The Porch, 2026

Elmer O. García and Olga Kusche-Iglesias

The Porch reimagines the traditional triumphal arch through the architecture and social culture of Miami. Inspired by the vernacular porches of South Florida and the Caribbean, Elmer O. García and Olga Kusche-Iglesias transform the arch into an inviting civic threshold: a place for gathering, pausing, and everyday exchange.

Constructed from aluminum tubing and reconfigured lawn-chair components, the structure incorporates shade, seating, and patterned elements recalling Miami’s residential security grilles and Bakehouse’s visual identity. Familiar materials and local architectural references turn the gateway from a simple passage into an inhabitable public space rooted in the cultural language of Miami’s neighborhoods.

Selected through the Triumphal Arch Open Call, The Porch marks the entrance to Bakehouse’s community garden and gathering space. It embodies Bakehouse’s belief that culture is created not only through objects and buildings, but through hospitality, exchange, and the everyday act of coming together.

García and Kusche-Iglesias teach at Florida International University’s School of Architecture. Their collaborative practice draws upon their backgrounds in architecture, fabrication, design-build, and material experimentation.

Elmer O. García and Olga Kusche-Iglesias

The Porch, 2026

Aluminum tubing and reconfigured lawn-chair components

Commissioned by Bakehouse Art Complex in collaboration with Coldefy