Michael Epstein, SARA Reflects on Seibert Architects and the Legacy of the Sarasota School

Michael Epstein, Principal of Seibert Architects and a longtime member of SARA, joined the firm in 1986 as an intern architect and now serves as its owner and principal. His newly released book draws from decades of professional experience and deep archival research to explore the architectural legacy of Seibert Architects and its connection to the Sarasota School of Architecture.

Working alongside Tim Seibert in the 1980s and 1990s, Epstein was influenced by the mid-century work left behind by architects such as Paul Rudolph, Victor Lundy, and Seibert himself. While those formative years shaped his professional path, it was the process of digging through the firm’s earliest archives—particularly the period before his tenure—that proved to be especially revealing.

Through archival photographs, renderings, drawings, writings, and new documentation, the book traces the evolution of Seibert Architects from its earliest years to the present. It examines the firm’s built and unbuilt residential, commercial, and civic projects, many of which continue to serve the Sarasota community today.

The work reflects a blend of modernism and regional sensitivity, shaped by climate, culture, and a strong connection to place. From 1955 to today, the firm’s body of work illustrates a restrained yet enduring design ethos that has guided its practice across generations. As a small firm, Seibert Architects has received more than 50 local, state, and national design awards and has been widely published both nationally and internationally.

For SARA members, the book offers a closer look at a pivotal chapter in American architectural history and the enduring principles of the Sarasota School—principles that continue to inform and inspire architectural practice today.