Among the landscape architecture work of Lappas + Havener, now rebranded as "Surface 678," is the new 244,000 sq. ft. Durham County (North Carolina) Human Services Complex. A bluestone and granite paved interior courtyard with slab seating and lighted bollards is a large employee gathering space closed off from the street by a series of glass doors to increase security. The project is pursuing LEED Gold Certification for the building. Freelon Group is the architect.

Durham, N.C. landscape architecture firm Lappas + Havener has adopted a new name: Surface 678. The new name, explains the firm, better reflects its work throughout the southeastern United States, specifically, the horticulture temperature zones 6, 7 and 8.

The new name coincides with three milestones for the firm: its 20th anniversary; one of the firm's founders, Bob Lappas, has retired; and Eric Davis has been named senior partner.

"The firm is leveraging these milestones as an opportunity to cast a strong vision for the future and embrace a name that communicates and represents the firm's critically acclaimed work," said Walt Havener, founder and president.

"As we considered new names for our firm, we wanted one that celebrated our accomplishments while fitting us for our journey moving forward," Havener explains. "And we wanted our firm's name to honor the integrity of the media with which we work"?uflora, earth, water and air. Surface 678 expresses all of those concepts for us quite nicely."

The city of Raleigh, N.C., recently hired the firm to enhance the environments around the city's Exchange and Market plazas to boost pedestrian traffic, and encourage local restaurants and retail shops to extend their enterprises into the outdoors.

The firm is led by principals Walt Havener and Eric Davis. Havener, has nearly three decades of professional experience; Davis has more than 15 years of experience. The firm provides architectural site design, urban design, community and recreational planning, and comprehensive master planning as a team member for municipal projects, and for universities, medical centers and corporations. Last year Lappas + Havener was honored as "Firm of the Year" by the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The firm's work can be found through the Southeast, including the North Carolina Museum of Art's Sculpture Gardens and Art Park. Visit www.surface678.com for more information.