Landscape Architect Articles

LASN 2010 Firms: Mahan Rykiel Associates09-02-10 | News

Mahan Rykiel Associates,
Baltimore, Md. and Hong Kong

Mahan Rykiel Associates is an award-winning landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm with a portfolio encompassing health care, senior living, hospitality, campus, retail, transportation and downtown revitalization.

The practice focuses on the challenges of contemporary design for a sustainable future. With more than 27-years of experience and a staff of 37, including 13 LEED accredited professionals, the firm services clients in the U.S. and in more than 25 countries around the globe.

The firm’s designs combine the art and craft of landscape architecture with sustainable materials that are responsive to each individual context and create lasting value for communities.

Principals: Catherine Mahan, FASLA, President; Scott Rykiel, FASLA, Vice President; Bob Gorman, FASLA; Lydia Kimball, ASLA; Ken Schmidt, ASLA; Tom McGilloway, ASLA; Charlie Bailey, ASLA
Staff: 37
Software: Adobe Creative Suite, Sketchup, ArcView GIS, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Microstation.

T. Rowe Price Corporate Campus, Phase III, Owings Mills, Md.

The T. Rowe Price corporate campus is surrounded by mature hardwood trees and rolling topography. Mahan Rykiel prepared master plan documents for phases III and IV and landscape architectural construction documents for phase III of the development.
Phase III of this project is registered for LEED certification. The planting, irrigation and materials were designed to meet LEED criteria. The design includes a stone entry wall, outdoor dining areas, extensive walkway areas with links to previous phases, a reflecting pool, stone retaining walls with granite water features and underground stormwater management.

The Vue, Baltimore, Md.

The Vue is the latest addition to the Harbor East redevelopment, combining office, hotel and apartments. This mid-rise sits just two blocks from the harbor. Mahan Rykiel Associates is responsible for the roof plaza design. It features extensive green space with a large open lawn, flowering trees and a central water feature. The roof garden is between the office tower and the apartment/hotel. At the north and south axes are two viewing plazas to the downtown and the Inner Harbor respectively. Rich paving patterns and textured plant masses provide year round interest.
2008 Honor Award, Maryland/Potomac ASLA Chapters

University of Maryland, College Park, Md.

Mahan Rykiel Associates was part of a design team retained to prepare plans for extensive open space for the southwest campus. The focus is a major east-west pedestrian promenade and a new north-south mall.
Mahan Rykiel Associates prepared the client’s design plans and construction documents. Landscape themes include classical, romantic, natural and urban typologies. The plans address pedestrian circulation, creation of gathering areas and phased implementation of open space improvements. Winner 2006 Honor Award, ASLA MD/Potomac Chapters

Baltimore Hilton Convention Center Hotel

The Convention Center Hotel occupies a full city block on Pratt Street, Baltimore’s premier downtown and waterfront address. The plaza at Howard Street accommodates an upgraded light rail transit station, the gateway to Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles. A particular challenge was the location of the hotel in the center of an open site with guest and visitor access from all four sides. The backs of houses and service areas were screened with landscaping, walls and berms. Mahan Rykiel provided full landscape architectural services, including the design and construction package for one of the largest “green roof” developments in Maryland.