Carlos Molnar, Managing Principal, Sol Design Studio
June 2026 — Carlos Molnar, managing principal of Sol Design Studio, spoke with Invest: about experiential design, historic preservation, resilience, and the firm’s plans for thoughtful growth. “We’re looking at expansion, and that’s a dangerous thing. It’s something that needs to be done thoughtfully,” Molnar said.
What changes over the past year have impacted Sol Design Studio, and in what ways?
It has been an interesting year. We regularly track the Architectural Billing Index, and it has been working this past year to get above 50, which is an indicator of how busy the market is. We have been very busy. We have seen more large projects this year than in past years combined.
We have definitely seen spending on large projects, including office buildings and medical research facilities. There have been concerns around the economy, gas prices, material availability, and construction costs. At the beginning of the year, things started a little slow because of those concerns.
What we found after COVID is that many clients regretted slowing projects too much. Some realized they lost money by pausing construction instead of continuing forward. As a result, many clients are now pushing through uncertainty because they still see strong numbers and strong demand.
Florida is in its own kind of bubble because of the development demand here, and Tampa Bay is almost a bubble within a bubble. We continue to see construction, development, design, and planning moving forward. While concerns remain, our clients have continued advancing many projects.
What trends are shaping architecture and design today, particularly around hospitality and experiential spaces?
We do a lot of hospitality work, including restaurant brands and highly themed concepts. We have worked with brands such as Ford’s Garage, Terra Gaucha, and Tiki Docks. Many of those brands started in Tampa and are now expanding into markets across the country, and we are helping them grow.
Experiential hospitality is a major trend. It is not just about creating a standard restaurant anymore. Clients want spaces that take people out of their day-to-day lives and bring them into a different environment. They want spaces that provide a sense of escape, even if only for an hour.
Theme parks are doing very well, and restaurants are learning from them. Brands like Disney and Epic Universe create immersive experiences that give people a break from daily stress. Many hospitality brands are now pushing design further to create those kinds of environments.
How are developers, designers, and communities creating a sense of place that feels authentic rather than interchangeable with other fast-growing markets?
We have done many historic renovations where the goal is to peel back layers of neglect and restore the fundamental character of the building. When people walk inside, they should immediately feel the quality and history of the era the building came from.
But you still need to integrate modern technology and conveniences, and a hotel is a great example. Guests want to experience the beauty of a historic lobby, but they also expect modern systems, key fobs, technology, and comfort. Designers have to thoughtfully integrate those systems without letting them dominate the experience.
We are also working on a project called Lions World Vision Institute in Ybor City. Ybor has a very strict architectural review process, and the expectation is that new buildings respect the historic character of the district.
The project is a highly technical research and eye bank facility, but the design blends into the fabric of Ybor so it feels like it belongs there. It looks modern, but it also respects the surrounding architecture. We are proud of that balance between preserving what is historic while still introducing something new.
In the United States, we do not have the same quantity of historic buildings as many European cities. Because of that, when we do have them, we need to treat them carefully and preserve them properly.
How are sustainability, resilience, and climate risks being incorporated into project planning and design?
We have seen far more willingness from clients to invest in sustainability and hardening measures. Tampa Bay experienced devastating hurricanes, and our own office was heavily affected. Our office is in a building from 1910 in Ybor City, and the facade was severely damaged. We had to restore the building brick by brick.
Those experiences changed the conversation. Clients are now much more willing to invest in stronger wall systems, efficient HVAC systems, solar power, and other resilience measures. Sometimes small upgrades beyond code requirements can make buildings significantly stronger without dramatically increasing costs.
Flooding especially changed people’s perspectives. We had projects in South Tampa where homes had several feet of water inside. Clients who experienced those events now understand the value of hardened architecture.
One example is a major office renovation we are doing in Clearwater for Monin, a global syrup company. The project includes a modern design with curves, helical stairs, and flexible workspaces meant to bring employees back into the office environment. The company invested heavily in resilience and sustainability, including extensive solar infrastructure.
They also chose to pursue WELL certification because they wanted to focus on the health and wellness of the people inside the building. That includes air quality, natural light, and healthy environments for employees. It is encouraging to see clients investing not only in their buildings, but also in the people using them.
We also encourage clients to think long term. Even if they are not ready to install something like solar immediately, we can prepare buildings for future upgrades by planning conduits and infrastructure ahead of time. We try to think about how buildings will function not just on opening day, but years into the future.
What are your key goals and priorities for Sol Design Studio over the next two to three years?
We just celebrated our 16th anniversary, and we recently brought on a new partner, which is exciting for the future of the company.
Our focus now is smart growth. We hire thoughtfully and look at employees as long-term team members. We want sustainable growth, not growth for the sake of growth.
Many of our clients are asking us to follow them into new markets. We are currently working on projects in places such as Nashville, Arkansas, Arizona, New York, and New Jersey. Because of that, we are carefully evaluating expansion opportunities.
We’re looking at expansion, and that’s a dangerous thing. It’s something that needs to be done thoughtfully. We want growth that supports the main company rather than stretching it too thin.
About 60% of our work comes from repeat clients, and we are proud of that. We focus heavily on relationships and long-term trust. Many of our clients become friends over time.
Internally, we also focus heavily on our team culture. We have not had anyone leave the office in several years. We regularly meet with staff to help them grow professionally and gain diverse experience across different project types. We want people to feel challenged, supported, and excited about their work.
A happy employee who enjoys coming to work is the best employee you can have.
How does your office environment reflect the firm’s culture and philosophy?
Our office itself reflects our approach to architecture. We restored a historic building in Ybor City and exposed the original brick and ceiling details. We treat the architecture almost like artwork.
We also incorporate art heavily throughout the office. We still create paintings, sketches, and watercolors during the design process for many projects. For the Monin project, for example, we studied the shape and language of the Monin bottle and translated that into the architecture through artwork and design concepts.
We also create material boards that allow clients to physically touch and experience the brick, steel, concrete, and finishes that will go into their buildings. That tactile experience is important.
We believe architecture, art, history, and experience should all work together. That philosophy shapes both the projects we design and the environment we create within our own studio.
