Michael Kidd, PLA
Owner
Over the last two decades Michael has had the pleasure of working on gardens, parks and civic spaces; trails and greenways; multi-family housing; hospitality; roadways and streetscapes; educational and institutional facilities; and commercial development projects. His expertise is rooted in the diversity of these experiences.
Michael’s journey toward landscape architecture began with a curious childhood set in the picturesque countryside of a small town in southeast Louisiana. His playground consisted of a five-acre cypress pond teaming with every form of wildlife from alligators to great blue herons, an old red barn surrounded by hay fields, farmland and pastures filled with livestock, and a two-hundred year old live oak with branches covering nearly an acre of land. In addition to his love of the outdoors, Michael also had a strong interest in art, which would later develop into an intense passion for design.
As an entering freshman at the University of Florida, Michael enrolled into the landscape architecture program and quickly realized there were very few courses related to plants. Since that was his primary interest at the time, he switched his major to Environmental Horticulture. During his last summer in school, he was one of sixty students from around the country selected to participate in the Parks Horticulture Internship Program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
After graduation, he landed a job with the in-house landscape maintenance group at Post Apartment Homes in Atlanta, Georgia. At that time, Post Landscape had a reputation as the premier landscape horticulture outfit in the southeast and had single-handedly changed the face of Metro Atlanta. Michael had the distinct privilege of working on an elite crew that maintained three high-end residential estates in the Buckhead community. After a few years in the field, he decided to return to school to pursue a graduate degree in Landscape Architecture.
In the fall of 1998, Michael attended the School of Environmental Design at the University of Georgia to pursue a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture. During the three year program he completed a study abroad in Cortona, Italy, an English countryside garden tour, and a two-week travel course through the northwest United States. He also had the privilege of participating in the design and implementation of Rocksprings Park, a community park within a low-income housing development in Athens, Georgia.
Michael is appreciable of all his experiences prior to forming Root Design Studio. Through these opportunities he gained knowledge from mentors and learned from doing, as he moved from intern to project manager to principal.
EDUCATION
University of Georgia (2001)
Master of Landscape Architecture
University of Florida (1996, 1995)
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Horticulture
Bachelor of Art, Business Management
REGISTRATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS
Landscape Architect
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- Florida
Certifications
- GDOT Prequalified (Area Class: 3.08, 3.13)
- LEED Accredited Professional
- Trail Master Certification (design, construction, crew leadership)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Root Design Studio (2011 – present)
Tucker, Georgia
Founder, Principal
jB+a, inc. (2007 – 2011)
Atlanta, Georgia
Landscape Architect, Project Manager
Sandestin Owners Association (2006 – 2007)
Sandestin, Florida
Project Manager
Jordan, Jones & Goulding (2001 – 2006)
Norcross, Georgia
Landscape Architect, Project Manager
Robert & Company (2000)
Atlanta, Georgia
Summer Internship
Post Landscape (1996 – 1998)
Atlanta, Georgia
Landscape Maintenance Crew Supervisor
Walt Disney World Co. (1995)
Orlando, Florida
Parks Horticulture Summer Internship
AFFILIATIONS
American Society of Landscape Architects
US Green Building Council
HONORS & ACTIVITIES
Georgia Chapter ASLA (2005 – 2006)
Award of Merit – Planning and Analysis
Gainesville Midtown Greenway, Gainesville, GA
National Timber Bridge Awards (2004 – 2005)
Award of Merit – Covered Bridges
Vickery Creek Mill Bridge, Roswell, GA
Saddle Island Institute (2003)
Construction Claims Course
PSMJ (2003)
Project Management Boot Camp
Zig Ziglar Business Seminar (1997)
The Qualities of Success
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Georgia Urban Forestry Council (2010)
CAI Large Scale Resort Managers Conference (2009)
Destin Garden Club (2007)
Georgia Urban Forestry Council (2005)
DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District (2004)
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Gardens, Parks & Civic Spaces:
Abernathy Parkway Greenspace Master Plan – Sandy Springs, Georgia
Big Creek Park Restroom – Roswell, Georgia
Buford Town Center – Buford, Georgia
City of Plains Greenprint – Plains, Georgia
Ferrel Gardens at Hills & Dales – LaGrange, Georgia
Franklin Parks and Recreation Master Plan – Franklin, Tennessee
Frederica Park – St. Simon’s Island, Georgia
Garden City Town Green – Garden City, Georgia
Garrard Landing Park: Phase 2 – Roswell, Georgia
Powder Springs Linear Greenspace Master Plan – Powder Springs, Georgia
Riverside Park – Roswell, Georgia
Trail of Tears Memorial Park Master Plan – Pulaski, Tennessee
Vickery Creek Covered Bridge – Roswell, Georgia
Trails & Greenways:
City of Douglas Trail (TE) – Douglas, Georgia
Gainesville Midtown Greenway Master Plan – Gainesville, Georgia
Heard County Greenway (TE) – Heard County, Georgia
Rock Creek Greenway (TE): Phase 1 – Gainesville, Georgia
Rock Creek Greenway (TE): Phase 2 TE Grant – Gainesville, Georgia
Roswell Riverwalk Trail (TE): Phase 1 – Roswell, Georgia
Roswell Riverwalk Trail (TE): Phase 2 Feasibility Study – Roswell, Georgia
Multi-Family Housing:
Blakely Commons Affordable Housing – Blakely, Georgia
Grant’s Ferry Cove – Brunswick, Georgia
Marquis Vista – Atlanta, Georgia
Oak Lake Active Senior Community: Master Plan – Savannah, Georgia
Orion at Roswell – Roswell, Georgia
Orion at Deerfield – Alpharetta, Georgia
Peter Street Housing Development – Athens, Georgia
Sandtown Vista – Fulton County, Georgia
Tuscany Hills – Douglas County, Georgia
Woodside Vista – Atlanta, Georgia
Hospitality:
Hilton Hotel: Pool Deck Renovation – Sandestin, Florida
One Sandestin Grounds Improvements Program – Sandestin, Florida
Sandestin Resort: East Gate Improvements – Sandestin, Florida
Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel – Atlanta, Georgia
Roadways & Streetscapes:
City of Monticello Streetscape – Monticello, Georgia
Entrance Signage Beautification – Garden City, Georgia
Garden City Gateways – Garden City, Georgia
Griffin Streetscape – Griffin, Georgia
Pleasant Hill Streetscape: Phase 1 – Gwinnett County, Georgia
Powers Ferry Streetscape – Cobb County, Georgia
Satellite Boulevard Streetscape – Gwinnett County, Georgia
Sunshine Road Streetscape – Garden City, Georgia
Toccoa Streetscape – Toccoa, Georgia
Waycross Gateways – Waycross, Georgia
Educational & Institutional:
Atlanta Metro College – Alpharetta, Georgia
College of Coastal Georgia, Brunswick, Georgia
GSU: Alpharetta Academic Facility – Alpharetta, Georgia
New Life Baptist Church Master Plan – Atlanta, Georgia
Commercial:
Coca Cola Enterprises Facility Expansion – Hillsborough County, Florida
Garden City Public Works – Garden City, Georgia
Navy Federal Credit Union Corporate Headquarters: Phase 4 – Pensacola, Florida
Regional Training Academy – Garden City, Georgia
Southeast Georgia Health System: Camden Hospital Campus – Camden County, Georgia
South Point Jubilee: Phase 1 – McDonough, Georgia