The meticulous adaptive use and restoration of Florence’s 15th-century Palazzo Tornabuoni as an opulent mix of 38 residences, boutique retail, and restaurant space has elevated an entire section of this cultured city. Occupying a full city block and home to numerous artistic treasures from the 15th through the 17th centuries, Palazzo Tornabuoni possesses an architectural splendor on par with some of Florence’s finest edifices. Kitewood Partners and R.D.M. Real Estate Development spared no expense in this premier project. Their investment in Palazzo Tornabuoni has enriched the city’s urban fabric while offering the first private residence club in Italy—and one of the finest in Europe.
The first resort constructed in Napa County, California, in over 20 years, the 27-acre (10.9-ha) Carneros Inn is the result of a decade-long planning and outreach initiative between the developer, Carneros Partners, and the local government and residents of the surrounding agricultural community. The project–on the site of a former mobile-home park–was developed under existing zoning regulations so as to avoid a costly and complicated rezoning process, necessitating innovative design strategies. The resort community–which features 86 guest cottages, ten suites, 24 for-sale homes, 17 fractional ownership units, and three restaurants–imposes a minimal impact on the environment with an on-site wastewater treatment plant, geothermal heating and cooling, and a rainwater recycling system.
