Bernard Zyscovich

Zyscovich couldn’t draw when he applied to the Pratt Institute’s architecture program.

“The admissions officer told me, ‘This could be the worst portfolio I’ve ever seen,’” Zyscovich said in a 2018 interview with The Real Deal.

Zyscovich persisted despite his limited artistic abilities in those early days, embarking on a career that would land him as the architect behind some of Miami’s most ambitious projects.

He is best known for his design philosophy, “Real Urbanism,” an approach focused on strengthening urban communities through architecture, planning, and integrated public-private development strategies. His work has spanned both the public and private sectors, shaping city districts, transportation hubs, and mixed-use communities in the U.S. and abroad.

Zyscovich graduated from Pratt in 1971 and founded Zyscovich Architects in 1977, a firm long associated with large-scale urban redevelopment and community-centered design. In South Florida, his projects include the redevelopment district surrounding the Miami Beach Convention Center and the large-scale Midtown Miami project, which transformed former rail yards into a dense, mixed-use urban neighborhood. His firm was also tapped by Chicago-based AMLI Residential to design a 6.6-acre apartment complex on the former site of the Chiquita Banana headquarters.

Beyond Florida, Zyscovich’s work includes the Dumbo Heights redevelopment in Brooklyn and the design of both the domestic and international terminals at Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport. In 2025, architecture and engineering firm Stratus acquired Zyscovich Architects and absorbed the brand. Zyscovich and his longtime design partner, Suria Yaffar, now lead Zyscovich Studio within Stratus.