As I reviewed the final proofs of the pages of this, our 80th edition, it occurred to me that the houses we have featured really belie the reality of the current economic climate, particularly here in Florida. I must admit that I felt an initial twinge of guilt as I considered this paradox. Very few of our contributors, both architects and interior designers alike, have gotten through these conditions unscathed.

In this issue we also saw a bit of a drop in advertising. Companies that have partnered with us for twenty years could simply not justify the expense when they were giving up seasoned employees just to keep the doors open. I was publishing this magazine in the early nineties in what I thought at the time, was a crippling recession, but it pales in comparison to this past year. And as we move into 2010, many of us are not quite sure what to expect or how to adjust. It would be insincere to say that I am overly optimistic.

But as I thought through this issue, several things occurred to me. First, in spite of the conditions, excellence in design has prevailed. This issue is filled with one of a kind houses. Fine craftsmanship and ingenious designs can be seen in every editorial. Necessity really is the mother of invention and the seasoned professionals in this issue are learning to adapt without compromising quality. Secondly, this recession has been equally hard on the fly by night companies who have really hurt the building industry by cutting corners and quality. And the good news is that many of them have not been able to weather the storm.

So as we move into 2010, our focus will be on working with the building and design community to build this industry back up. We will be working toward partnerships with our editorial contributors and our advertisers so that we can work together to get through these tough times. We want to hear how we can help you. And from our subscribers and readers, we want to hear from you as well. We know that a huge portion of our readership are high end homeowners who are just before building a house. Let us know what you want to see more of and what we can change to make Florida Architecture even better. We would love to hear from you. Enjoy!

Olivia Hammar, Publisher