Award-winning architects and designers from around the world—including Tokyo-based Takaharu Tezuka and Craig Schwitter, whose firm, BuroHappold Engineering, was instrumental in creating New York City’s High Line linear park—will headline the Sarasota Design Conference 2016. This biennial event sponsored by the AIA Florida Gulf Coast chapter will be held June 17-18 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. The public is welcome to hear their talks, and to attend the Design Awards Dinner June 16, where, among several awards bestowed will be the Spirit of Sarasota Architecture Award sponsored by Sarasota Magazine. Visit aiagulfcoast.org/sdc2016 for a complete schedule and registration information.

Esplanade Golf & Country Club at Lakewood Ranch will open its amenity-filled resort Wellness Center center June 11. Among its not-so-common features are the Koquina Sand Spa with full-service salon, poolside Bahama Bar with outdoor dining and a sandy beach with tiki torches and fire pits. Taylor Morrison is developing the community of more than 1,200 home sites.

 A Sarasota home with myriad smarthouse systems designed and installed by Wicked Smart Homes was recently named the 2016 “Smart Home of the Year” by Electronic House magazine. The 5,000-square-foot waterfront residence includes a number of automated systems that operate shades, lighting, surveillance and audio. The builder was Voigt Brothers Construction and the architecture was designed by DSDG, Inc.