January 10, 2024No Comments

The University of Florida Gateway just received the first SITES Gold Level Certification in the State of Florida!

The Newell Gateway and Northeast Gateway projects achieved a remarkable milestone by receiving the SITES Gold level certification, setting a precedent for the University of Florida and the entire state. Led by GAI Consultants, the entire project team demonstrated an impressive commitment to sustainable landscape design, using the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) as a guiding force.

SITES, a comprehensive framework for developing and managing sustainable landscapes, played a pivotal role in these gateway projects becoming examples of nature-positive design. Newell Gateway totaled 107 points and Northeast Gateway totaled 100 points in order to achieve the SITES Gold certification. This displays the dedication of the team to preserving and enhancing the natural environment. Notable efforts included tree preservation and relocation, repurposing existing materials, soil testing methodologies, and community engagement. These projects serve as a testament to the ability to create landscapes that promote biodiversity, resilience, and sustainable living, continuing Walker Architects' and the University of Florida's commitment to a greener future.

April 21, 2023No Comments

Building for a Better Future:

We are excited to celebrate this Earth Day by sharing our commitment to sustainable design and how it aligns with our focus on people and the planet. Our Agile Design approach emphasizes flexibility, well-being, accessibility, and environmental impact, allowing us to create buildings that can serve multiple uses and remain adaptive over many decades. As we celebrate Earth Day, we’d like to share our enthusiasm toward the importance of sustainable design, our Agile Design approach, and how it all comes together to build a better future for all.

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September 22, 2022No Comments

Florida Ballpark is the first of its kind to receive 3 Green Globe certifications

The Condron Family Ballpark (previously known as the Florida Ballpark) has been awarded 3 Green Globes! It is the first premier collegiate stadium in the United States to receive this certification.

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August 25, 2022No Comments

Walker Architect’s Team Members Achieve WELL Accreditation

We are proud to announce that two of our own Walker Architects team members are now WELL Accredited Professionals! Iris Meeker (Director of Sustainability) and Samantha Ramos (Project Coordinator) earned their WELL Accredited Professional™ (WELL AP™) credential through the International WELL Building Institute. They have become experts in the WELL Building Standard™ and are committed to advancing human health and wellness in the built environment. 

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August 10, 2022No Comments

Walker Architects receives the “JUST” Label Recognizing Firm’s Culture and Processes

Walker Architects is proud to have achieved a JUST label! For us, this label signifies our ongoing commitment as a company that embraces integrity, quality, empathy, passion, collaboration, and passion in all we do.

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July 27, 2022No Comments

Reflections on NeoCon 2022

We were excited to attend NeoCon!

What is NeoCon, you ask? One of our interior designers, Taylor, describes it as “an expo for interior manufacturers of furniture, materials, and finishes. Basically, the fashion week for interior designers.”

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November 8, 2021No Comments

Rebrand, Refresh, Repeat: A New Look for Radiant Credit Union

Walker Architects teamed up with Scorpio to update multiple branches of Radiant Credit Union.

Formerly called “SunState Federal Credit Union,” the organization underwent a branding overhaul to better represent their reliable, straightforward service and friendly, youthful approach. Our team was charged with transforming their branches into bright and positive spaces to reflect their fresh new image and community-centric values.

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October 7, 2021No Comments

Walker Architects attends Greenbuild 2021

Greenbuild, in partnership with USGBC, hosts the largest annual event for green building professionals worldwide, where attendees learn and source solutions to improve resilience, sustainability and quality of life in our buildings, cities and communities. 

This year’s event was held on September 21-23, 2021 in San Diego, and our Director of Sustainability, Iris Meeker, attended the event to keep abreast of the most pressing issues surrounding the green building movement and to further advance our commitment to sustainability.

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September 23, 2021No Comments

Designing for Wellness

Most people spend up to ninety percent of their lives indoors. With that in mind, we believe that design to promote human wellness is critical.
A building designed for occupant wellness can include features like biophilic elements, ergonomic work areas, healthy building materials, and acoustically sensitive and agile spaces that support healthy choices by the end-user. All of these design elements work together to make us healthier and happier.
We believe in designing people-centered spaces by asking the right questions:

  • How can the design encourage a healthy lifestyle?
  • How can the space provide for greater occupant comfort and well-being?
  • How can the space feel welcoming and inclusive for all?
  • How can design connect people with place and nature?
  • What materials can support a healthy environment?

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August 20, 2021No Comments

How Higher Education spaces can support the collegiate shift toward conversations

We are a firm who actively listens — and what we’ve heard from our clients is that outdated collegiate spaces are getting in the way of progress. Hundreds of higher education projects over the last decade have taught us that spaces are constantly challenged with evolving needs. The architecture that supported innovation in the classroom of yesterday might stand in the way of progress today. While we can’t anticipate every trend, we can design spaces to be ready to support organizations as they adapt and grow.

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August 12, 2021No Comments

On the Boards: Williston Streetscape

The City of Williston has a vision of renewed purpose in the heart of their historic downtown district. They approached Walker Architects to help with a plan to restore and reopen the building arcade, freshen Main Street storefronts, and introduce a new community space in Parcel O. These projects, in tandem, offer a powerful invigoration effort that could redefine and rejuvenate the fabric of downtown Williston.

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June 16, 2021No Comments

On The Boards: GRACE

What does ending homelessness in Alachua County look like? 

GRACE provides services that make a difference. Since 2014, they’ve reduced homelessness in Alachua County by 47% by moving more than 1,700 people into permanent housing. They reached out to us with a simple need: to serve more people with the only resource that can actually end homelessness: housing.

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May 5, 2021No Comments

On the Boards: Chi University

The Chi Small Animal Hospital is a veterinary clinic that integrates western and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. Its goal is to improve pet wellness by providing holistic care in a comfortable, serene setting.

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April 22, 2021No Comments

The Walker Architects team considers environmental stewardship an integral piece of our overall design philosophy and culture.

As environmental concern continues to grow both nationally and globally amid the current climate crisis, Walker Architects understands the critical importance of designing for a sustainable future.

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February 9, 2021No Comments

Our New Office Sets the Stage for Collaborative Creative Work

When we set about creating the new Walker Architects office in a former Big Boy restaurant, our team envisioned a space that would capture who we are: passionate, fun, and focused on design. Equally, our firm needed an open, flexible space that would foster collaboration and accommodate several small meetings or office-wide gatherings for presentations and parties.

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