and institutional commissions, the house serves as a tangible reminder of the period in which Mediterranean and classical architectural traditions shaped South Florida's built environment and established a lasting standard of architectural excellence.
WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO.
ONLY VEREA.
