Audax Expands to Palm Beach with New U.S. Office

Source: Audax

Reported By: Matthew Kennedy

Audax, the award-winning architecture, interior design, and construction firm renowned for its luxury residential and hospitality projects, has announced the opening of its first U.S. office in Palm Beach. Located at 801 S Olive Avenue, Suite 122, West Palm Beach, the new space marks a milestone for the Toronto-based firm as Founding Principal Gianpiero Pugliese officially receives licensure to practice architecture in Florida.

Audax is led by Pugliese and his wife, Mariya Naumov, a celebrated interior designer whose background in art history and refined design sensibility has become central to the firm’s signature style. Together, they have built an international reputation for their philosophy of Human Architecture—a response to the utilitarian shift in modern design that too often sacrifices beauty for efficiency.

At the core of Audax’s practice is a belief that beauty and proportion are essential to how people experience their surroundings. Pugliese and Naumov’s Human Architecture philosophy is rooted in timeless principles—symmetry, proportion, and materiality—that reconnect modern design with aesthetic traditions. Their projects span private residences, landmark hospitality destinations, and commercial spaces, each integrating architecture, interiors, and construction in a seamless process.

The Palm Beach office positions Audax at the heart of one of the fastest-growing luxury real estate markets in the U.S. Reports from early 2025 revealed that Palm Beach County’s home sales rose 41 percent year-over-year, with the most dramatic growth concentrated in high-end properties. This surge underscores the region’s appeal to affluent homeowners and developers seeking distinctive design.

One of the first commissions from the new Palm Beach office will be a residential project in the Bahamas, alongside additional South Florida residences currently in design and set for announcement in the near future.

Founded in 2007 by Pugliese, whose education spans Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Venice, Italy, Audax has consistently blended academic rigor with creative practice. Naumov’s contributions—rooted in her art history and design studies at the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University—have further shaped the firm’s identity, uniting historical influences with contemporary style.

Their combined expertise has led to an international portfolio that includes collaborations with residential developers, celebrity chefs, and private clients across North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Recognized with multiple awards for excellence, Audax continues to build spaces that are not only functional but also deeply meaningful, enriching the lives of those who inhabit them.

With Palm Beach as its U.S. base, Audax is poised to leave its mark on South Florida’s architectural landscape. By bringing Human Architecture into conversation with the region’s booming real estate market, the firm will offer a new perspective on luxury—one that balances elegance and timelessness with modern functionality.

As the office begins its work, Palm Beach emerges as more than a strategic expansion point; it becomes a stage for Audax to demonstrate that beauty remains an essential element in shaping environments for the next generation of design-conscious homeowners and developers.