By Chuck Whiting
MCAU Editor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (October 2015) – When landscape architects Dwight Kiser and Gary Vogrin joined forces to found Kiser+Vogrin Design in 2010, they had no idea they would soon be designing the sites of some of the largest construction projects in Middle Tennessee history.
KVD landscape architects were soon tapped to develop master plans for City Park, Ovation and Capitol View. In just five years, this fast-growing Franklin, Tenn., firm has become one of the most respected companies in the Southeast for its landscape architecture, urban design, and land planning.
The eight-member KVD staff felt a great sense of pride when they were recently honored for those projects, winning four awards from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
"We're thrilled to have reached a point in the history of KVD where our projects have been recognized for excellence by peers in the field of landscape architecture," Kiser said with a smile.
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| The KVD team celebrates after winning four awards from the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. (L-R) Gary Vogrin, Diane King, Dwight Kiser, Jeff Rosiak, Johnson Bullard, Kennon Lorick, Katie Rudowsky, and Chris Wood. (Photo by Yates Bateman) |
During an awards dinner at the Cordelle in downtown Nashville, KVD was honored for its work on
* City Park (Built Environment/Commercial), a sprawling suburban office park that is being transformed into a much-needed town center in Brentwood, Tenn.
* Ovation (Planning and Analysis/Mixed Use; Natural Resource Conservation/Sustainable Design), a 147-acre property in Franklin described as the "most comprehensive mixed-use community in Middle Tennessee."
* Capitol View (Planning and Analysis/Mixed Use), a 34-acre mixed-use development currently under construction on a brownfield site in the North Gulch adjacent to Nashville's urban core.
“We have spent a tremendous amount of time and effort working on assembling the right people and building a culture where we can all be creative but work hard to serve the needs of our clients,” said Jeff Rosiak, principal for KVD. “None of this would have been possible without the collaborative efforts of our clients, architects, engineers and others in the Nashville community.”
For City Park, KVD’s architects created the design for a dynamic streetscape flanked by a robust mix of restaurants, retail vendors, and open spaces. The plan features a new boutique hotel that surrounds the historic Mooreland Mansion on three sides.
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| City Park |
“Ovation and Capitol View are universally considered favorite projects by our staff,” said Vogrin, who serves as KVD vice president.
Ovation features a thoughtful blend of residential, office, retail and entertainment uses in a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. The project will transform the McEwen/Carothers Parkway corridor into one of the most environmentally and economically sustainable public gathering areas in the region.
“The attraction to the Ovation project starts with its magnitude,” Kiser added. “With an estimated $770 million construction budget, Ovation has been described as a downtown for the Cool Springs area of Franklin.”
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| Ovation |
KVD’s conceptual master plan for Capitol View includes residential, retail, office and green space on an urban brownfield site. The firm's detailed site design includes a brick paver-clad "festival street" with three large plazas, a park, rain gardens, pedestrian pathways, and biking trails connecting to the Gulch and to the Nashville Greenway System. The project boasts nearly 280,000 square feet of retail space, more than 1 million square feet of office space, 120 hotel rooms, and 1,200 residential units.
“Festival Street, in particular, is an amazing space where true landscape architecture was applied to an urban streetscape,” Vogrin continued. “The streetscape and corner park are still in design development, but it is anticipated to have a small performance stage and a kiosk that may contain trail maps and serve as a trailhead to the Nashville Greenway system.”
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| Capitol View |
Kiser+Vogrin Design continues to play a major role in Middle Tennessee’s unprecedented growth. The firm recently expanded into music event-related design by developing the layout for Franklin’s inaugural Pilgrimage Festival. In late October, the firm’s architects will unveil the preservation plans for the historic Carter House in Franklin. KVD is also continuing to work on the 600-acre Berry Farms, a project that includes office, retail and residential connected by a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.
“This is our fifth anniversary, and we have a lot to be excited about,” Vogrin said. “Our staff has a broad range of expertise. Our roots are in large-scale residential master planning. We also have parks and recreation experts and a growing portfolio of historic preservation.”
Other KVD team members include Project Manager/Landscape Architect Chris Wood, Chief Financial Officer Diane King, Project Manager/ Landscape Designer Johnson Bullard, Landscape Designer Katie Rudowsky, and Landscape Designer Kennon Lorick.
“We’re proud to be a part of the evolution of Middle Tennessee,” Vogrin noted. “Just 10 to 15 years ago, the vast majority of development was on the outskirts of Nashville. Residents were content to commute to a sleepy downtown. Now more people are moving to the city every day. We have a dense and thriving downtown residential market and a palpable sense of energy throughout the city.”
Founded in 2010, Kiser+Vogrin Design is a landscape architecture, urban design and land planning firm located in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, Tenn. Founders Dwight Kiser and Gary Vogrin have been successfully designing, entitling and building projects in Middle Tennessee since 1996. KVD strives to consistently provide innovative and sustainable project solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of clients in real estate development, construction, historic preservation, amusement, city government, parks and recreation, and related fields. Services include development feasibility and carrying capacity analysis, land use planning, site master planning, zoning and site entitlement, design guidelines and development books, grading and drainage concepts, landscape design, storm water solutions, and green infrastructure implementation. The firm's work spans all facets of residential, mixed use, commercial, retail, office, resort, and recreational planning and design.
"What makes Kiser Vogrin's designs stand out is that they balance practicality and affordability to the design, yet deliver something that will stand out above the competition," said client David Wilson of Fifth Lane Real Estate in Franklin.
To learn more about Kiser+Vogrin Design, visit www.KiserVogrin.com. You can contact a KVD representative directly at (615) 813-0862 or kvd@kiservogrin.com.
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