Dix.Hite + Partners was founded in 1996, marking this year our 25th anniversary. To celebrate, we decided to accomplish 25 acts that embodied our core values through service, empowerment and collaboration.

About a year ago, our firm set out to ensure that our practice attracts people from all backgrounds, that our staff feels supported and safe, and that our designs work to build community and inclusivity. A group of employees formed a committee dedicated to researching and organizing thoughts around the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

Last year, a few of our team members entered the LA+ Journal’s CREATURE international design competition to discover how we can use design to open our cities, landscapes and minds to a more symbiotic existence with other creatures.

The 4Roots Farm is an 18-acre urban farm that was envisioned by 4Roots, an alliance of community stakeholders—community leaders, business owners, designers, scientists and engineers—who are committed to creating a healthy, thriving and sustainable food system in Orlando.

There are several signs of a good quality public space, signs that show us when a space is functioning at a high level. When designing in the public realm, we always consider these elements and ask ourselves the following questions.

There’s no substitution for great trees in an outdoor space. And because it takes 15 to 20 years for them to grow large enough to produce adequate shade, a quality tree canopy is difficult to replicate. One of our guiding design principles is to harness the spirit of the land—and that’s exactly how we approached Crest Lake Park.

National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June, is a day of service and recognition for our local trails. And in honor of National Trails Day, we’d like to celebrate one of those important places in the works: the Jones Valley Corridor.

Purveyors of fine design. Connecting people to place. These are just some of the ways we’ve chosen to describe who we are as a firm over the past 25 years. And like any company, these descriptions have grown and evolved right along with us.

It goes without saying that your life changes in many different ways after having children, and that can often include your professional life. But what landscape designer Viviana Castro was surprised to learn was that motherhood would allow her to do her job from a completely new perspective: her daughter’s.