Miami is Brilliant

Miami is Brilliant. 

I was driving to meet a friend in downtown Miami last night, and the cityscape was one of the most impressive sights I've seen in a long time. The modern architecture, particularly the Solitaire Brickell with its basket-weave façade, was striking. I was smitten. 

The Solitair Brickell building is designed by Stantec, an engineering firm I worked alongside on a large environmental remediation project in Canada, specifically the future-land use of the remediated property. When I inquired about the building with my friend, he noted that the area is prone to flooding and pointed to the zig-zag material, explaining that behind the façade, seven of the bottom floors are dedicated to parking. 

Brilliantly, this building is designed to be more resilient to a changing climate. Just a few weeks ago, the area was flooded, with cars abandoned on the street. The area also has a history of flash-flood warnings, with the Atlantic Ocean causing major flooding and reports of extreme flooding to be expected in the area for the next 30 years. 

I delved into additional design considerations and learned that the building's orientation was chosen to avoid direct sunlight and solar radiation, along with numerous other environmental considerations that lead to efficiencies and reduced energy costs for its residents. 

Given a choice between a building designed to weather a storm and reduce my energy costs, and one that is not architecturally resilient and has higher energy costs, I would choose the more resilient and cost-effective option every time. I think most of us would. 

This led me to consider Florida’s ban on ESG. ESG's purpose in the capital markets is to identify risks, such as frequent flooding in downtown Miami, and to find ways to protect investments, like ZOM Living’s investment in this piece of real estate. This isn't Woke-Wall Street, nor is it a company that engages in ESG to harm their customers and the communities they serve. It’s clearly the opposite. 

As an investor, I would want to hear more of these stories, especially those about protecting people from disaster through design, reducing cost burdens, and looking fabulous all at once. I wonder if Florida is leading in certain areas of ESG because it has so much beauty to protect, but it's not politically correct in some circles to admit it. It’s not woke, it’s good business.