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Faith Okuma | Kenneth Francis | Sandra Donner |
People
Our three design principals, Faith Okuma, Kenneth Francis, and Sandra Donner, possess a combined total of 50+ years experience in landscape architecture, architecture, master planning, design guidelines, and strategic and regional planning. We are licensed professionals in Landscape Architecture and Architecture. We are LEED accredited and AICP certified. Our team is comprised of landscape designers and planners, CAD/Graphics specialists, and administrative support.
Faith Okuma
Faith Okuma is a Principal of Surroundings and is a licensed landscape architect, AICP Certified and a LEED Accredited Professional. She brings distinguished experience through programming, planning and design expertise for public agencies and private clients throughout the American West. Notable projects that she has led include: Santa Fe Railyard Master Plan; Planning Services for Los Alamos National Laboratory; Rancho Viejo Master Plan and Implementation and the South Santa Fe Transit Oriented Neighborhood Study. Faith graduated from ASU and studied landscape architecture at Utah State University and the University of Arizona. She has been involved with numerous professional affiliations and boards and has presented at national conferences of the APA and the ASLA. Her designs have received numerous awards and press including from the American Planning Association, Sunset Magazine Western Garden Design-Award of Excellence, and New Mexico American Society of Landscape Architects-Excellence in Design Award.Kenneth Francis
Kenneth Francis is a Principal of Surroundings and is a licensed Landscape Architect and Architect. He has over 14 years project experience spanning across landscape architecture and planning, streetscape and urban design, wayfinding, master planning, design guidelines, and architecture. Kenneth holds a Bachelor’s in Architecture from The Cooper Union in New York City and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Alongside his professional experience, Kenneth has taught Architecture at the University of New Mexico, hosts workshops for students in the Landscape Architecture program, and is a visiting critic. While studying at Harvard, he received a travel grant to study the historic and cultural landscapes of the acequias in Northern New Mexico. As a result of this grant, he is focused on innovative and sustainable water practices in all aspects of his projects.
Sandra Donner
Sandra Donner is a Principal of Surroundings. She holds a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the Cooper Union and is a licensed architect in New Mexico. Formerly, she was a partner at ARC engine, an architecture firm engaged in commercial and high end residential design with projects in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and New York City. She taught design studios at the Boston Architectural Center in Massachusetts and has been a visiting critic at colleges and universities across the country. Sandra’s designs are built upon process-driven testing and experimentation to arrive at powerful and new solutions for our clients. Her methodical accuracy for drawing and critical eye proves to be an asset on every project. Prior to receiving her Bachelor’s in Architecture, she received a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design.