Miami Installation by Creative Terrazzo Systems Wins NTMA Honor Award

Visual continuity through terrazzo systems unites pool, deck, interior, and landscape at a luxury residence in Miami.

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When award-winning architect Kobi Karp set out to design an exclusive private waterfront residence in Miami, the vision was clear: a design that flowed effortlessly from interior to exterior, from living space to landscape and infinity pool, unified by a single, cohesive aesthetic. The challenge was finding a material that could actually do it.

The result of that challenge earned national recognition when the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association (NTMA) presented a 2026 NTMA Honor Award to Creative Terrazzo Systems of Southwest Ranches, Florida, for the interior-to-exterior terrazzo installation. The award was officially announced at the NTMA's annual convention on May 13.

The Plan

"Terrazzo was always intended to be a defining material within the project," said Kobi Karp, founder and principal of Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design of Miami. "Terrazzo offers a clean, consistent finish that works well across different surfaces and conditions. Its ability to create a seamless visual experience made it particularly effective for this project.”

The owner specified terrazzo for use across interior and exterior spaces, on multiple planes, to create a unified finish throughout the home and its pool, despite conditions that typically call for different solutions.

Creative Terrazzo Systems has spent nearly four decades mastering the art of terrazzo installation across Florida’s demanding environments. As a long-standing member of the NTMA, the contractor brings not only technical skill but design partnership to every project.

From the earliest phases of the project, Creative Terrazzo Systems was not simply a contractor executing a specification; they were a collaborator shaping the design itself.

"The contractor provided valuable recommendations on specific detailing to help achieve the desired look," said Kobi Karp. "Their expertise ensured the terrazzo installation aligned with the overall design intent."

Interior living spaces require a refined finish, while exterior pool decks must withstand Florida's heat, humidity, and rain. The infinity pool’s floor, walls, and coping had to be designed to perform flawlessly while submerged. Feature walls, planters, fire pits, staircases, treads, risers, landings, curbs, benches, and a distinct entry installation each presented unique technical demands.

Creative Terrazzo Systems provided the critical roadmap: epoxy terrazzo inside ensures a monolithic, polished interior, while cement terrazzo outdoors delivers the durability required for Florida’s climate. Aggregate size and distribution were carefully controlled to maintain visual continuity across transitions, and every surface—from the pool to exterior stair treads—was executed by hand with precise craftsmanship.

The Project

Kobi Karp Architecture is known for contextual residential design that responds to water, the light, and landscape. Each project reflects a distinctive personality and is custom-designed for its owner. The Miami residence follows that approach, emphasizing open space and connection to the natural environment.

The design intent was sophisticated and ambitious: to forge a strong connection between the home and its natural waterfront surroundings, and to do so through a material that could carry the architectural language across every plane without visual disruption.

"The owner appreciated terrazzo's ability to provide a consistent finish between the exterior pool deck and the interior pool surfaces," said Karp. "This continuity helped unify the different areas of the project while maintaining a clean and refined appearance.”

But achieving that continuity across wet and dry environments, indoor and outdoor conditions, vertical and horizontal surfaces is a formidable design and technical challenge. It is the kind of challenge that exposes the limits of a finish material.

The Installation

What made the installation technically notable was the breadth of conditions it was required to span. Creative Terrazzo Systems maintained consistent color and aggregate distribution across two chemically distinct terrazzo systems—epoxy terrazzo indoors and cement terrazzo outdoors—while applying them to an unusually wide range of surfaces. The floating exterior treads, poured in place, create the appearance of effortless suspension.

Achieving that level of visual continuity across that range of environments is an uncommon ask of a single material. Tile grout lines interrupt the visual field and are vulnerable to dirt and moisture. Natural stone varies from lot to lot, making continuity across large installations unreliable. Most materials succeed across one or two of these conditions. Few succeed across all of them simultaneously while also maintaining consistent color, texture, and visual flow at every transition.

The Scarpa Palladiana Entry

The aggregate palette ranges from standard sizes to a mix of larger stones, for a traditional “Venetian” style aesthetic. Then, at the entry, a handcrafted Scarpa Palladiana terrazzo installation serves as a transition between exterior and interior, carrying the terrazzo inward and establishing the home's visual tone. The installation comprises approximately 3,000 individual marble inserts, each waterjet-cut and hand-placed.

Classic Palladiana terrazzo is directly descended from the ancient Roman opus incertum construction technique. This method, which involved setting irregular, uncut stones or marble scraps into a binder (cement or lime) to create durable, mosaic-like flooring, was revived during the Venetian Renaissance and named after architect Andrea Palladio. 

In the 20th century, another Venetian architect, Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978), reinterpreted the technique with a more structured, geometric approach, departing from the traditional random placement of fragments in favor of precision-cut pieces arranged with deliberate compositional logic. His iconic work at the Olivetti showroom in Venice and the Brion Cemetery are among the most cited examples.

About Creative Terrazzo Systems

This year, the NTMA also named Creative Terrazzo Systems the winner of its Job of the Year for its project at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. Established in 1988, the company works across residential and commercial projects throughout Florida.

About the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association

The annual NTMA Honor Awards recognize outstanding terrazzo installations completed by association member contractors. Design professionals and terrazzo specialists evaluated entries on design achievement, craftsmanship, and technical execution. A full list of this year's 17 Honor Award recipients is available at ntma.com.

Founded in 1923, the NTMA is a nonprofit trade association of over 150 contractor and supplier members, headquartered in Fredericksburg, Texas. The organization establishes national standards for all terrazzo systems and applications, advancing quality craftsmanship and innovation while supporting its members in the trade.

The NTMA provides a broad range of free resources for architects, designers, artists, contractors, maintenance professionals, and property owners. From assisting design teams with specifications to offering technical guidance throughout a project, the NTMA helps ensure terrazzo installations meet the highest standards. The association also offers AIA-registered continuing education programs for architects and design professionals. For more information about terrazzo resources, visit ntma.com. Technical Director Gary French is available at gary@ntma.com.

Terrazzo originated in 15th-century Italy, building on the mosaic traditions of ancient Rome. Venetian marble workers repurposed discarded stone chips into durable, decorative surfaces—a practice that made terrazzo an early sustainable material. Today, terrazzo is still poured by hand on-site, with options for precast panels and waterjet-cut details. Stone, recycled glass, or other aggregates—which may be locally sourced—are set in a cement or epoxy base, and the surface is then polished to reveal the aggregate's color and texture. Valued for its design versatility, ease of maintenance, durability, sustainability, and lifecycle value, terrazzo is built to last the life of a building.

Chad Rakow
National Terrazzo & Mosaic Assocation
+1 800-323-9736
info@ntma.com
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National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association 2026 Honor Awards