THE GRASSY KNOLL

The site visit to ARQUITECTONICAGEO was inspiring! When walking into their office it had an industrial loft New York feel, the ambiance seem to breed great ideas and success, but the open cubical and messy desks screamed organized chaos. It was impressive to see ARQUITECTONICAGEO was a one stop shop that offers various types of Architectural needs.  After hearing Jovany speak about the Brickell City Center project a mix use development that incorporates native landscaping, green roof tops, green walls and outdoor furniture as art. This allowed me to understand that they’re so many elements to a Development site. Not in a million years would I have thought of a pressure release system that resembles a fire hydrant. While helping to mitigate the water flow away from the project is a brilliant idea.  Jovany had the foresight to include architecture around the water pumps to maintain the beautification of the design.  Also, he conveyed the importance of using trees and shrubs throughout the design such as sound barriers, hiding unsightly views, and shade for customers walking through the mall area. Something simple as getting a variance from DOT to make the sidewalks wider will entice walking, and will have a direct effect on retail tenants getting more customers. This is proof positive that proper planning goes a long way in the development process.   Finally, I was excited to hear ARQUITECTONICAGEO use plants, and trees from local farmers for their projects. My major concern was the maintenance required to maintain the landscaping on a project of this size.  I know Jovany mentioned having landscaping that was native to this area, but there is Hurricane season and I would love to see Landscapers mowing grass on top of roofs, and using cranes to prune palm trees. I was also shock to hear Jovany say his company only charges one percent of the totally budget for their services. Overall, I must say I was pleased by Jovany presentation and I definitely left smarter than when I walked into the door thank you!!