Exploring regional architectural styles reveals not only how modern cityscapes have developed, but also the cultural influences and historical moments that have shaped everyday life. Miami Modernist, commonly known as MiMo, is one such distinctive style born out of greater Miami and Miami Beach. Emerging as a response to the International Style, MiMo has evolved over decades, absorbing contemporary trends while retaining a playful, refined identity. The Dilido Haus in Miami Beach interprets this tradition with a fresh, contemporary sensibility that blends restraint and theatricality.
Designed by Gabriela Caicedo-Liebert, the residence combines subtle Art Deco references with clean minimalism and contemporary functionality. Two dominant volumes form the house’s exterior presence: both are largely windowless, with soft, curved corners that create a sculptural silhouette. A recessed entrance sits between these twin masses, and low, planar rooflines provide a crisp counterpoint to the rounded facades. From the street, the home reads as composed and restrained; once inside, however, it opens into a generous, bright interior that emphasizes comfort and connection to the outdoors.
The spatial organization favors openness on the ground plane and privacy above. The lower level is conceived as an almost seamless living space that flows out toward the backyard, pool and deck, bringing daylight and landscape into everyday life. Large glazed walls and sliding doors blur the line between interior and exterior, so the outdoor pool and wooden terrace feel like extensions of the living area. Private rooms and intimate spaces are located on the upper floor, linked by a narrow bridge that spans the two main volumes and creates lively vantage points throughout the home.
Material choices reinforce the building’s clean expression. Poured concrete and smooth surfaces emphasize the modern profile, while timber decking and carefully positioned plantings introduce warmth and texture to the outdoor spaces. Thoughtful lighting design highlights the geometry at night and helps shape a convivial atmosphere on the terrace and around the pool. The result is a house that reads as both contemporary and comfortably lived-in, a modern interpretation of Miami’s architectural legacy.
On the upper level, a simple walkway and built-in wooden display elements introduce a human scale and rich materiality against the concrete shell. These moments of craft and detail balance the home’s broader, more architectural gestures. Meanwhile, the rooftop terrace provides an elevated outdoor room that benefits from breezes and views, making it a natural place for relaxation and entertaining in Miami’s climate.
Dilido Haus was constructed using poured-in-place concrete. Because the island rests on sandy soil, the foundation is supported by more than 30 pilotis, each driven approximately 12 meters (about 40 feet) deep. The glass windows and doors are engineered to resist winds up to 110 km/h (approximately 177 miles per hour).
Dilido Haus is a thoughtful reinterpretation of the MiMo vocabulary: it respects the style’s buoyant optimism while translating it into a pared-back, contemporary architecture that responds to site, climate and modern living. The result is a confident, elegant home that feels distinctly of Miami while speaking a contemporary architectural language.
