DH Studio’s founder and principal architect, Stephanie Halfen, AIA, was one of four South Florida tastemakers Lifestyles South Florida asked about designing in the subtropics. “Artful Living” ran in the Fall 2023 (Vol. 9) edition. Stephanie appears alongside interior designers Sophia Passerini and Michael Wolk and landscape architect Christopher Cawley. The magazine introduces her as an architect with “a stellar reputation for fine modern design in the Caribbean and South Florida,” and names homes from Belle Meade to Golden Beach and Bay Harbor Islands.
Architecture that Engages Every Sense
Stephanie points to a current project in Surfside as the clearest picture of how she thinks about design. Nature has a calming effect, and she wants it to reach every part of the house: its colors, its textures and even its scents. That’s why she blurs the line between indoors and out, so the architecture feels immersive rather than something you look at.
The Three Keys to Livable Spaces
She lists them in order. Lighting comes first, natural and artificial. Next is a furniture layout that lets people gather, relax and use a room in more than one way. Last are materials, which set the warmth and texture of a space.
Marble, Steel and Wood
Marble is her favorite, “in all its thousands of variations,” along with other natural stones. She also loves steel. To her it stands for strength and feels young and modern, but it carries centuries of history too. Wood rounds out the palette.
Designing with the Climate
In the tropics, Stephanie works with the environment instead of against it. Deep overhangs shade the interiors. Her homes use as many solar panels as the design allows, collect rainwater for irrigation where they can, and favor local materials.
AI as a Tool
On artificial intelligence, her view is simple. Understanding a client takes a person: what they want, how they live, how they picture their new home. Only someone with that understanding can tell AI what to do. “I see it as a tool, not a replacement for people.”
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