Architect Chad Oppenheim’s 5 Most Striking Projects

A rendering of the Wadi Rum Desert Resort. Images courtesy of Oppenheim Architecture + Design

Architect Chad Oppenheim, founder of Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design, has earned renown as an innovator in blending minimalism with environmentally harmonious architecture. From the serene Jordanian desert to the lush Bahamas, Oppenheim’s properties engage and harness their surrounding land and seascapes and showcase the designer’s dedication to sustainable practices and materials. He’s also had an enormous influence on the world of luxury, working with brands such as Mandarin Oriental, Starwood and Morgans Hotel Group.

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Oppenheim’s rigorous yet luxurious aesthetic informs each of the 120 images in his monograph Spirit of Place (Tra Publishing, $55). Arranged in seven sections according to the topography of his clients’ locations, the book includes glimpses of projects both realized and imagined, among them a home nestled in the dunes of Harbour Island, Bahamas; an 80,000-square-foot resort carved out of rock in Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert; two private Aspen, Colorado estates, anchored by rivers and streams; an opulent ocean resort in Qatar; a 30,000-square-foot mansion perched over Los Angeles’ Bel Air Canyon, and a Costa Rican mixed-use compound on the San Silencio Peninsula. As Oppenheim once told Interior Design magazine, “It’s about living with the land, versus on the land.”

A rendering of the Wadi Rum Desert Resort project, which is paused

In his plans for the Wadi Rum Desert Resort in Petra, Jordan, Oppenheim carved 47 individual dwellings into the sandstone rock surface, taking conservation measures like harvesting rain water in underground cisterns.

A rendering of the Wadi Rum Desert Resort project

The Jordanian resort would include a luxury spa with stunning views of the seemingly endless desert.

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A rendering of the Aspen home. The project is under construction

This 10,000-square-foot Aspen home, set on four acres, was designed to maximize the outdoor elements and includes a precast concrete bridge that traverses the woodsy landscape.

A rendering of the spa at a project on Qatar’s Brooq Peninsula, which is paused

This 650-acre destination spa in Qatar’s Brooq Peninsula would capture the vibrant combination and outscale proportions of sky, water and sand.

A rendering of the spa at the Brooq Peninsula project

Perched on the water, Oppenheim’s rendered illuminated rooms make a dramatic counterpoint to the open-air setting.

The interior of a 3,500-square-foot completed Aspen home

Oppenheim emphasized a rustic imperfection, working with natural materials like reclaimed regional wood and stone, in this 3,500-square-foot home in Aspen’s Red Mountain enclave. Emphasizing sustainability, the home includes solar collectors to provide energy for power and hot water.

A rendering of of the fireplace, which is under construction

The home also includes cozy gathering spaces with large-scale fireplaces and wide views of the property’s many trees.

A rendering of the San Silencio project, which is paused

At San Silencio, a 155,000-square-foot property mixing multi-family dwellings, a luxury hotel, and commercial spaces in Caldera, Costa Rica, Oppenheim would balance the sea and jungle with homes built in lava stone, teak and bamboo. All of his structures include green roofs, providing thermal insulation, rainwater retention and habitats for flora, fauna and humans.

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