Founded in 1955, KCI Technologies, Inc. is a 100-percent employee-owned engineering, landscape architecture, consulting, and construction firm. Today, their 19 Landscape Architects and roughly 2,100 employee-owners operate out of more than 60 offices in 19 states, including the District of Columbia. KCI's landscape architecture and site planning team works closely with engineering and environmental professionals to provide contextual and sustainable design solutions for residential, commercial, educational, recreational, transportation, and municipal projects. Their landscape architecture and land planning process is a hands-on approach, knowing that quality design and placemaking inspire people to reimagine public and private spaces as the heart of the community. With stakeholder participation at its center, this process capitalizes on community assets, their inspirations, and their potentials in the creation of quality outdoor spaces that contribute to health, happiness, and well-being.
Software Used: AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, SketchUp Pro,
Lumen RT, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, Adobe After Effects, Microsoft TEAMS

The North Andros Mining Project and Reclamation Master Plan, North Andros, The Bahamas

 

A: The North Andros Mining Project and Reclamation Master Plan is a visionary master plan for a 5,000-acre mining site located in The Bahamas. KCI's planning team created a vision for the remaining unmined 1,700 acres. Public surveys, interviews, design charrettes, and meetings led to a vision with a modern regional health care center, waterfront residential areas, a community youth and recreation center, a new University of the Bahamas satellite campus, farmers and artisan markets, fishermen villages, an ecotourism center, new employment uses, and farm-to-table living communities.

Lakeside at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

B: This $90 million, 750-bed, LEED Gold, graduate student housing community features 15 new, on-campus buildings and site-wide amenity improvements. The Landscape Architect developed an enduring, natural landscape solution that would increase ground water infiltration and reduce long-term maintenance costs and stormwater runoff. The design included areas of predominantly non-turf native plant materials, open space meadows, five rain gardens, and a significant woodland preservation and tree replacement program. Natural stone gravity retaining walls were placed to save existing trees. The project won awards from USGBC-NJ (2018) and ASLA Maryland (2019).

Town of Sykesville Downtown Improvement Projects, Sykesville, MD

C: The Town of Sykesville, Maryland was honored in 2023 when it was selected as a semifinalist for the prestigious Great American Main Street Award. The designs demonstrate creative vision planning using innovation and technology tools to complete a unique and complex project. Using the talents of the KCI planning staff, the team created a vision for the town using innovative planning tools such as InDesign, SketchUp, and Lumion 3D rendering software to create 3-D models of the town's existing conditions as well as represent the potential transformation with Adobe After Effects.

Howard County Economic Development Authority CSX Trail, Columbia, Maryland

D: The Howard County Economic Authority CSX Trail is the first phase of a large-scale, multi-modal trail system called the Howard County Gateway Connector. KCI gathered base map and data, mapped existing conditions, created 3D imaging and 3D animation of the proposed trail, and identified opportunities and constraints, engineering constraints, and advisory comments. The proposed project includes eight ADA-accessible access points, four level road crossings, three grade-separated trail crossings, five thematic activity zones, and six AV transit stops. Amenities include trailheads with parking, artists murals, railcar food trucks, public art, pocket parks, urban plazas/gathering areas, stormwater management and wetland parks with elevated boardwalks, underpass parks, overlook platforms, and safety and lighting infrastructure.