Why do Miami houses all look so different from houses in other states and even in other parts of Florida? (Tampa: condos, townhomes)

[Pincho-toot]

Why are almost all residential houses in Miami that Spanish Mediterranean house style and not much else in diversity? I know its a hot climate, but certainly with modern day air conditioning you can allow for various others styles of homes. I never thought anything of it growing up in Miami, and having only really left Miami to visit Orlando or visit my family in far north Florida as a chid, but now after having lived in 4 different towns in Texas and seeing a variety of house styles, from ugly broken down homes that look like a twister barely hit it, to beautiful two storey houses with beautiful chimneys. Then I come down and visit Miami and all the houses have this same style. The same Mediterranean style, which on the right house looks beautiful, but in many others just looks tacky. Almost all the walls are orange peel textured, inside AND out. My boyfriend, who had never seen Miami before, commented on how "they all got sheetrock walls" lol.

The colours too, are often unflattering. Sickly hues of greens and oranges. And looking at a satellite map, there's a hell of a lot of orange roofs. Not much of a range in styles. Many houses are also one storey, but too be fair that is all over the south. Does anyone know what I am referring too? Even in Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale I have seen a more diverse range of home styles. In Miami it is all Mediterranean. I don't think I've ever seen a house with vinyl siding in Miami either. There is a distinctive look to a home from Miami-Dade county, that sticks out compared to a home in most other American cities. Have y'all noticed this? What do you think of it?

[doom1001]

Not only have I noticed it,its been annoying me for well over a decade.Apparently its just a lack of originality from the developers as well as from the buyers who are just accustomed to seeing the same thing over and over.Right now I look at the higher end houses with this design and they simply do nothing for me,even if they are great houses,the design has just gotten boring.The less expensive houses with this design all tend to be boxy on zero lot lines,basically separated townhomes with no backyards.I have been seeing a few modern,contemporary designs being built here and there in some of the higher end areas,obviously people who know something else exists.There's supposed to be a new large development called Botaniko being built in Weston with this style of homes,they're however multi million dollar homes,hopefully developers of lower priced homes can get away from the boring Mediterranean design and start building something new.

[Astral_Weeks]

I know the OP is talking about the overall look and feel.

But there is some nice variety in these areas:

The Historic Buena Vista District has a variety of home styles including: Mediterranean Revival, Mission, Craftsman, and Art Deco style residences.

Historic Buena Vista | MiamiUrbanist.com

Coconut Grove has some nice variety as well.
The Tropical Cottage: At Home in Coconut Grove: Beth Dunlop, Claudia Uribe: 9780847839643: Amazon.com: Books

South Miami/Biltmore Heights has some nice mid-century modern single-family homes.

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by BadgerFilms

Why are almost all residential houses in Miami that Spanish Mediterranean house style and not much else in diversity? I know its a hot climate, but certainly with modern day air conditioning you can allow for various others styles of homes. I never thought anything of it growing up in Miami, and having only really left Miami to visit Orlando or visit my family in far north Florida as a chid, but now after having lived in 4 different towns in Texas and seeing a variety of house styles, from ugly broken down homes that look like a twister barely hit it, to beautiful two storey houses with beautiful chimneys. Then I come down and visit Miami and all the houses have this same style. The same Mediterranean style, which on the right house looks beautiful, but in many others just looks tacky. Almost all the walls are orange peel textured, inside AND out. My boyfriend, who had never seen Miami before, commented on how "they all got sheetrock walls" lol.

The colours too, are often unflattering. Sickly hues of greens and oranges. And looking at a satellite map, there's a hell of a lot of orange roofs. Not much of a range in styles. Many houses are also one storey, but too be fair that is all over the south. Does anyone know what I am referring too? Even in Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale I have seen a more diverse range of home styles. In Miami it is all Mediterranean. I don't think I've ever seen a house with vinyl siding in Miami either. There is a distinctive look to a home from Miami-Dade county, that sticks out compared to a home in most other American cities. Have y'all noticed this? What do you think of it?

Please explain how houses in Texas are better looking just because they are different? Are you sure you grew up in Miami? Who says "y'all"?

[K-oh]

I know quite a few people born and raised in Miami who say y'all.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Astral_Weeks

I know the OP is talking about the overall look and feel.

But there is some nice variety in these areas:

The Historic Buena Vista District has a variety of home styles including: Mediterranean Revival, Mission, Craftsman, and Art Deco style residences.

Historic Buena Vista | MiamiUrbanist.com

Coconut Grove has some nice variety as well.
The Tropical Cottage: At Home in Coconut Grove: Beth Dunlop, Claudia Uribe: 9780847839643: Amazon.com: Books

South Miami/Biltmore Heights has some nice mid-century modern single-family homes.

I know there's some variety, but its sadly only in some pockets. Have you seen the French Normandy Village? I would see it every day coming and going from school, and I think it's really cute. Wish more neighbourhoods had more creativity like that.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

Please explain how houses in Texas are better looking just because they are different? Are you sure you grew up in Miami? Who says "y'all"?

There are lots cute homes in Texas, when you're not in the sticks or in a ghetto area. Though my boyfriend grew up in a small town 3700 and there's some really beautiful houses there. The first Texas town I lived in was San Angelo, and a lot of houses there are really cute. Let me see if I can find a picture of one I took. Where I live in Denton though, most of the houses are "meh" but I still prefer their styles and variety to Miami's. A lot of people say "y'all" dude. Not everyone is from New York. I alternate between "y'all" and "you guys" though say "y'all" when I'm a bit more sassy Just because I'm from Miami doesn't mean I'm not southern. Even when I live up north, I'll identify as someone who grew up in the south. And not all my family is in Miami. My cousin in northern Florida says "WiFi" as "wah-fah."

[OptimusPrime69]

I know exactly what you're talking about, OP.
I actualy live in one of those types of houses. lol.

South FL in general has a lot of those types of houses...it's that spanish-tiled roof look with the stucco walls painted some type of beige or pink/orange, etc...with the red tiled roofs. ..."tuscan" if u will lol.

Dade definitely has the most of those types of houses, even the older homes are that style... it does give south FL a kind of spanish type feel to it. Southern California has a lot of those spanish hacienda styles homes too, with the red-tiled roofs and stucco.

I dont really know why it's so prevalent here tho, never really thought about it. I know when I go up north no houses look like the homes in south FL..

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by doom1001

Not only have I noticed it,its been annoying me for well over a decade.Apparently its just a lack of originality from the developers as well as from the buyers who are just accustomed to seeing the same thing over and over.Right now I look at the higher end houses with this design and they simply do nothing for me,even if they are great houses,the design has just gotten boring.The less expensive houses with this design all tend to be boxy on zero lot lines,basically separated townhomes with no backyards.I have been seeing a few modern,contemporary designs being built here and there in some of the higher end areas,obviously people who know something else exists.There's supposed to be a new large development called Botaniko being built in Weston with this style of homes,they're however multi million dollar homes,hopefully developers of lower priced homes can get away from the boring Mediterranean design and start building something new.

It didn't really annoy me as much until I grew older. I think the Mediterranean style can be really nice, though I personally don't have it on my top 5 preferred house styles, but when overdone, it becomes so played out. I have a picture I posted on a website, where I took a picture of the cloud formations, and the roof of my house was somewhat visible and someone commented. "Interesting roof there. Do you live in China?" I couldn't help but chuckle.

I remember a few years back when my mom and her boyfriend at the time would drive through the really nice parts of Coral Gables, with those beautiful live oak trees and the really nice big houses, talking about how beautiful they are. I admit they're nice looking, but they don't really draw me in. I'd rather have a more modest Midwestern style home.

[perry335654]

Hey Miami isn't perfect city but still a gorgeous city, people who complain about designs of buildings and houses will complain probably that the color of the water of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Oceans are drab they prefer brackish looking water. Miami is different, I wonder why they don't have red brick houses or buildings here, so maybe they will make you happy some day by razing all the Mediterranean style with stucco houses and supersede them with low, medium and high-rise condos which is a possibility and then take on the appearance of Sao Paulo, Brazil. There are a bunch of quibbling old people here, take your Geritol, you'll feel better.