Through the leadership and advocacy of the Landscape Architectural Firm, Miami-Dade County prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to revisit their Tentatively Selected Plan for protecting Southeast Florida from future storm surge. The proposed alternative transitions away from strictly grey infrastructure by proposing a multi-tiered system of nature-based solutions. This unprecedented pivot for USACE marks a shift in the dynamics between design professions, elevating the role of landscape architects in developing large-scale climate adaptation solutions that focus more closely on nature-based infrastructure to provide a much broader range of socio-ecologic benefits over time.

The landscape architect created and guided realization of an elite landscape for a new 100-acre industrial campus in Collier County, Florida. This project is an example of corporate participation in public space being a good neighbor through adjacency, views and screening. The LA had extensive design and construction administration scope that included site design and circulation, detailed site grading and drainage. Landscape strategies to achieve site objectives included preserving acres of native vegetation, creating ecologically-based stormwater infiltration areas, and developing a garden-style planting design with 85,000 plants installed. Plantings were designed for instant impact and long-term performance, responding to the site scale.

Through close collaboration with the Gainesville community, a Strategic Plan was developed for Downtown Gainesville with and for the community, that does more than set forth a collective vision for the future growth and revitalization of Downtown Gainesville. It also sets up a practical framework for implementation. The plan’s 16 Ideas are visionary yet feasible – from transforming an underutilized urban creek into a network of open spaces, to the creation of a new organization that focuses on the management of downtown. The 16 Ideas aim to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible Downtown Gainesville. Following the plan’s adoption, City leadership immediately focused on establishing first steps toward implementing the plan.

Situated on the St. Lucie River, Port St. Lucie is the 3rd largest city in South Florida and a regional destination for nature enthusiasts. The City’s history as a suburban tract development left the community without an authentic downtown experience and their greatest asset underutilized—the riverfront. After many attempts to activate the water’s edge, the City saw the need for a cohesive vision for a community destination offering a rich public realm that protects the local environment. In partnership with a Landscape Architect, they created The Port District Master Plan—a framework for the programming and preservation of a 1.5-mile stretch of riverfront that maximizes access to nature and water, while minimizing impact to the land.

Baptist Health Care's new medical campus in Pensacola, FL, seamlessly prioritizes resiliency and sustainability with a focus on patient healing and community. The campus incorporates a range of innovative design features, including healing gardens and courtyards tailored to different age groups, all centered around a park-like 2.7-acre Town Square adorned with native heritage oak trees. The design prioritizes patient flow, natural light, and greenery, creating an outdoor healing environment that promotes emotional as well as physical recovery. The project is a testament to the client and landscape architecture team's close collaboration and site investigation, resulting in a campus that focusses on human experience.

Bringing travelers and biodiversity back to Riviera Maya, Mexico following a series of natural disasters, the Landscape Architect worked with the Client and design team to develop Etéreo, an Auberge Resort Collection. A wellness retreat with a mission to generate environmental change, the resort preserves existing mangroves while celebrating indigenous Mayan culture. Through a ‘light-on-the land’ approach, a boardwalk on stilts connects amenities across pre-existing clearings, while structures made from local materials and works from local artists establish an authentic sense of place. Resulting in a culture-driven, resilient destination, the award-winning resort continues to positively impact the environment and the surrounding community. .

The Upper Garden is a 1.5 acre, $6M children's garden at the historic Pinecrest Gardens botanical garden. This landscape architect led project includes a playground with large sculptural play elements, an innovative petting zoo, a learning garden, outdoor dining areas, new restroom buildings, an urban nature trail, and a new multi-use building, all connected by new pathways. This landmark project incorporates a high level of inclusivity, with special attention to children on the autism spectrum. The design also includes extensive native planting with large shade trees. This project has been a spectacular success since its opening, substantially increasing the number of garden visitors..

Framed by exclusive waterfront real estate, Miami’s eastern street ends have long provided public access to Biscayne Bay. One by one they are being closed and privatized. Against enormous headwinds, the design team of Big Hill Park (BHP) reversed the narrative, set a precedent, and prevented one of them from closure. Through four years of drawings, countless meetings with the powerful and the less so, volunteer construction and continuing maintenance, the team designed, built and most importantly formalized universal public access to the bayfront end of Miami’s Royal Road. Measuring 60 x 30 feet, Big Hill Park is barely a park. It represents, however, a commitment to a big idea - that public space belongs to the whole public. . . forever.

Bringing travelers and biodiversity back to Riviera Maya, Mexico following a series of natural disasters, the Landscape Architect worked with the Client and design team to develop Etéreo, an Auberge Resort Collection. A wellness retreat with a mission to generate environmental change, the resort preserves existing mangroves while celebrating indigenous Mayan culture. Through a ‘light-on-the land’ approach, a boardwalk on stilts connects amenities across pre-existing clearings, while structures made from local materials and works from local artists establish an authentic sense of place. Resulting in a culture-driven, resilient destination, the award-winning resort continues to positively impact the environment and the surrounding community.

For nearly a century, The Boca Raton in Palm Beach County, Florida, has stood as an iconic landmark. But, changing ownership led to a disconnect between the hotel, site assets and a thriving waterfront. Bringing the property back to its roots, ownership consulted with the Landscape Architect to spearhead its next evolution. Collaborating with a diverse team, they used their expertise and community resources to implement updates and new amenities that modernized the resort while bringing multi-generational guests to the waterfront. Executing a repositioning of the property, the redesign exceeded expectations and created a family-friendly environment while showcasing the Landscape Architect's prowess in managing significant design projects.

The standard practice for landscaping residential lots in Florida is a monoculture of shrubs and turf, requiring regular fertilization, pesticides, watering, and frequent mowing. It is common for residential landscapes to consume an average of 200+ gallons of irrigation daily, and as the population in Florida grows, the ever-increasing demand is unsustainable. Conventional residential landscaping also impacts nutrient pollution, including phosphorus and nitrogen, that negatively affects Florida’s watersheds. An alternative approach to landscape practices is proposed that addresses the Why, What and How to design, implement, and maintain a functional and sustainable landscape that increases biodiversity and minimizes outputs.

Crest Lake Park was born from the City of Clearwater’s “Gateway Plan”. The City, having received $6.5 million as their settlement from the BP Oil spill, wanted to transform a historic park with significant and lasting value for their community. The landscape architect collaborated with the City to lead a multi-disciplinary team, onboard a Construction Manager at Risk, and navigate a focused, strategic project process to build the Park on budget and on time. The Lake accepts runoff from the surrounding 22 acres of residential yards and public streets. The Park integrates its everyday uses of play, picnicking, relaxation, and exercise amidst a functioning landscape that captures, treats, and celebrates stormwater before it enters the Lake.

Into a memorable immersive gateway to and from the St. Lucie River. The one-acre public plaza creates a welcoming space for Port St. Lucie residents and visitors alike. Symbolic local elements, such as the Snook Fish and Manatee aquatic pavers, and the dynamic pineapple structures, showcase the natural habitat of the region. Day or night, it offers numerous recreational opportunities for individuals to connect with nature and each other. Crosstown Parkway Plaza is a shining example of how a well-conceived design can turn an underutilized open space into a dynamic and cherished community asset, enriching the lives of those who experience it.

Reiter Park is the heart of Longwood’s Historic District. Its location as the terminus of Church Street makes it the key destination of the district and City. It is highly accessible via adjacent local streets and the SunRail station. Enhanced street edges now offer shaded sidewalks, parking, and convenient access. New elements such as the amphitheater and stage, event lawn, wet deck, restrooms, walking trail, boardwalk, sensory garden, and playground expansion have become the outdoor living room for Longwood public life, offering a myriad of year-round activities for all ages. Since completion, the park has spurred both public and private redevelopment to activate its edges.

Through a significant program of improvements, Welleby Park in Sunrise, Florida, has been transformed into a vibrant, inclusive destination for all ages. Partnering with the City, a landscape architect-led team developed a design that blends educational, environmental, and artistic principles with functionality and sustainability, preserving natural elements while enhancing recreational amenities. The 29-acre space features a "safety town" learning play area, imaginative playground spaces for all ages, splash pad, dog park, lakeside plaza, pathways, additional parking, and expanded community center. The reimagined space is one of the City's largest and most utilized parks, fostering multigenerational education, connection, and well-being.

An Asian sculpture garden in which plants are the sculpture is a dream commission—curated specimens combine with painstaking design and execution to create a stunning private garden..

With 154-acres in two parcels and 3.8 million square feet of programmed space, Flamingo Crossings Village (FCV) is Walt Disney World’s new home for its College Intern Program. The site plan creates a pedestrian-oriented experience for the 10,440 residents by pushing 5,247 surface parking spaces to the periphery. Taking cues from Disney Parks and Resorts, expansive exterior amenities are interwoven with lush landscaping and encompass event lawns, resort-style pools, sports courts, and indoor/outdoor spaces protected from the Florida rain. No detail was overlooked when designing this live/learn/play residential campus that strives to surprise and delight, sparking creativity, connectivity, and community at every turn.

The Manilkara garden is a remarkable landscape project that perfectly blends the natural beauty of a Bahamian island with a functional garden. The landscape architects were tasked with preserving and restoring the existing natural Bahamian coppice and coastal dune vegetation that had withstood consistent strong, salt-laden offshore winds for many years. Despite the extreme site conditions, RJI was able to create a low-irrigation garden that utilized sustainable and native materials. The design prioritized pedestrian experience and minimized vehicular impact while maximizing the visual impact of nature. The landscape architects incorporated an ADA accessible pathway to ensure that all visitors could access the garden. The plant palette consists of mostly native species that are able to withstand intense salt-laden winds, sandy soil, and high heat. The team diverted the site's rainfall to shallow retention areas, providing habitat for an extensive palette of local flora. The Manilkara garden is sure to become a legacy campus for the client's family, enjoyed for play, contemplation, and special occasions throughout the coming years.

The White Dove Garden, conceived during the global pandemic, is a remarkable project that transforms a faux grass golf field into a living masterpiece. The garden seamlessly integrates architecture with landscape, emphasizing sustainability and ecological preservation. Thoughtful choices, such as a curated circulation path, native plant selection, and privacy considerations, contribute to its harmonious design. A sensory journey unfolds with water features and carefully designed spaces, reflecting a celebration of life's delicate balance. The White Dove Garden is a timeless sanctuary, poised to enchant generations with its exquisite blend of design and ecological harmony.

The Tidal Pool Garden is a 3-acre private garden located on Jupiter Island, Florida. Spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the intracoastal waterway, the Tidal Pool Garden's landscape program includes the hardscape design, garden architecture, plantings, and site lighting. A large water feature serves as the centerpiece of the garden design while bouquets of intricate plantings adorn the landscape. White marble paths connect various garden rooms and allow for easy circulation throughout the garden. Specimen trees including Copernecia baileyana and Clusia rosea are showcased in the landscape and add interest and drama to the design. On the intracoastal side, sea oats and coconut palms are incorporated to support and enhance native vegetation.

Antelope Creek Park (ACP) is an ambitious project that aims to transform an abandoned 27-acre olive grove in Woodlake, CA into a vibrant & inclusive community space. This visionary project envisions the park as a regional anchor, seamlessly blending recreational amenities, educational components, & the preservation of local fauna & habitats. Through its thoughtful design, ACP will become a cherished destination that fosters community engagement, promotes physical activity & celebrates the natural beauty of its context. The team approached the project to position Woodlake as a destination for the surrounding areas & as an important cornerstone to the vibrancy & diversity of the growing city. The park will become a regional anchor.

This former Spanish Army Barracks (1850’s), and its roof, have brought new life to the colonial city. First built in 2010, partially destroyed by Hurricane María (2017), redesigned in 2018, and rebuilt in 2021, the Cuartel de Ballajá Green Roof stands as a 24,000 square-foot symbol of resilience, recovery, and reclamation of a city and a culture that refuses to succumb to the recurring embattlement of a changing climate, both environmental and political. With few resources, technical difficulties, and a limited budget, this project adds a new urban public space, addresses climate, energy and environmental concerns, re-envisions the historical artifact, and provides a new platform from which to view and re-learn the immediate and far context

The Underdeck is a 33-acre public open space in downtown Miami that stitches together historic neighborhoods, new developments, and cultural destinations beneath the new I-395 overpass and signature bridge. Built in the 1960’s, the original freeway cut through the Overtown neighborhood, removing homes and businesses. A new higher bridge with fewer columns allows the creation of a light filled park below that will reconnect the urban fabric and provide an amenity for the community and visitors. The project stretches from Overtown to Biscayne Bay and weaves together a continuous east-west “Heritage Trail”, pedestrian and bicycle connections, gardens, flexible lawns, play areas, a dog park, gathering places, and interactive water features.