Licensed Architect in Florida
Big news. I'm now a licensed architect in the state of Florida — and this one means a lot.
The certificate came in a few weeks ago and I’m just now taking a moment to reflect on what this means. And yeah, it looks better than my Kentucky one. No offense to Kentucky — Kentucky is already up on the wall. Florida is getting framed soon and hung next to it.
Certificate of Licensure — State of Florida
Granted the right to practice architecture in the state of Florida. Coming soon to a frame near a very excited Chilean-American architect.
I used to live in Central Florida in my early twenties — right after moving to the U.S. Back then I seriously considered going to the University of Florida for architecture. Life went another way, and I ended up several miles north at the University of Kentucky instead. Looking back, it's strange and wonderful how many different roads can still lead you to the same destination if one perseveres.
“Sometimes it’s not about your ability. It’s about where you are. The right place changes everything.”
I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Sometimes feeling undervalued isn’t about your work — it’s about not being in the right place for people to notice it.
Different places respond to architecture in different ways. In Lexington, things tend to be more conservative and in my 14 years living in KY I can say that it is slower to adapt to changes. In Florida, it is my view that there’s often more openness to expressive residential work - the modernists left us a good legacy there! Both spaces matter. I’m interested in working across this range as I evolve my professional practice.
Now that I’m licensed in both states, the goal is to stay active in each, using Florida as a base for LATAM trips (Chile and Peru). And of course get to work with expats investing in Florida real estate.
Kentucky
Licensed
Florida
Newly licensed
Chile
Bridge point
Modern residential design is received differently depending on the market. I’m looking forward to working in places where that direction is expected and supported. Not sure yet if it will be South Florida, Central or elsewhere.
There’s still a step ahead: I need to register OH Design Lab in Florida before I can formally advertise architecture services there. But the license is in hand. The door is open.
Your Chilean architect friend is now licensed in Florida. More to come — and I cannot wait.
