Founded in 2005, ArquitectonicaGEO is an award-winning landscape architecture, planning, and urban design studio that seamlessly integrates sustainability, innovation, and design excellence. Led by Laurinda H. Spear and Margarita Blanco, our firm has redefined the role of landscape architecture, demonstrating its power to shape cities, elevate human experiences, and address the urgent challenges of climate change, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss.

At ArquitectonicaGEO, we bridge ecology and aesthetics, designing landscapes that are not only resilient and adaptive but also immersive, sculptural, and experientially rich. Our work transforms natural systems into living, breathing elements of the built environment—creating landscapes that are as functional as they are beautiful.

The landscape architect plays a crucial role in shaping the public realm, urban ecology, and environmental resilience. At ArquitectonicaGEO, our responsibilities go beyond aesthetic design—we create functional, sustainable, and connected urban environments that enhance the quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors alike. Through bold and forward-thinking solutions, we ensure that landscapes are not just designed but engineered to perform, adapt, and evolve over time.

Beyond design, we are experts in navigating the complexities of project approvals and entitlement processes, ensuring that projects move forward efficiently while meeting environmental, zoning, and regulatory requirements. Our deep understanding of local and international permitting processes allows us to anticipate challenges and develop strategies that streamline approvals, keeping projects on track.

We are also leaders in the use of native plantings, recognizing their critical role in restoring ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, and enhancing long-term sustainability. Thoughtfully selected plant palettes not only strengthen site resilience and reduce maintenance needs but also create dynamic, evolving landscapes that connect people to the natural world in meaningful ways.

We collaborate with world-renowned architects, developers, cultural institutions, and civic leaders to craft landscapes that elevate architectural narratives, enhance community livability, and deliver enduring value. Our international, multidisciplinary approach allows us to shape projects with precision and creativity, responding dynamically to the evolving global landscape.

Through bold, forward-thinking solutions, we redefine what landscapes can be—places that inspire, sustain, and connect.

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. SITES–certified 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.

Margarita Blanco, Ph.D., LEED AP

Global Director

Co-founder and Global 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.

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

Design Principal – Landscape Architect

Ben Hutchens is a Registered Landscape Architect with over 18 years of experience specializing in urban site design for mixed-use, commercial, multi-family residential, municipal, and institutional projects at both local and international scales. His work is driven by a deep passion for the outdoors and a commitment to timeless design, placemaking, and environmental resilience.

With a keen eye for aesthetics and a strong focus on functionality, Ben approaches every project with the goal of creating impactful, enduring landscapes that enhance both the built environment and the human experience. His thoughtful and expressive designs seamlessly integrate ecology, sustainability, and innovation, delivering high-performance landscapes that add lasting value for clients and communities alike.

Ben has played a pivotal role in shaping the evolving landscape of Miami, particularly in the Wynwood District, where he is currently involved in multiple new projects. He recently served as the Lead Landscape Architect for the Wynwood Streetscape Master Plan, a transformative initiative that redefines urban streetscapes through pedestrian-friendly, resilient design. Additionally, his work on the University of Miami Lakeside Village has set a new standard for mixed-use student housing, blending sustainability with a vibrant, immersive campus experience.

Ben was also a key contributor to the recently completed Canopy Park in Miami Beach, a landmark public space that transforms a former surface parking lot into a lush, ecologically rich urban oasis. Designed to enhance community well-being, biodiversity, and stormwater management, the park provides a much-needed green refuge within the city’s dense urban fabric. Featuring a dynamic tree canopy, open green spaces, native plantings, and interactive play areas, Canopy Park not only mitigates urban heat island effects but also fosters social engagement, active recreation, and environmental awareness.

Ben holds a degree in Historic Preservation and Community Planning from the College of Charleston and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Florida International University. He is also a certified SITES AP and LEED AP, reflecting his expertise in sustainable site design and environmental stewardship.

Alejandro Javier Perez, PLA

Vice President – Landscape Architect

Alejandro Perez is a Registered Landscape Architect with over 14 years of experience designing and managing projects across a wide range of typologies and scales. His comprehensive understanding of the entire project lifecycle—from concept development to implementation—allows him to create seamless, high-impact design solutions that are both visionary and practical.

Guided by a deep awareness of landscape architecture’s power to transform urban environments, Alejandro is committed to restoring habitats, reintroducing nature into cities, and fostering ecological balance. His design approach blends locally sourced materials, rich textural elements, and culturally inspired color palettes, ensuring that each project not only enhances the environment but also reflects the identity and spirit of the community it serves.

Alejandro recently served as the Project Manager for Canopy Park, a three-acre public park within the larger Five Park development in Miami Beach. This dynamic green space was designed to seamlessly integrate nature into the urban environment, providing an essential ecological and social hub for the community. The park introduces a richly layered landscape, featuring native plantings that enhance biodiversity, interactive play areas, and inviting shaded spaces that encourage recreation and relaxation.

A key focus of Canopy Park was resiliency and sustainability, with innovative stormwater management strategies and thoughtfully designed green infrastructure that help mitigate urban heat and flooding. By prioritizing environmental preservation and public well-being, the park not only enriches daily life for residents and visitors but also serves as a model for climate-conscious urban landscapes, reinforcing Miami Beach’s commitment to adaptive and forward-thinking design.

Beyond design, Alejandro is highly skilled in navigating local zoning codes, permitting regulations, and entitlement processes, ensuring that projects move forward efficiently while meeting regulatory requirements. His expertise in expediting entitlements and approvals allows clients to avoid delays and achieve project milestones with greater ease. His ability to align design intent with regulatory compliance makes him a key asset in delivering complex projects on schedule and within scope.

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.