Biography.Brian
F. Davis, president, Libra Design Group
Mr. Davis has spent the last twenty five years practicing the art of Landscape
Architecture on many exciting and diverse projects. A graduate of Purdue
University, he began his career in his hometown of Indianapolis with Interdesign
but soon after moved to Dallas, where in the early 80’s he executed
various projects throughout the Southwest and Florida for Texas developers
such as Trammel Crow Company, Lincoln and Paragon Group. After spending
a year in Dallas with Enviro Design, he and a college established a branch
office for the firm in Tampa, servicing the firms’ Florida clientele.
In 1987, he joined Canin Associates in Orlando as director of Landscape
Architecture where he was tasked with building the Landscape Architectural
practice. Mr. Davis, over the next sixteen years, built the group into a
powerhouse, executing resorts and master planned communities for national
and international names such as Marriott, Fairfield, Disney, Terrabrook
and many others. He established his own diverse practice, Libra Design Group,
in June 2004, where today he continues to execute world class landscape
architectural environments throughout the Southeast and abroad.
Contact Information:Brian F. Davis, ASLA
President, Libra Design Group
1322 Eastin Ave.
Orlando, Florida, 32804
Phone: 407-649-1828
Fax: 407-428-9526
Professional License Number LA 935
bdavis@libradesigngroup.com
www.libradesigngroup.com
Philosophy:
Libra means balance and harmony. Libra Design Group was created to bring
balance and harmony to all of our design efforts.
Our vision: world class place making through the art of landscape architecture.
Our mission: to create dynamic places that balance the natural, cultural,
economic and architectural elements of a project through artful and creative
design.
We are about creating experiences, places and memories; we create a stage
for memorable experiences that will last a lifetime.
We are all about the team. The team includes the owner, designers, contractors
and operators that work in a dynamic environment where the members of
each group commit to a vision of the project and pledge to see that vision
to reality.
We understand that the drawings we produce are only a communicative medium
to guide the implementation process. We believe in extensive construction
involvement combined with a long term commitment to the maturation of
the project. We achieve this through our project review program. Our logo
represents our philosophy and approach to our work.The triangle represents
the birth of a project, with the three points representing the owner,
the design team and the contractor, all working together to realize the
original vision.The circle represents the creative design process that
is ongoing and flexible, allowing input from the projects stakeholdersThe
square represents the construction and maturation process, including the
four stages of a project: 1. Vision or birth of a project. 2. Design phase
representing childhood. 3. Construction phase or adulthood. 4.Maturation
phase of the development.
Boca Lago at Vivante, Punta Gorda, Florida. A condominium community by
the Bove Company, Jacksonville, Fl.
Responsibilities include entry, bridge, pool area, landscape design. Concepts
through construction.
Located in Punta Gorda, this luxury condominium community will set a new
quality standard for the area. The project is designed as a classically
elegant Spanish Mediterranean village. The entry includes a three tiered
entwined fish fountain in a setting of beautiful specimen date palms.
A bridge spanning the existing lake is designed with twenty five foot
towers on each end reminiscent of the classical architecture of Addison
Mizner.
The pool/ clubhouse area is designed as a series of outdoor rooms, each
with its own unique landscape, pool and fountain. Trellises and specimen
trees are used as outdoors landscape walls to enclose space. The result
is a beautifully elegant and classically detailed outdoor recreational
space for the residents of the community.Fairfield Inn, Key west, Florida,
pool and landscape renovation. White Lodging Services Corporation, Merriville,
Indiana.
Responsibilities include pool area design, landscape, main entry design.
Concept design through construction.
The project entailed the renovation of the existing pool area and the
addition of a new pool space through the removal of portions of the existing
parking. The entry sequence to the lobby building was drastically improved
with the addition of a new roundabout drive, along with fountains and
pavers. The entire existing landscape will be renovated, with an emphasis
on the dynamic tropical landscape indigenous to the island. The overall
image of the project will be dramatically through the addition of plantings
at Roosevelt boulevard.Grande Lakes Resort, Orlando, Florida
The first of its kind in the world, Grande Lakes Resort includes a Ritz
Carlton and a JW Marriott Hotel on the same property. The resort also
includes a Greg Norman Signature Golf Club, along with a world class spa
and health club; all in a spectacular semi-tropical landscape setting.
The Landscape a Architecture takes its inspiration from the indigenous
Central Florida landscape of natural artesian springs. Many other design
motifs throughout the resort depict native flora and fauna. The Florida
panther became the signature icon of the resort represented in the project
logo and the spectacular panther fountain at the entry to the Ritz Carlton
hotel.Horizons Timeshare Resort, Orlando, Florida. Marriott Vacation Club
International
Created while director of Landscape Architecture at Canin Associates.
Responsibilities include site planning, pool and water feature, interactive
water park, entrance and landscape design.“Come to Stay, Stay and
Play” sums up the concept behind the Horizons timeshare reort in
Orlando. The entire resort was designed to offer a multitude of recreational
opportunities to the owners, including a pirate ship pool, interactive
water park, putting course, basketball, fishing and open play space.
Themed after a key west village, a main street was created that leads
from the entry bridge to the sales center to the recreation areas, allowing
easy access from all buildings. The landscape supports the key west theme
with the use of tropical palms, trees and flowering shrub beds. The result
is a uniquely wonderful environment for vacationers.Hotel Landscape Renovation,
Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii. CTF Hotels and Resorts, Washington, DC.
Responsibilities include conceptual pool area and landscape renovation
of this existing hotel in Kauai.
Located on one of the world”s most beautiful beaches, this hotel
was severely damaged by hurricane Ineki and is currently under renovation.
Libra Design Group was retained to completely renovate the pool area through
the design of a new pool, pool bar, water features and landscape. The
initial concepts include three very different approaches to the design
of the key outdoor area of the resort: one design is based on a natural
Hawaiian waterfall and pool: one is a modern expression within a tropical
environment, and one as a complete integration of pool and architecture.
All of the pools will result in a quintessential Hawaiian environment
with waterfalls, pools, decks, and planting that speak to the indigenous
Hawaiian context.
Sarabande,
Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida a condominium development by Crescendo Management
Inc. Los Angeles
Responsibilities include site planning, concept design for the village
area including streetscape, pool area and sales center.
This existing condominium development in Howey-in-the-Hills is conceived
as a quaint hillside Spanish village along the banks of Lake Harris. The
concept was to integrate all of the recreational and sales elements, along
with new residential units into a dynamic village streetscape.Sarasota
Commerce Center, Sarasota, Florida. A mixed use office/retail development
for Denholtz Associates.
Created
while director of landscape architecture at canin associates.
Responsibilities include site planning and conceptual landscape architectural
design.
This office and retail development was designed to integrate the existing
lake and office buildings with the restaurants along fruitville road.
This was accomplished through the design of a retail street that physically
connects the new offices with the existing office and retail. Walkways
were also designed to facilitate access through the site, along with the
addition of a lake that will serve as a strong visual focus of the community.Services:
Site Planning and Conceptual Design: the ideation phase of a project where
all of the creative design ideas are tested and developed. Includes planning
and layout of site elements, including buildings, parking along with conceptual
themeing and landscape design. We feel that it is critical to the success
of the project to combine these two activities early on in the design
process to identify the key form-giving elements of the project.
Landscape Architecture: the steps involved in developing the ideas in
the conceptual phase into the reality of a built environment. This includes
schematic, design development and construction document phases of the
project.
Construction Implementation: the construction phase of the project is
critical to the realization of the original projects vision. We provide
extensive services during this phase to help the contractor and owner
in the implementation of our designs. This includes selection of final
materials for hardscapes and plant materials. Hand tagging of specimen
trees, layout of the key plant beds and trees, along with oversight of
installation of all hardscape and softscape elements.
Post Installation: we place great emphasis on the proper maturation of
our projects and play an active role to assure that the original vision
of the project is realized. This is accomplished in two ways: we provide
the owner and operator with the original design direction for the community
including detailed instruction on the overall maintenance of the landscape.
Along with this, we provide periodic review of the project after installation.
Created while Director of Landscape Architecture at Canin Associates.
Grande Vista Resort, Orlando, Florida, a Luxury Timeshare Resort for Marriott
Vacation Club InternationalDesigned to resemble a Mediterranean fishing
village, Grande vista Resort is an award winning resort community offering
a wide variety of amenities and activities to its guests. This includes
a Nick Faldo Golf Institute; a nine hole golf course and world class instruction
facility, along with specialty pools, and a lakefront promenade for walkers
and joggers.
The landscape complements the Mediterranean architectural style with the
use of exotic palms, trees and flowering groundcover all combined to create
a lush, tropical landscape environment
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