Firms of Florida - KCI Technologies Inc.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
by

Hillsboro El Rio Park II Boca Raton, Florida
Todd Mohler, RLA was the designer of record for the roughly $6 million park that was built on an abandoned landfill, adjacent to a wetland, which required significant additional permitting and geotechnical involvement. The park features include entry signage, a grand pavilion and restroom, large and small pavilions with grills, a fitness path, large passive recreation areas, a non-motorized boat launch, sport courts, a large playground, shade structures, and a fitness station. Native plantings were used to anchor the park features, provide shade and interest, screen the adjacent railway, and buffer the adjacent mangrove wetland. A pedestrian midblock crossing connects the north and south portions of the park on opposite sides of SW 18th Street. The crossing also provides a median refuge and utilizes a pedestrian actuated beacon system.

Hillsboro El Rio Park II Boca Raton, Florida
Todd Mohler, RLA was the designer of record for the roughly $6 million park that was built on an abandoned landfill, adjacent to a wetland, which required significant additional permitting and geotechnical involvement. The park features include entry signage, a grand pavilion and restroom, large and small pavilions with grills, a fitness path, large passive recreation areas, a non-motorized boat launch, sport courts, a large playground, shade structures, and a fitness station. Native plantings were used to anchor the park features, provide shade and interest, screen the adjacent railway, and buffer the adjacent mangrove wetland. A pedestrian midblock crossing connects the north and south portions of the park on opposite sides of SW 18th Street. The crossing also provides a median refuge and utilizes a pedestrian actuated beacon system.

Nebraska Avenue and Florida Avenue Intersection, Lutz, Florida

 
Set amongst existing trees, a historic railroad corridor and a growing community, our project sits at an intersection of what one would call a metaphorical ensemble of natural elements and man-made entities. The design utilizes existing site elements to create a sense of balance and the project's goal is to enhance the phenomenological experience of users of the transportation corridor. With the city's history rooted as a railroad depot, recycled railroad ties were repurposed as the "backbone of the corridor" flowing vertically in and out throughout the blends of colorful flowering trees and eye catching vegetation. The design's playfulness draws the attention of users as the colors bounce back and forth between the three medians at the "Y" shaped intersection. The native palette will attract and enhance wildlife as it softens the hardness of our man-made environments.

Alton Road Streetscape - 5th Street to Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida
This 1.5-mile section of Alton Road is an active commercial corridor in one of Florida's hottest destinations to visit, live, work or play - Miami Beach. The corridor is heavily traveled by locals and tourists either by foot, bicycle or automobile. In addition to being a complete roadway reconstruction project, FDOT's scope also includes highway beautification with landscape, hardscape, and irrigation plans. To soften the urban feeling of this metropolitan corridor, large shade trees are placed adjacent to on-street parking and in curbed bulb-outs; thus providing a shady walk for pedestrians, allowing them to linger along the corridor to enjoy the many shops and cafes that Miami Beach has to offer. Hardscape treatments were designed within the sidewalks to create ADA compliant walkways as well as provide root space for proposed street trees. Working with the City of Miami Beach, irrigation plans were tailored to the City's requests. Ultimately as a tree-lined street that will mature and grow, Alton Road will continue to develop as an asset for the community and its users to enjoy.

Alton Road Streetscape - 5th Street to Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida
This 1.5-mile section of Alton Road is an active commercial corridor in one of Florida's hottest destinations to visit, live, work or play - Miami Beach. The corridor is heavily traveled by locals and tourists either by foot, bicycle or automobile. In addition to being a complete roadway reconstruction project, FDOT's scope also includes highway beautification with landscape, hardscape, and irrigation plans. To soften the urban feeling of this metropolitan corridor, large shade trees are placed adjacent to on-street parking and in curbed bulb-outs; thus providing a shady walk for pedestrians, allowing them to linger along the corridor to enjoy the many shops and cafes that Miami Beach has to offer. Hardscape treatments were designed within the sidewalks to create ADA compliant walkways as well as provide root space for proposed street trees. Working with the City of Miami Beach, irrigation plans were tailored to the City's requests. Ultimately as a tree-lined street that will mature and grow, Alton Road will continue to develop as an asset for the community and its users to enjoy.

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Hillsboro El Rio Park II Boca Raton, Florida
Todd Mohler, RLA was the designer of record for the roughly $6 million park that was built on an abandoned landfill, adjacent to a wetland, which required significant additional permitting and geotechnical involvement. The park features include entry signage, a grand pavilion and restroom, large and small pavilions with grills, a fitness path, large passive recreation areas, a non-motorized boat launch, sport courts, a large playground, shade structures, and a fitness station. Native plantings were used to anchor the park features, provide shade and interest, screen the adjacent railway, and buffer the adjacent mangrove wetland. A pedestrian midblock crossing connects the north and south portions of the park on opposite sides of SW 18th Street. The crossing also provides a median refuge and utilizes a pedestrian actuated beacon system.

2 / 5

Hillsboro El Rio Park II Boca Raton, Florida
Todd Mohler, RLA was the designer of record for the roughly $6 million park that was built on an abandoned landfill, adjacent to a wetland, which required significant additional permitting and geotechnical involvement. The park features include entry signage, a grand pavilion and restroom, large and small pavilions with grills, a fitness path, large passive recreation areas, a non-motorized boat launch, sport courts, a large playground, shade structures, and a fitness station. Native plantings were used to anchor the park features, provide shade and interest, screen the adjacent railway, and buffer the adjacent mangrove wetland. A pedestrian midblock crossing connects the north and south portions of the park on opposite sides of SW 18th Street. The crossing also provides a median refuge and utilizes a pedestrian actuated beacon system.

3 / 5

Nebraska Avenue and Florida Avenue Intersection, Lutz, Florida
Set amongst existing trees, a historic railroad corridor and a growing community, our project sits at an intersection of what one would call a metaphorical ensemble of natural elements and man-made entities. The design utilizes existing site elements to create a sense of balance and the project's goal is to enhance the phenomenological experience of users of the transportation corridor. With the city's history rooted as a railroad depot, recycled railroad ties were repurposed as the "backbone of the corridor" flowing vertically in and out throughout the blends of colorful flowering trees and eye catching vegetation. The design's playfulness draws the attention of users as the colors bounce back and forth between the three medians at the "Y" shaped intersection. The native palette will attract and enhance wildlife as it softens the hardness of our man-made environments.

4 / 5

Alton Road Streetscape - 5th Street to Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida
This 1.5-mile section of Alton Road is an active commercial corridor in one of Florida's hottest destinations to visit, live, work or play - Miami Beach. The corridor is heavily traveled by locals and tourists either by foot, bicycle or automobile. In addition to being a complete roadway reconstruction project, FDOT's scope also includes highway beautification with landscape, hardscape, and irrigation plans. To soften the urban feeling of this metropolitan corridor, large shade trees are placed adjacent to on-street parking and in curbed bulb-outs; thus providing a shady walk for pedestrians, allowing them to linger along the corridor to enjoy the many shops and cafes that Miami Beach has to offer. Hardscape treatments were designed within the sidewalks to create ADA compliant walkways as well as provide root space for proposed street trees. Working with the City of Miami Beach, irrigation plans were tailored to the City's requests. Ultimately as a tree-lined street that will mature and grow, Alton Road will continue to develop as an asset for the community and its users to enjoy.

5 / 5

Alton Road Streetscape - 5th Street to Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida
This 1.5-mile section of Alton Road is an active commercial corridor in one of Florida's hottest destinations to visit, live, work or play - Miami Beach. The corridor is heavily traveled by locals and tourists either by foot, bicycle or automobile. In addition to being a complete roadway reconstruction project, FDOT's scope also includes highway beautification with landscape, hardscape, and irrigation plans. To soften the urban feeling of this metropolitan corridor, large shade trees are placed adjacent to on-street parking and in curbed bulb-outs; thus providing a shady walk for pedestrians, allowing them to linger along the corridor to enjoy the many shops and cafes that Miami Beach has to offer. Hardscape treatments were designed within the sidewalks to create ADA compliant walkways as well as provide root space for proposed street trees. Working with the City of Miami Beach, irrigation plans were tailored to the City's requests. Ultimately as a tree-lined street that will mature and grow, Alton Road will continue to develop as an asset for the community and its users to enjoy.

We are a large multidisciplinary firm with over 50 offices and over 1,600 employees throughout the United States. Our Fort Lauderdale office has about 75 employees and a large landscape architecture practice with a staff of 15, including five registered landscape architects who specialize in transportation related landscape architecture and parks. Our firm traces its roots back to 1955 however we officially became an employee owned company in 1988 after leveraging a buyout from our parent company to become the company we know today.

Editor's Note: With the ASLA annual meeting and EXPO in Miami canceled this year due to safety concerns amid the COVID-19 health pandemic, LASN still wanted to highlight the landscape architectural work of firms from the southeast region. LASN asked the firms to send us a short biographical profile, plus photography from selected projects, with a brief description of the design work for each project. We let the firms speak for themselves in their profiles and in describing the projects, although some editing was required because of space restraints and not all photography and projects could be included. Thank you, firms of Florida and Alabama for participating!

As seen in LASN magazine, September 2020.

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