ROWE, founded in 1962, specializes in landscape architecture, engineering, surveying, planning and aerial photogrammetry. The company has 18 associate owners and seven principals, and employs 134 professionals in offices located in Flint, Lapeer, Mt. Pleasant, Farmington Hills, Bay City and Grayling, Michigan, with one office in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. ROWE is employee owned. The director of landscape architecture in the Flint, Michigan office is Doug Schultz, PLA.

Uptown Bay City Riverfront, Bay City, Michigan
This project is making a 43-acre Brownfield site on the Saginaw River into a walkable riverfront community including a multinational business campus; restaurants; a hotel; medical offices; housing; retail shops; a marina; broadside boat docking; and a waterfront public plaza. The riverfront includes construction of a half-mile of public river walk with Saginaw River overlooks that will eventually connect the river walk and housing to the south of the site, and a public park and riverfront development to the north. The landscape architect developed schematic site concepts that addressed building massing, roadways, and harbor locations and worked through various revisions as market conditions and permit needs changed. The landscape architect worked jointly with engineers and other project architects to coordinate streetscape details, accessibility, waterfront views and other details from preliminary design through construction. This project received an American Council of Engineering Companies-Michigan Engineering Merit Award.

 

East End Mixed-Use Urban Development, Midland, Michigan
This project is a LEED???(R)???AE????-certified anchor development in a central business district near the Dow Diamond Minor League baseball stadium. This 5.5-acre urban mixed-use project offers pedestrian plazas; loft housing; live-work dwellings; shops and cafes; outdoor dining; and public art. The initial project phase included a four-story, 212,612-square-foot L-shaped mixed-use building that will accommodate business offices, restaurants, a wellness center and medical space. The landscape architect worked with the design team to provide connectivity to downtown through streetscape features and to incorporate a regional trail through the development.

Paradise Peninsula Playground, Waterford, Michigan
The landscape architect developed concepts and a grant application for this award-winning Kellogg Access to Recreation-funded nature-themed play environment at Waterford Oaks, including a tree house, climbing surfaces and a lakefront cabin. Universally accessible components go "above and beyond" ADA requirements to provide an all-inclusive experience. Extensive stakeholder input involved physical models and interpretive assistance with public workshops coordinated with county park staff. This project received a Michigan Recreation and Parks Association Design Award.

White Rock Roadside Park, White Rock, Michigan
ROWE completed the concept and design for approximately five acres of Lake Huron shoreline. The landscape architect led Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) staff, county staff and the local historical society in developing a new roadside park/rest area and shoreline access. Design issues included 100-foot-wide ravines, and a 30-foot bluff/stairway location. The project encompassed interpretive signage; overlooks; restrooms; parking lot; picnic area; nonmotorized trail;and landscaping. The trail connection was made to MDOT roadside shoulder along M-25. The project required close coordination because of a combination of in-kind labor and various funding sources, including the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. This project received an American Society of Landscape Architects-Michigan Merit Award.

Southern Links Trailway, Columbiaville, Otter Lake and Millington, Michigan
ROWE was responsible for preparation of plans and specifications for 10 miles of nonmotorized path and equestrian trail with accessibility features for therapeutic riding along an abandoned rail corridor. The project included close coordination with a private stakeholder group, three communities, and adjacent landowners. The private stakeholders own and monitor the trail. The design included efficient methods of survey and site analysis, and use of GPS and aerial photography. Other design elements included retrofitting two trestle bridges, one new pedestrian bridge, bank stabilization, 60-foot boardwalk, overlooks, trailhead, parking lots, road crossings, and signage. This project received an American Society of Civil Engineering-Michigan Quality of Life Award.