Landscape Architect Articles

2016 Firms of the South: niles bolton10-04-16 | Feature

Niles Bolton Associates
Atlanta, Georgia

Home Depot Little Apron Academy, Atlanta, Georgia

Employees at The Home Depot's Atlanta headquarters no longer have to worry about childcare and preschool for their children. The home improvement giant engaged NBA to develop and design the Little Apron Academy, a 37,000 square foot learning facility with five separate age-specific exterior playgrounds totaling 12,000 square feet. To integrate the playscapes with the buildings and drop-off and parking areas, the design team sculpted the play area spaces to work with the ecological and functional characteristics of the site (topography, utilities, drainage, and security). The resulting design weaves the structure and transparency desired by parents and operating staff, with dynamic play elements that inspire kids to have fun and let their imaginations run free. Photos: Kieran Reynolds

Allure, Charlotte, North Carolina

Allure is a luxury apartment community located in the SouthPark neighborhood of Charlotte. The landscape architects at Niles Bolton Associates created a resort-like setting for the amenity spaces which included the design of the pool, along with four courtyards, each with a different theme for lounging, socializing, contemplation, and al fresco dining. Contrasting cast stone pavers in combination with wood tile pavers were patterned to impart a unique feel for each area, while keeping visual connectivity with a consistent palette of finishes. Distinctive accents including masonry planters, water features, and ornamental planting further punctuate and define each space. Photo: Fred Gerlich

UH Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia

Creating an upscale, urban and affordable living environment for Georgia Tech students was the challenge set forth in this project. The design approach was to develop synergy between exterior vernacular, landscape and interior design - where public spaces, inside or outside, felt integrated. The design takes full advantage of the project's urban location, capitalizes on skyline views, maximizes indoor/outdoor access, and accentuates architectural features. A grand stair activates the street and provides direct access to retail. The resort-style pool sits atop a three-story parking deck, creating an elevated courtyard that is outfitted with a 12-foot Jumbo-Tron and multipurpose lawns for outdoor activities and socializing. Photo: Scott Moore

Woodlands, San Marcos, Texas

The San Marcos River is a large part of the student culture at Texas State University, so the design team drew from the natural landscape and the river itself in designing the amenities and clubhouse. The overall site, including swimming pool, outdoor fitness area, seating areas, activity pavilion, and sport courts were planned to accentuate the large vista toward the river and included leisure walking paths for river access as well as specialty water quality planting for sensitive areas. Materials that felt native and natural were incorporated, and the pool design itself is linear to mimic the flow of the river. Photo: Rob Orihuela

Niles Bolton Associates is a 150-person design firm providing landscape architecture, interior design, architecture, and urban planning services. Founded in 1975, NBA has completed projects in 48 states and 16 countries. With offices in Atlanta, Ga. and Alexandria, Va., NBA is considered among the nation's leading design firms. The landscape architecture studio at Niles Bolton Associates is an integral part of firm's success by providing large-scale master planning through detailed landscape architectural designs for major markets that include multifamily and mixed-use residential, higher education, retail, corporate, and hospitality.

As seen in LASN magazine, October 2016.