Located within one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America, the Indian River Lagoon is home to more than 4,300 plant and animal species. In 2018, the Indian River Land Trust (IRLT), whose mission is to preserve, protect and provide access to the lagoon, reached out to us to create a vision plan and conceptual design that celebrated their mission through restoration, education, research, and experience.

When our CEO, Chris Hite, mentioned working on a site that sits on Florida's intercoastal waterway, Principal David Hoppes (who has a huge passion for fishing) immediately jumped at the chance to be involved in the project.

It All Started with a Vision

One of our favorite parts of the design process is the initial visioning: being on site, finding what inspires us, and then taking those ideas and turning them into reality. This site had intrinsic beauty, so we had a lot to work with. On one of our initial site visits, designer Abby Fisher, who was an intern at the time, saw an alligator in the wetlands, a bald eagle, and a rocket launch—the "Florida Trifecta," as David called it. This site is real Florida at its best.

A stakeholder charrette and workshop provided further insight into the goals and mission of Coastal Oaks Preserve. As a result, a plan was developed around three key activities: enter, gather, and explore. The plan includes design solutions that preserve the land and restore its significant ecosystems, define edges, provide space for research and education initiatives, and create opportunities for users to engage with the site.

Enter. From flatlands and upland areas with oaks, to palm trees, cypress and coastal environments and mangroves, Florida is home to many different ecosystems. This site was unique in that it had every one of those ecosystems within a half mile. The key activity, “enter,” is experienced by going through all the different environments: pine flatwoods, palm hammock, oak hammock, mangrove forest and lagoon edge.

Gather. Coastal Oaks Preserve isn’t a park, it’s a land trust. So, we wanted the land to be preserved rather than overwhelmed by too many people coming and potentially destroying the natural environment. It would partly be used as a research area to “gather” information on things like site water quality. And while it would be open to the public at key times, when visitors would be accompanied by a land trust member.

Explore. To allow people the chance to truly “explore” the different environments throughout the site, Coastal Oaks Preserve needed to be understated and rural in character. With a light touch on the land, the design utilized farm fencing, caprock excavation and a stacked stone wall. The entry is reminiscent of a state park with a heavy cypress gate stone wall, and the landscape is 100% native with no irrigation.

To restore significant ecosystems, we had to dig out the wetlands and revegetate the site. By reviewing historic soil maps from the state, we were able to learn which types of soil existed in the area. Soil types have corresponding vegetation types, giving us a look at which plants would have historically grown there. This allowed us to create plant palettes for use in our revegetation plan. Invasive Australian pines were removed (they were cut into links to be reused as wheel stops) and the native plants were replanted in a grid with a mix of trees.

Looking Forward 

Though keeping things aligned with our initial vision can be a challenge, it is extremely satisfying to see our plans come to fruition. We get to see our ideas literally come to life. It was amazing, for example, to see people dig out the wetlands. The area was all muddy; then vegetation grew in, and birds started appearing over time. Next, we hope to see the entry and pavilion implemented onto the site. The pavilion will have a curvilinear boardwalk system, which is intended to be used as a fundraising mechanism to get people to experience Coastal Oaks Preserve.

Honoring the local environment and harnessing the spirit of the land are two of the driving forces behind our designs. Although still in design development, the project has already received the ASLA Florida Environmental Stewardship Honor and an ASLA Florida Award of Honor. Through holistic, intentional, and enduring design, Coastal Oaks Preserve will continue to celebrate natural Florida for years to come.