Transforming a former landfill that has been closed for three decades into a thriving retail, residential and commercial mixed-use community, the reclamation of the nearly 200-acre site makes Biscayne Landing a pilot project capable of setting the example for much needed sustainable development in South Florida. This design was proposed in 2007 for Boca Developers.

Located next to Florida’s largest urban nature preserve, the Oleta River State Park, Biscayne Landing embraces landscape as the underlying fabric of the site, capable of not only integrating a mixed-use development within a rich natural and urban environment, but of educating its community as to the natural systems and the ecology of the adjacent coastal corridor.

One of the project’s more significant design strategies is its use of the mangrove as a generator of form. The landscape interprets shapes, colors, and processes adapted from the adjacent forest, weaving these into the landscape. The dramatic gesture of large berms at the entrance emulates the tidal topography of the coast while providing effective visual and acoustic traffic buffers for the surrounding area. Sensitivity to LEED requirements, well-designed spaces, carefully integrated stormwater drainage systems and sound urban design principles enhance Biscayne Landing’s identity and define it as an important and unique destination for the entire region.