OUR PHILOSOPHY
OUR VALUES AND MISSION ALIGN WITH THE GRAVITY OF THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NEED TO PROMOTE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES.
Though our focus is often small- to medium-scale sites, we see each project as part of the larger planetary landscape, with the potential to set an example for positive change. We create multifunctional landscapes—urban waterfronts, constructed wetlands, bio-retention areas, coastal reforestations, urban forests, roof gardens, and green and blue infrastructure infrastructure corridors—that address drought, flooding, sea level rise, tsunamis, and hurricanes while improving ecological health and livability.
Climate resilience requires layered strategies that combine blue, green, and gray infrastructure. We lead and collaborate with experts in ecology, hydrology, engineering, and oceanography to develop designs with environmental, social, and economic benefits—even when resources or political will demand a reduced scope.
WE PROMOTE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN WITH THE INTEGRATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND AND SOCIALLY RELEVANT SITE PLANNING, GREEN AND BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE, SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, AND MATERIALS REUSE.
Specializing in native plant species that are more resilient and ecologically valuable than imported varieties, we design landscapes rooted in local ecosystems. Our work includes stormwater management systems, pervious pavements, advanced soil design, and energy solutions tailored to tropical conditions, addressing the heightened vulnerability of island environments.
WE SEEK TO COLLABORATE WITH ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS WHO UNDERSTAND OUR IMPORTANT ROLE IN LEADING SITE PLANNING WITH PROPER BUILDING SITING AND GRADING DESIGN
We collaborate with architects and engineers who value landscape architecture’s role in guiding building siting and grading design. In the Caribbean, where natural beauty draws more than built environments, we help integrate structures into the land—especially in sensitive coastal, hillside, and ridgeline locations—striving for the lowest possible carbon footprint.
EMBRACING ISLAND STYLE OF LIVING MEANS ACCEPTING THE FAMILIAR, THE IMPERFECT, FINDING INSPIRATION FROM COMMON THINGS.
We embrace the island way of life—accepting the familiar, the imperfect, and finding beauty in everyday materials. We reduce our carbon footprint by prioritizing local resources, combining native quarry stone with excavation stone to create textured walls and paving with depth and shadow. Concrete, the most common paving material in the islands, is reimagined with integrated color, saw cuts, and pervious mixes, enhancing aesthetics, permeability, and stormwater performance.
CONSERVING WATER AND STORING DRINKING WATER IN CISTERNS IS MANDATORY IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BECAUSE OF SPRAWLING DEVELOPMENT AND THE LACK OF A DIFFUSED PUBLIC AQUEDUCT. CONVERSELY, PUERTO RICO WASTES ITS WATER TAPPING INTO FINITE RESOURCES, CHANNELING UNDER THE OCEAN ITS WATER SUPPLY AS FAR AS THE VIEQUES AND CULEBRA ISLANDS WITHOUT REQUIRING CISTERNS IN THE BUILDING CODE.
Water scarcity shapes our approach. In every project, we specify graywater and freshwater collection from the foundation stage, designing landscapes that require irrigation only during establishment. We favor native and naturalized plant species that thrive without ongoing watering, avoid traditional lawns, and use grading and planting strategies to prevent erosion and protect marine life during both droughts and heavy storms.
WHEN DESIGNING THE NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE FUTURE TO ADDRESS THE EVER-CHANGING CLIMATE, WE ARE GUIDED BY CHARLES DARWIN’S WORDS “IT IS NOT THE STRONGEST OF THE SPECIES THAT SURVIVES, OR THE MOST INTELLIGENT, BUT THE ONE MOST RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE."
Resilience must extend beyond landscapes and infrastructure to include communities, clients, and our practice. We start with strong, mission-driven concepts, but remain flexible—researching, testing, and collaborating to refine methods and materials. Long-term success depends on evolving specifications and management practices that protect soils, plant communities, and coastal systems.
Our award-winning collaborations with Toro Arquitectos include The Wings of Culebrita—rehabilitating native plant communities, designing water infrastructure, and creating a self-sustaining sculpture-building for the historic Lighthouse; Science City Boulevard—a green infrastructure corridor for a new educational and medical district; and Tres Picachos Lodge—where sensitive site reading shaped the architecture to minimize land impact.
