This is the third collaboration, Taylor & Taylor have with Dr. Shalala; two university president’s homes came first. “Now we’re doing this penthouse that overlooks Biscayne Bay, and it will be completely and personally Donna.” Filled with angles, the original layout of the condominium was a challenge. Architect William Taylor began by drawing a kind of “hurricane” diagram in the middle of the floor plan. “We needed something as a focal point, pulling away from some of the rooms that were more triangles than anything else,” he says. The vortex of the original circle is at the dining area and walls had to go. “We essentially gutted the space and it took 18 months from start to finish,” William says. “Now the kitchen, living room, and dining and sitting areas are open to one another. Only the woven maple screen remains to slow the eye and filter the expanse.”