Surface 678 is a landscape architecture firm dedicated to design excellence and the integration of natural systems and craft into their work. Through meaningful inquiry and collaboration, their goal is to create iconic landscapes that reflect and inspire communities, giving shape to a more sustainable and equitable future. The firm's ethos is wrapped up in their name - 'Surface' becomes the visual and cultural expression of the landscape's beauty and function, serving the needs of the user, providing for social interaction, and reflecting and enhancing the sites' natural and built composition. Each design begins with a generative idea that shapes the foundation of the concept and expresses itself throughout the design. They see their role as designer to orchestrate the functional and technical aspects of a project that respects their effectiveness while holding true to the idea. The result is distinctive and sustainable landscapes that satisfy residents, attract visitors, enrich working lives, and encourage communities to take full advantage of their place.


Raleigh Union Station; Raleigh, NC

Raleigh Union Station is a multi-modal transportation hub in downtown Raleigh that includes the adaptive reuse of the industrial Viaduct Building, rail improvements, and increased connectivity within the downtown community. Surface 678, who developed the pedestrian plaza design, overall site design, and stormwater design alternatives, also assisted in the extensive public participation process. The project increases ridership, provides expanded facilities for the Amtrak rail line, encourages connectivity to other parts of downtown, and aims to spur economic growth in this historic Raleigh area. PHOTO CREDIT: ART HOWARD



Beech Bluff Park; Raleigh, NC

The design revolves around the park center and along the tree line, acting as a threshold between the open space and forest. Areas of high activity were directed towards the existing fields in front of the park center to minimize noise spillover into the forests. Similarly, the playground was placed at equal distance from the east and west property lines. A maintenance facility and event space are located at opposite ends of the old NC 42 farm access road. The existing barn may be restored to provide a shelter and restroom and become an architectural monument. The trail network provides a variety of options through the forests and around the open space with shorter and longer loop trails. Photo Credit: SURFACE 678 & IN SITU.

 


Virginia Tech Dietrick Hall Renovation; Blacksburg, VA

Dietrick Hall - Virginia Tech's main dining facility - underwent a significant transformation from an unattractive, unfriendly front entrance into a welcoming, people-centric, multi-purpose plaza that celebrates the university's history, tradition, and culture. The existing design of concrete walls and steps lacked opportunities for daily engagement or special events. Surface 678's design vision introduced plantings and softscape to break up a monolithic sea of concrete while retaining the bars of granite paving from the original design. Complete regrading of the site removed many of the concrete walls and stairs and introduced accessible paths, creating a more equitable space. Photo Credit: Art Howard




NCSU Fitts-Woolard Hall; Raleigh, NC

The NC State University Engineering Building Oval is the fourth in a series of engineering buildings on the Centennial Campus precinct. The 227,000 square-foot, four-story structure includes laboratories, classrooms, and offices. The design for this learning landscape integrates with the campus master plan to provide ease of access from parking decks, public transit, and pedestrian pathways. The landscape design encourages student interaction, and engages students and faculty in interdisciplinary studies by encouraging meaningful experiences and innovative storytelling opportunities. The budget for this project was $154 million. PHOTO CREDIT: ART HOWARD




HUB RTP; Research Triangle Park, NC

Centrally located in Research Triangle Park, HUB RTP is a destination for gathering, shopping and leisure, showcasing new technologies, as well as education and entertainment. Phase I includes outdoor amenity and park spaces, two hotels, corporate office towers, incubator space, a wetlands meadow, and 300,000 square feet of retail. Nature is central to the plan, with the park's amenity spaces set aside as public land. The main focal point of the open space is the restoration of an existing stream that is currently a rip rap, engineered channel. Photo Credit: Art Howard




Bandwidth HQ; Raleigh, NC

The new 40.2-acre Bandwidth headquarters coast a total of about $155 million, including two 150,000-square-foot, multi-story office buildings and 50,000 square feet of amenity space with two entry courts per building. The campus features a large amphitheater with stone stadium seat walls, an event barn with a seating patio, a 45,000-square-foot daycare, a 16,000-square-foot playground, and a structured parking and fitness center. Infrastructure includes minimal surface roads for access and parking, a stormwater wetland facility, a central pond, full-sized sports courts, a meadow and aviary, and site-wide planting and irrigation zoning. Photo Credit: Art Howard




Duke University Medical Campus Bed Tower Addition; Durham, NC

The Bed Tower Addition on Duke University Medical Center's Campus will feature ten stories of patient rooms for pediatric, an ICU, and a post-operation recovery. The addition is connected to the existing tower and other medical buildings by an open space courtyard. Surface 678 created the courtyard design with passive, active, and community nodes designed to enhance user experience by providing areas for community events, such as the farmers market or outdoor games. The Landscape Architects also designed fire access for all the medical buildings with a diverse planting palette whose appearance was considered from all levels of the tower. Photo Credit: Art Howard

As seen in LASN magazine, October 2025.