TESSERE Architecture, along with landscape architecture firm Unknown Studio and a broad team of collaborators, has 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 seen tremendous success following the construction of its initial 170-Acres and 5 gardens. The focused conservation efforts of the Garden’s collections represent the flora of tropical regions between the 26th latitudes. 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.
The project is uniquely suited to tackle some of the most critical issues of our time:
- – Conservation of biodiversity—with more than two-thirds of the globe’s biodiversity being located in the tropics
- – Designing for resilience—of particular relevance in threatened low-lying coastal Florida
- – An inclusive approach to the Botanical Garden—considering representation and conservation in tandem with indigenous and BIPOC knowledge of place in this region.
The site itself is uniquely located at the convergence of three coastal Florida ecotones, situated between rapidly developing central Naples to the north, and seven thousand square miles of conserved landscapes to its south, including the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve, some of the most biodiverse places on the continent.
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 looks forward to helping the Naples Botanical Garden further distinguish itself as a national and international leader among tropical gardens.
About the project team: TESSERE 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. Unknown Studio is a boutique landscape architecture practice that collaborates with leading national garden, public, and institutional clients. They will lead the project’s landscape and site design to help envision an experientially powerful, inclusive, and resilient future for the garden. The consulting firm Tenby Group, which specializes 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 the 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
