Unknown Studio and GLMV Selected to Lead Planning for The Naples Botanical Garden
GLMV Architecture, Unknown Studio, and a broad team of collaborators have been selected to develop an ambitious master plan in support of the Naples Botanical Garden’s next century of growth. In its first two decades, the Botanical Garden has experienced tremendous success following the construction of its initial 170 acre and five gardens. The focused conservation efforts of the Garden’s collections represent the flora of tropical regions between the 26th latitudes. Access to these plants and the global ecosystems and cultures they celebrate has attracted a compassionate and stewardship-minded community of Garden members. The 2022 Master Plan will build upon this initial foundation, expanding upon key mission areas including conservation of tropical biodiversity, education & research, sustainability, and growth of the Garden’s world class botanical displays.
This project is well suited to address some of the most critical issues of our time: conservation of biodiversity—with more than two-thirds of the globe’s biodiversity located in the tropics; designing for resilience—of particular relevance in threatened low-lying coastal Florida; and an inclusive approach to the Botanical Garden—considering representation and conservation in tandem with the regional knowledge of indigenous and BIPOC communities.
The site itself is uniquely located at the convergence of three coastal Florida ecotones, situated between rapidly developing central Naples to its north, and nearly seven thousand square miles of conserved landscape to its south. This region comprises some of the most biodiverse places on the continent, including the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve.
The Naples Botanical Garden works locally to foster community and embrace the natural resources of southern Florida, while also cultivating international partnerships in order to curate regionally diverse plant collections and preserve the tropical world in microcosm. The team at Unknown Studio looks forward to helping the Naples Botanical Garden further distinguish itself as a national and international leader among tropical gardens.
Unknown Studio is collaborating with a team whose expertise ranges from architecture to operations and maintenance to financial planning:
GLMV Architecture, a leading design firm who has completed successful projects in forty-nine states, including master planning and exhibit design for botanic gardens, zoos and cultural sites, will serve the role of project lead and architect. The consulting firm Tenby Group, who specialize in financial planning for botanical gardens and conservation organizations, will oversee business and DEIAJ planning. Civil engineering efforts will be led by Florida-based firm J.R. Evans. Studio Tectonic, a creative services firm out of Boulder, Colorado, will be responsible for interpretive design. ETM Associates will focus on operations and maintenance planning.
For more information about the Garden and the planning process, please visit naplesgarden.org
