CRA's Zig-Zag MiMar Tower in West Palm Beach Gives Every Apartment an Atlantic View

In West Palm Beach, Florida, CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati has unveiled designs for MiMar, a 25-story residential tower that ensures every apartment has a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Developed by Jeff Greene under Florida's Live Local Act, the building integrates affordable and market-rate housing, with 40% of residences designated as affordable. The tower rises above the historic Datura Fire Station, preserving its frontage along the streetscape. The design employs a zig-zag facade that angles residential modules toward the water, with alternating solid and open sections to increase privacy between balconies. CRA cites Miami's Art Deco architecture as a reference, particularly its coastal orientation, though the connection is expressed through geometry rather than ornament. The facade also responds to South Florida's sun and prevailing winds, with balconies deepening on upper floors to provide shade. Residents of all income levels share the same entrance, elevators, and amenities on a landscaped podium terrace. The structural system combines mass timber and concrete, a hybrid approach suited to Florida's developing tall timber framework, allowing off-site fabrication to reduce construction time and embodied carbon. The project is led by CRA partner-in-charge Andrea Cassi, with a team including Carlo Ratti, Rui Guan, Anchalinad Anuwatnontaket, and Jelena Krco.