Founded in 2005, ArquitectonicaGEO is an award-winning design studio specializing in landscape architecture, planning, and urban design. ArquitectonicaGEO is led by Laurinda H. Spear and Margarita Blanco, two women steeped in architecture, has elevated the conversation about the important role landscape architecture plays and the contributions it can make in the face of climate change and sea level rise.

Our projects address not only ecological objectives, but also add community value and elevate the return on investment of our clients by improving performance and livability.

Our approach is clear. To create innovative and bold solutions that respond to the existing conditions of each site and are adaptable to climate change and sea level rise, all while restoring biodiversity and improving the human experience. Mixing resiliency with beautiful functional landscapes has created a level of awareness in communities and the world at large where the understanding of nature being incorporated into the built environment is a priority.

ArquitectonicaGEO works in close collaboration with clients, architects, planners, engineers, developers and construction professionals to create aesthetic and functional design solutions. The international, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural richness of our firm provides the expertise to examine projects from all angles and the agility to respond to changing issues of global concern.

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Capabilities

Landscape Architecture
Master Planning / Land Use Planning
Urban Design
Green Infrastructure / Resilient Design
Resilient Design
Architecture
Placemaking/Branding
Signage
Streetscape / Hardscape
Private Gardens / Terraces
Public Parks / Open Space
Green Roofs and Living Walls

Stormwater Management
Multi-Family Residential Design
Single-Family Residential Design
G-TOP™ / G-TOPS™

Leadership in Energy & Enviromental Design (LEED) + SITES

(LEED) is the U.S. Green Building Council’s rating system for sustainable development. Many of our projects have focused on LEED concepts that target the landscape’s influence on building systems, such as site selection, water-management and energy consumption. These advanced design elements influence aesthetics and contribute sustainable, often cost-saving features to the design. We have LEED Accredited Professionals who can actively contribute to the process of obtaining LEED Certification for construction projects. Through innovative technologies, ArquitectonicaGEO projects aim to incorporate the best practices for conserving water, soil, plants, materials and energy, while ultimately aiming to satisfy human needs for health, safety, well-being and education.

Originally modeled after LEED, SITES was developed to fill the gap in addressing site sustainability. In 2015, GBCI acquired the SITES rating system and started administering certification as part of its strategy to ensure that the sustainability movement addresses all areas of the built environment. SITEScertified landscapes help reduce water demand, filter and reduce stormwater runoff, provide wildlife habitat, reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, improve human health and increase outdoor recreation opportunities.

Founding Principals

Laurinda H. Spear, FAIA, PLA, LEED AP, IIDA

Founding Principal

As a founding principal of Arquitectonica and ArquitectonicaGEO, Ms. Spear has been active from the beginning, and has participated in the design of all projects undertaken by both firms. With over 40 years of multi-disciplinary experience, she has devoted her career to exploring complex challenges of contemporary built and natural environments. Her passion for developing innovative solutions that balance a modern aesthetic with an environmental practice that promotes environmental and social functionality in design as well as creating value for the client, the user, and surrounding community. Her design philosophy is to integrate landscape-based technologies and ecology to address the imminent threat of sea level rise in the urban environment that result in functional resilient landscapes that yield a return of investment.

Under Laurinda’s leadership, ArquitectonicaGEO has produced award-winning designs for projects around the word such as the Dijon Performing Arts Center in France; the Taikoo Hui Development in China; the PortMiami Tunnel, Perez Art Museum, University of Miami Lakeside Village, and Brickell City Centre in Miami, Florida.

Among the many accolades she has received over her 40 plus years in the industry; in 2018, Laurinda was the recipient of Urban Land Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the first time the prestige award was given to an architect. In 2019, the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies bestowed Laurinda with the American Prize for Architecture. The distinction is given to architects that have contributed to the built environment through art and architecture.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brown University, a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, a Master of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University, and attended the Master of City Planning program at MIT. She has taught at Harvard University, the University of Miami, Florida International University, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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Margarita Blanco, Ph.D., LEED AP

Director

Co-founder and Director of ArquitectonicaGEO, Margarita is driven by a commitment to excellence. She is involved on nearly every project and ensures that proper and accurate execution of the design intent is carried out. Under her direction, the firm has earned numerous state, national, and international awards. During her 35+ year career working on numerous projects worldwide, Ms. Blanco has gained experience in many project typologies of different scales and sizes including hotels and resorts, offices, retail, and residential projects ranging from large master plans, technologically advanced housing, to luxury high-end residential. Ms. Blanco has been practicing Landscape Architecture for 18 years and Architecture for over 35 years.

She received a Bachelor degree in Architecture from Cornell University, a Diploma in Business Studies from the London School of Economics. After practicing architecture for more than twenty-five year, Margarita earned a a Master of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University and in 2019 earned a Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture from University of Florida.

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Leadership

John “Ben” Hutchens, PLA, SITES AP, LEED AP

Design Principal – Landscape Architect

Mr. Hutchens is a Registered Landscape Architect that specializes in urban site design for mixed-use, commercial, multi-family residential, municipal and institutional projects both local and international.  Driven by a passion of the outdoors and striving to achieve a timeless design and a sense of place with every project; Ben’s thoughtful and expressive design demonstrate his commitment to aesthetics, functionality, and resiliency while providing our clients with designs of great impact and value. Ben is currently involved in several new projects in the Wynwood District and has recently served as the Lead Landscape Architect for the recently adopted Wynwood Streetscape Master Plan project as well as the University of Miami Lakeside Village project, a mixed-use student housing project that revolutionizes the student experience living on campus.

Ben is a graduate of the College of Charleston’s Historic Preservation and Community Planning program; Florida International University’s Master’s program in Landscape Architecture, and certified SITES AP and LEED AP. He has been practicing Landscape Architecture for over 15 years.

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Alejandro Javier Perez, PLA

Vice President – Landscape Architect

Mr. Perez is a Registered Landscape Architect with over 10 years of experience working on different project typologies and sizes. Alejandro has a well-rounded knowledge in all aspects of the project process from project inception to implementation. With a great awareness of the positive impacts that can be made through thoughtful landscape design, he strives to restore habitats and re-introduce nature into cities/urban areas . He combines local materials and design textures that better reflect cultural color palettes that exude sensitivity and value people and intent in a very visual way. He is currently the project manager for Canopy Park at Five Park in Miami Beach, a project that will bring 3-acres of public park space to the community and integrates resiliency and sustainability components for public well-being, preservation of the environment, increase biodiversity and making community.

Rene Llanes

Vice President

Mr. Llanes has over 35 years of experience in both architecture and landscape architecture design, construction documents, and construction administration. He coordinated with the architects and consultant engineers the project construction document phase for the landscape architecture and hardscape for Brickell City Centre, one of the largest mixed-use developments in the United States. Mr. Llanes is an expert in reviewing and processing all project submittals, shop drawings, RFIs, and change orders, in addition to evaluating pay requisitions, conducting weekly construction meetings, maintaining, distributing all project data with an emphasis on efficiency, quality assurance, quality compliance, and project closeout.

Team Miami

Monica Grigorescu, CSPO

Miami Office Director

Gary Cassagnol

Associate

Pedro Munarriz

Designer

Emily Hernandez, PLA

Designer

Fernanda Pereira

Designer

Cesar Froste

Designer

Patricia Mesa

Designer

Team Bogotá

Johanna Morales

Bogotá Office Director

Catherine Dereix

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Virginia Gutierrez

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Daniela Forero

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Sebastian Sanchez

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Carolina Alvarez

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Brigith Dayana Ferro Maldonado

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Valentina Bernal Hernandez

Designer (Team Bogotá)

Team Málaga

Antonio Roman

Designer (Team Málaga)

Laura Gonzalez

Designer (Team Málaga)
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