The new Gwen Cherry Playground received a warm welcome from local municipal leaders, as well as about two dozen children this morning during the park’s grand opening event.  The playground was designed by Savino Miller Design Studio (SMDS) in collaboration with the Miami Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Department (PROS), as part of a greater effort from Miami Dade County to incorporate more nature-based play areas throughout our communities. Barry and Adriana spoke to CBS 4 Miami about the park and the importance of connecting children to nature and each other through play.

The nature-based playground design incorporates existing trees while drawing inspiration from the Pine Rockland habitat to recall the origin of the site. Rolling hills are integrated with various play features, including a zip line, slides, swing sets, musical play elements, and a jungle gym. The design also emphasizes the use of sustainable materials and furniture, and uses a diverse selection of native planting materials to create a place for children to play and learn about their local ecology.

The Avenues World School’s Campus Master Plan was approved this month by Miami’s Urban Development Review Board.  Located in Little Haiti,  the school will be the organization’s fifth campus, following New York, Sao Paulo, Shenzhen, and Silicon Valley. Savino & Miller Design Studio will be providing site master planning, planting, hard surface and paving, playgrounds, site furniture, and schematic lighting plans for the multi-building campus, which will be constructed in three phases. Efficiency Lab for Architecture of Brooklyn is the design architect. Miami’s Zyscovich is the architect of record and executive architect.

As part of a larger scale project to mitigate the effects of climate change, The Nature Conservancy has partnered with Savino and Miller Design Studio to illustrate the design for an island bird habitat in the Lake Worth Lagoon. The project calls for the installation of native plants, oyster beds, and bird nesting habitat that will encourage biodiversity in the surrounding waters. The oyster beds – in lieu of limestone rip-rap – will function as a natural breakwater that reduces wave energy, allowing mangroves to become established. This small but impactful island, acting in concert with other similar islands in the lagoon, will help to enhance natural habitat and protect nearby homes from destructive storm surges.

Welcome to our newest hire, Kelsey Boulos. Kelsey brings ten years of valuable experience in administration, marketing, and communications to our office. Her education is in photography and print production which she studied in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. As a Miami transplant, she is eager to learn more about … [learn more]

We are proud to announce our partnership with Florida International University by offering a scholarship: The Savino & Miller Design Studio Diversity and Inclusion Landscape Architecture Endowed Scholarship.

We created this scholarship to enable talented Black/African-American students to study landscape architecture. Our office has had the good fortune of working with several FIU interns and graduates and believe that inclusion of more diverse representation will serve to increase individual opportunity while broadening our perspective in building more equitable communities. We see our profession as a calling to improve our social well-being and physical landscape and hope this scholarship will encourage and benefit future Black/African-American practitioners in landscape architecture.

We are happy to announce the newest member of our team, Bryan Harrison. Bryan’s professional interest in landscape began when he attended Nonnewaug Vocational Agriculture High School in Connecticut to study conservation. From there, he worked at The Nature Conservancy where his career and passion for environmental restoration took off… [read more]

Savino & Miller Design Studio is working with CUBE3 Architects to provide landscape architectural services for the “Wharf Marketplace” project in Miami. The project includes new construction of two 10-story buildings set atop the existing Wharf Miami which will occupy the first floor alongside Garcia’s Fish Market. The buildings will house a high-end hotel as well as various retail and restaurant storefronts, providing “Best-in-class entertainment and dining”, Alex Mantecon told Travel Weekly. SMDS designed the improvements for all outdoor spaces, including planting, paving, site lighting, water features, pool design, and site furniture selections. SMDS aims to create a cohesive outdoor environment that seamlessly integrates new development to the Miami River’s character while enhancing its cultural outdoor experiences.  The Wharf project follows newly codified Baywalk/Riverwalk design guidelines also created by SMDS.

We are thrilled to introduce our newest team member and Senior Associate: Bonnie Fiallo!

Bonnie Fiallo’s early interest in landscape architecture grew from her desire to see more green spaces in her hometown of Newark, NJ, and to provide children and families with safe and tranquil streetscapes to enjoy. She began her career while simultaneously pursuing her master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental and Urban Design. In 2019, Bonnie graduated and completed her thesis on … [read more]

In January of 2022, The Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience held a ceremony to commemorate breaking ground on the first project that resulted from the Little River Adaptation Action Area (AAA) Plan. Developed in collaboration with Savino & Miller Design studio, the plan was created to mitigate environmental, economic, and social impact to communities surrounding Little River that face rising sea levels and extreme heat in the next 5 years. Adaptation approaches include septic-to-sewer sanitary system conversions, stormwater drainage and green infrastructural strategies that incorporate living shorelines, road narrowing, additional green space, tree planting, and an increase in permeable surfaces. Daniela Levine Cava and other municipal and county officials broke ground for the first project, a septic to sewer conversion in the Little River basin.

Join us in congratulating one of our talented associates, Patricia Matamoros! She is one of the recipients of the WxLA 2021 Scholars, which will enable her to attend the 2021 ASLA Annual Conference in Nashville, all costs covered. In addition, she will be representing us and speaking at the ASLA Game Changer session to shed light on the importance of using permeable pavers as a streetscape strategy. Congrats to Patty and all the other deserving scholars!

We are proud to announce that Baywalk and Riverwalk Design Guidelines are officially adopted into Miami 21 Code.
We look forward to the transformation of Miami’s waterfronts!

We were selected as the landscape architects to work with Rene Gonzalez Architects on Casa Cuba, FIU´s emerging cultural center and think tank focused on Cuban and Cuban-American history and culture. Barry Miller is the Principal in Charge and Jose Fonseca (Cuban-American and FIU alumni!) is the Project Manager.

Casa Cuba’s opening is scheduled for 2023. It will feature lecture halls, community gathering spaces, a café and collections of Cuban art, music, and genealogy on a site along 107th Avenue at FIU’s main campus in Miami.

We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member: Kristelle Boulos, our new Business Development and Marketing Manager. Welcome to the team!

Kristelle holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from the American University of Beirut. She was first inspired to create green public spaces due to the dense urban setting of her hometown, Beirut. She has six years of experience working as a landscape designer in Beirut, Washington D.C and Miami. Her career and interests organically led her to the business development and marketing side of the industry, which she believes is an extension of the design process. Her mission is to help the SMDS team strategize growth opportunities, strengthen our marketing outreach, and help us become more innovative, impactful and efficient.

We are proud to announce that one of our associates, Patricia Matamoros, won the 2020 FLASLA Award of Merit in the Open Space category for her project “Ecohub Park” developed during her Masters in Landscape Architecture at FIU. Congrats, Patty!

Savino & Miller Design Studio received the Award of Honor as a Resiliency Master Plan for  The Barnacle Historic State Park.

We look forward to the next design phases of this project and for its implementation. Stay tuned!

Savino & Miller Design Studio team received the Award of Excellence by Florida ASLA for our Miami Baywalk Riverwalk Unifying Design Elements, Branding and Design Guidelines. Congratulations to all other Award winners, it is an honor to be part of this very talented group. Congratulations to our partners in this job, RSM Design, HLB Lighting and Coastal Systems International and of course our Client Downtown Development Authority and all the people, organizations that participated throughout the process.

Savino & Miller Design Studio team received the Award of Excellence for Best Plan, Report or Study by the APA Gold Coast for our Miami Baywalk Riverwalk Unifying Design Elements, Branding and Design Guidelines. Congratulations to all other Award winners, it is an honor to be part of this very talented group. Congratulations to our partners in this job, RSM Design, HLB Lighting and Coastal Systems International and of course our Client Downtown Development Authority and all the people, organizations that participated throughout the process.

Savino & Miller Design Studio team received a Merit award of Excellence Urban Design by the Miami AIA for our Miami Baywalk Riverwalk Unifying Design Elements, Branding and Design Guidelines. Congratulations to all other Award winners, it is an honor to be part of this very talented group. Congratulations to our partners in this job, RSM Design, HLB Lighting and Coastal Systems International and of course our Client Downtown Development Authority and all the people, organizations that participated throughout the process.

In September news, MiMo Bay/Legions Apartments has obtained its TCO! We are excited to share the news as we work towards attaining CO.

We are excited to announce that River Landing has received its base building TCO for retail level 1 and parking garage! Please stay tuned as we transition through the final phases of this incredible project.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania released a special report with a focus on Miami Beach, New York City and Norfolk, Virginia. The report features SMDS’ latest resiliency projects including Bayshore Park in Miami Beach, the Miami Baywalk & Riverwalk Design Guidelines and The Barnacle in Coconut Grove.

The landscape is coming along at River Landing, a multi-use development on the Miami River, which is expected to open early 2021. SMDS designed the Riverwalk and the amenity decks for the residences and offices.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, SMDS will stay connected through virtual means in order to safeguard the health and safety of the community, its clients and employees. We remain committed to our projects, and expect minimum impact to project schedules and communications. We hope everyone is practicing social distancing and is staying healthy and safe during this time.

SMDS is proud to announce that one of our designers, Jose Fonseca, received a $1,000 grant from Anova Furnishings for his LARE exams. We can’t wait to have another registered Landscape Architect on our team!

SMDS joined the Florida ASLA Chapter and eight other South Florida landscape architecture firms to attend presentations by Coral Park High School and Liberty City Elementary School students as part of the ACE Legacy Project to introduce young people to the fields of architecture, construction and engineering.

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce gathered representatives from various organizations and municipalities to discuss ongoing efforts to build a more socially, economically and environmentally resilient Miami for all residents. SMDS shared its green infrastructure and shoreline resiliency projects with attendees.

SMDS designed the MediterrAsian South Beach restaurant’s rooftop terrace as an extension of the impeccably designed interior.

SMDS hosted a happy hour for the holiday season to express its gratitude to their collaborators.

This hotel project renovates a 1950s era condominium building transforming it into a boutique hotel in Buckhead, Atlanta. As the lead landscape architect, SMDS attended the project’s groundbreaking in Atlanta. The project is expected to open later this year. SoBu Flats will have a restaurant, beer garden and pool deck, taking advantage of its pockets of open space to create a dynamic outdoor experience.

Our Wynwood Brewery project construction has begun and is expected to open in 2020. This brewery will be set in a tropical forest and become a cultural immersion into Latin culture as well as a celebration of Miami’s multi-culturalism, reflecting a youthful vibe that mixes with the urban, artsy personality of Wynwood.

This North Miami mixed-use development designed by Frankel Benayoun Architects is the first of its kind in the area and was approved by the City. SMDS designed the pedestrian promenade, public plazas and streetscape with the intent to preserve as many existing large shade trees as possible, and create a “park-like” setting for community enjoyment.

These lights were custom-designed by SMDS as part of the Miami Baywalk & Riverwalk Unifying Design Elements. Bayfront Park is the first piece of the Baywalk to have them installed. This very exciting news marks the first implementation of the Miami Baywalk Design Guidelines.

In collaboration with Gurri Matute and Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces, SMDS designed landscape improvements for one of the County’s seven Heritage Parks, Greynolds Park in North Miami Beach.

SMDS Principal Adriana Savino presented the Bayshore Park project in Miami Beach for the Van Alen Institute’s event promoting their program Keeping Current: A Sea-Level Rise Challenge for Miami. Bayshore Park is designed to keep the neighborhood dry during flood events by channeling stormwater into the park’s central lake. Once completed, this will be a one-of-a-kind project for Miami-Dade County.

Patricia Matamoros participated in a panel with other FIU alums at the Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach to talk through their paths from student to professional.

PARKing Day offers a chance to show our communities the benefits of landscaped urban public spaces, even ones just the size of two parking spots. Savino & Miller was proud to sponsor the incredible efforts of the FIU Student ASLA Chapter and Landscape Architecture program students and professors who made Plaza Planta possible. They hosted a program full of activities and many visitors throughout the day making this year’s PARKing Day a huge success!

Kenect Miami is two mixed-use towers part of the greater Miami Worldcenter development in Downtown. Chicago-based developer, Akara Partners hired Perkins + Will Chicago as the design architect and Stantec as the local architect. SMDS is the landscape architect and will be designing the streetscape and amenity deck.

SMDS’ idea to link the Baywalk underneath MacArthur Bridge wins the Public Space Challenge, along with 11 other projects to improve mobility in Miami.

Our associates Kelly Hitzing and Patricia Matamoros participated in the Southeast Florida Resilience Accelerator this past June. The workshop’s results were published in a report this month, which will be used by city and county officials in the Southeast Florida Tri-County area to build resilience in our coastal region.

Our principal, Barry Miller, with our team of landscape architects, Xiaoyuan Du, Jose Fonseca, Patricia Matamoros, and intern Robert Colon. Patricia presented her Master’s thesis at the conference and SMDS received an Award of Excellence for their work as the local landscape architect for South Pointe Park in Miami Beach.

We welcomed a new team member this week, Patricia Matamoros, recent MLA graduate and native Venezuelan. Patricia worked as a part-time intern during her studies and now joins us full-time.

The City of Miami, in partnership with the Miami DDA, recently hosted a panel of ten experts organized by the Urban Land Institute ULI to gain new insight into how Miami can make its downtown waterfront more resilient. We are proud to say that one of their recommendations includes the need to adopt our proposed designs guidelines for the Miami Baywalk & Riverwalk, which includes a push for living shorelines along our Bayside coast.

The Miami Baywalk may be lit in pink very soon! As part of the unifying design elements for the Miami Baywalk, Savino & Miller Design Studio customized an existing Louis Poulsen fixture (the same one at Museum Park) with a color-changing LED strip. To welcome the Superbowl to Miami in 2020, these poles will be installed in Bayfront Park and Parcel B, the public space behind the American Airlines Arena.

The City of Miami celebrated the completion and renaming of Museum Park to honor Maurice A. Ferré, the nation’s first Puerto Rico-born mayor, who spearheaded the purchase of Bayfront property to preserve green space in Miami’s urban core.

The Miami Baywalk project was awarded an honorable mention in Fast Company’s Spaces, Places, and Cities category as part of the 2019 World Changing Ideas Awards.

We are happy to announce that Jose Fonseca has joined our firm as a Project Manager. Welcome to the family Jose!

We want to extend our gratitude to our friends, family, clients, colleagues, new and old, who came from near and far to celebrate 25 years with us. Until the next one!

Our LGBT Crosswalk on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach is complete! The Art Deco-inspired design honors the the contributions of Leonard Horowitz to the Art Deco District and his legacy with the Miami Design Preservation League.

Sunrise Park is getting a makeover! Very excited to be working on this project with the City of Hallandale Beach. The City has accomplished amazing park renovations through their G.O. bond and we are proud to be part of their efforts.

We are happy to announce that our City of Miami Beach Community Park project has received an Award of Honor from the FLASLA!

The Miami Baywalk & Riverwalk project will propose unifying design elements, resiliency measures, a branding and design guidelines for the 25 foot public promenade at the waterfront.

Our final public outreach for our Miami Walk project launched the brand and created a pop-up parklet for people to enjoy discounted food, free popsicles and waterfront views.

Grateful to our amazing team of consultants, RSM Design, HLB Lighting and Coastal Systems International, as well as everyone who helped build and activate the parklet: Ladyfingrs, Cortada Landscape Design, The Sandman, Oldcastle, Dixie Landscape, KM Associates Inc, Landscape Forms and Gustavo Matamoros.

We are proud to announce that out of 188 submissions, our design was selected for the first round of finalists among 12 others.

We are happy to announce that Kelly Hitzing has joined our firm as a Project Manager. She is a registered Landscape Architect with a wealth of experience in the field. Welcome to the family Kelly!

This mixed-use development in Miami’s Midtown neighborhood includes 309 units with 12,000 square feet of ground-level retail, five floors of parking and outdoor amenities.

Dear friends, colleagues, clients & family one of the joys during this time of the year is having the opportunity to thank you and wish you a Joyous Holiday Season and a New Year filled with Peace & Happiness. Adriana. Barry. John. Xiaoyuan. Sophia. Patricia. Marc. Our office will be closed from December 25 to January 2.

Savino & Miller Design Studio’s Principal, Barry Miller, was selected to be a member on the Bal Harbour Architectural Review Board.

Savino & Miller Design Studio participated in a competitive RFP process to be the landscape architect for a new brewery coming to Wynwood.

Savino & Miller Design Studio and RSM Design will be partnering up to brand and design Miami’s Baywalk-Riverwalk. They participated in a competitive RFP process where the Downtown Development Authority’s selection committee considered 11 other highly qualified firms. In the end, Savino & Miller Design Studio and RSM Design were ranked #1.

We are excited to announce that our unbuilt Key Biscayne projects, Civic Center Park and Matheson Plantation Village have received Awards of Honor from the FLASLA!

Watch our rendered fly-over of the Bayshore Park project.

On December 16th, Barry Miller, Principal of Savino & Miller Design Studio, presented his studio’s Green Roof project Aventura Optima at the Miami Green Roof & Wall Symposium hosted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC). Trey Whitley of American Hydrotech presented alongside Barry to add insight on his company’s waterproofing technology used for the project. In 2015, Aventura Optima received GRHC’s Award of Excellence.

The Villagers Inc.’s Gardens of Miami book received the 2016 Florida Landscape Architects Publication Award, an award of honor bestowed upon by the by the Florida ASLA.  Two of Savino & Miller Design Studio projects were selected to be featured: Cisneros Residence and Sanchez Garden. We congratulate the Villagers and are proud to have been included!

At 8:00 PM on May 16, 2016, Books & Books will be hosting an event showcasing the Gardens of Miami book, presented by The Villagers Inc. Two of Savino & Miller Design Studio projects were selected to be featured: Cisneros Residence and Sanchez Garden. All proceeds from book sales will support The Villagers’ mission of saving historic places through restoration and preservation.

Barry Miller, Principal at Savino & Miller Design Studio, was selected as a juror for the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects 2016 Design Awards Program. The program encourages the advancement, expansion, and recognition of the Landscape Architecture profession.

Savino & Miller Design Studio is a proud sponsor of Miami Dade County’s 2016 Great Park Summit.

Louver House, developed by Mast Capital, unveils its commission to internationally-acclaimed artist, Michele Oka Doner, which will be featured in Savino & Miller Design Studio-designed sunken gardens at Louver House in Miami Beach by Rene Gonzalez Architect.

Landscape Architecture Magazine features Savino & Miller Design Studio’s  Sanchez Garden in the March 2016 issue. See us on pages 19, 70-80.

On January 21st, Principal Adriana Savino will present as a panelist at the Urban Land Institute event, “ULI Explores Miami’s Evolution through Art, Architecture and Culture,” along with Chad Oppenheim from Oppenheim Architecture, Claudia Busch from Berenblum Busch Architecture, and Margi Nothard from Glavovic Studio, moderated by Cheryl Jacobs from AIA Miami.

In the Winter 2015 issue of Living Architecture Monitor, Savino & Miller Design Studio’s project, Aventura Optima, was honored as the magazine’s cover, along with an article featuring the project as the recipient of the 2015 Green Roof & Wall Award of Excellence for Design in the Intensive Industrial/Commercial Category.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season!

Our office will be closed from December 23rd to January 4th.

Savino & Miller Design Studio is thrilled to announce that our Aventura Optima Plaza project was nationally recognized by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities with a 2015 Green Roof & Wall Design Award of Excellence in the Intensive Industrial/Commercial Category. The project was praised by judges for its form, materiality, accessible layout, and plant density, as well as its consideration of sustainable plantings and installation material. It also received high marks for incorporating and promoting a healthy work life balance in the design. The firm will be awarded at the CitiesAlive Green Roof & Wall Conference in Brooklyn, New York.

Sales Center for Aventura Park Square is now open. Landscape Architecture by Savino & Miller Design Studio.

Savino & Miller Design Studio is pleased to officially announce the launch of our new website on August 25, 2015. With improved structure and navigation, Savino & Miller’s website offers an informational look into the work of our firm and is designed for current and prospective clients, designers, architects, collaborators, and friends. Our goal with this new website is to provide a straightforward system for visitors to gain further insight into Savino & Miller’s projects, services, and culture. We would like to thank our web developers, Till Bergs and Ivan Toth Depena, as well as our wonderful staff at Savino & Miller Design Studio, for their time and energy to design and develop our new website.

Principal of Savino & Miller Design Studio, Barry Miller, volunteered at the TREEmendous event to plant trees at Virginia Key Beach Park, planting native trees and shrubs in the dune and hammock areas.

Savino & Miller Design Studio is honored with five Awards of Merit from the Florida Chapter of ASLA, the highest number of awards for a Florida firm in 2015. The following projects were recognized: Museum Park Baywalk Miami, Sanchez Residence, Cisneros Residence, Aventura Optima, and Miami Beach Multi-Modal Center.

Curbed Miami shares the good news about Savino & Miller Design Studio’s park project at Miami’s River Landing.

On July 30th, Barry Miller will be presenting “Designing and Space Shaping – Museum Park and the Baywalk Promenade” based on the Museum Park Baywalk project at the FLASLA Conference. This course, based on a project to be built in phases for the City of Miami, delves into the historical background of the site and how Museum Park was created.  He will discuss the process of designing a large waterfront park that would restore linkage between the City’s downtown and its bayfront as well as a park that is home to two, world-class museums, the Perez Art Museum Miami and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science.

Principals, Barry Miller & Adriana Savino, attend the launch party for Aventura ParkSquare.

Savino & Miller Design Studio’s Sanchez Garden project on 47th Street in Miami Beach was featured in Curbed Miami’s article, “Touring Six Fabulous Private Gardens Across Miami Beach.”

TREEmendous Miami is a group of dedicated citizens making Miami-Dade a greener, cooler, healthier and more enjoyable environment in which to live.

Hargreaves & Associates, Savino & Miller Design Studio and William Lane Architects, the design team for South Pointe Park, were featured in ArchDaily.