AWARDS AND MORE

AWARDS

Texas ASLA Awards 2023, The El Paso Downtown Tree Plan and Design Standards was recognized with an honor award.

2023 Jeff Harnar Award Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center won the top award for Contemporary Architecture across the Southwest.

2021 NMASLA Design Awards Design Exploratory: Murchison Rogers Park; Planning & Analysis: Las Golondrinas Facilities Master Plan, Los Alamos National Labs Low Impact Dev Standards; Design Constructed: Luz del Dia Residence, New Mexico School for the Arts

2021 Texas Architect Design Awards New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA)

2020 ENR Southwest Best Projects Awards, New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA) for Best K-12 Education.

2019 AIA ABQ Design Awards, New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA) was recognized with an honor award for Adaptive Reuse.

2018 AN Best of Design Awards, Murchison Rogers Park was recognized with an honorable mention award for Unbuilt Landscape Architecture.

Texas ASLA Awards 2018, Murchison Rogers Park was recognized with the highest award given for Design Excellence.

Jeff Harnar Award 2018, Surroundings’ project, Murchison Rogers Park, won the first ever Unbuilt Landscape Architecture category.

AIA El Paso 2018, Eastside Sports Complex, El Paso Texas.

Hacienda Parade of Homes 2018, Best Outdoor Living; Conveyance House.

AIA Santa Fe Design Awards 2017, Merit Award, OTA Contemporary Gallery 

2016 NMASLA Design Awards, Highest Award of Excellence: Woven Plains; Design Exploratory Honor Award: Seaholm Intake Design Competition; Communication Honor Award: Old School Green Infrastructure; Design Constructed Merit Award: El Parque del Rio

AIA Santa Fe Design Awards 2016, Merit Award, Area 51 Residence, Las Campanas

Hacienda Parade of Homes 2016, Best Outdoor Living; Best Water Efficiency; Best Design; Best Energy Efficiency: Luz del Dia Residence

American Council of Engineering Companies NM Excellence Award, 2016: SWAN Park

AIA ABQ Merit Award, 2015: El Parque del Rio

Mayor's Award for Excellence, Santa Fe Heritage Preservation Award, 2015: Drury Plaza Hotel

Cultural Preservation Award, Santa Fe Heritage Preservation, 2015: Wheelwright Museum

State Heritage Preservation Award, 2015: Wheelwright Museum

Sustainable Santa Fe Award, 2014: El Parque del Rio

Top 10 Finalist: Intake + Outfalls, 2013: Seaholm Intake Design Competition, Austin TX, 2013

MFA Affordable Housing NM Competition Winner, 2013

ASLA National Honor Award, 2011: Galisteo Modern Residence

NMASLA Design Awards 2011: Planning Merit Award: South Capitol Campus Master Plan

ASLA National Honor Award, 2010: Catalina Foothills Residence

PRESS

Casa Santa Fe Design, Styles, and Traditions” Surroundings’ project is on the cover of the book on examples of the Santa Fe Style from the eighteenth century to today. March 2023

Beyond the Garden” A book on Designing Home Landscapes with Natural Systems, October 2022

Under Western Skies” A Book on Visionary Gardens from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, April 2021

Western Wonder” Martha Stewart Living Magazine, March 2021

Distance Earning” Landscape Architecture Magazine, August 2020

An Affordable Housing Initiative Is Geared Towards Santa Fe’s Creative Community” Hyperallergic, Dec 2019

Look to the Sky” Landscape Architecture Magazine, Nov 2019

Tasting Notes” THE Magazine, June 2019

El Paso Precipice” Landscape Architecture Magazine, Dec 2018

Murchison Rogers Park, World Landscape Architecture, July 2018

"Ethic and Aesthetic" Landscape Architecture Magazine, April 2018

"Boom Town" Trend Magazine, Summer 2017

"New Design Revealed for Popular Scenic Overlook" El Paso Inc.

Check out Surroundings” Santa Fe New Mexican, October 2017

"Performance Art" Su Casa Magazine, Winter 2017

"Pouring with Panache" Su Casa Magazine, Winter 2017

"Artistic Outlet" Santa Fean Magazine, August/September 2016

"Set Your Sights High" Su Casa Magazine, Spring 2016

"Designing Democracy Around a Ditch" Smithsonian Magazine, 2012

"Walk This Way" Su Casa Magazine, Spring 2014

"Jewelry Gallery Focus of Museum Addition" Santa Fe New Mexican, April 2014

"El Parque del Rio: Conduit for Santa Fe’s Urban Watershed", NMASLA Newsletter, October 2011

"Skate Park to Get 'Street' Makeover", Santa Fe New Mexican, October 2011

TEACHING

Visiting professor and the Nancy Panak Kwallek Endowed Chair in Design and Planning, UT School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture Program, Fall 2023, Kenneth Francis

Guest Critic, UT School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture Program, Final Reviews, Spring 2023, Kenneth Francis

"Galles Mixed Use Development" University of New Mexico, Graduate/ Undergraduate Architecture Studio, Fall 2015, Instructor: Kenneth Francis

"Streetscapes and Infrastructure" University of New Mexico, Graduate Urban Design Seminar, Fall 2014, Instructor: Kenneth Francis

Guest Design Critic, Ohio State University, Fall 2015, Kenneth Francis

Guest Design Critic, Texas Tech El Paso, Fall 2015, Kenneth Francis

SPEAKING

TTU Wreckshop 2019, Opening Speaker: Kenneth Francis

Arid LID Workshop 2019, “Stormwater Culture Shock” Speaker: Faith Okuma + Kenneth Francis

Santa Fe Botanical Garden 2019 Lecture Series, “Intentional Landscapes” Speaker: Kenneth Francis

TTU Landscape Architecture School Student Talk 2019, “Process: From Z to A” Speaker: Kenneth Francis

APGA National Conference 2018, "Teaming for Master Planning Success" Speaker: Kenneth Francis

ASLA National Conference 2014, “Old School Green Infrastructure from A-Z” Speaker: Kenneth Francis

PBS Austin Television Interview, 2014 Central Texas Gardener. Guest: Kenneth Francis

Building Creative Communities
Conference
2014, "Wayfinding", Speaker: Kenneth Francis

Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Conference 2013, "El Parque del Rio" Speaker: Kenneth Francis

NM MainStreet Conference 2008, "Recipes for Assessing Context", Speaker: Kenneth Francis

EXHIBITS + EVENTS

Anthropocene, an exhibition at the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning in Warsaw, Poland, 2022

Lyceum Fellowship Jury, Kenneth Francis, 2022

ASLA Professional Awards Jury, Faith Okuma, 2021

Seaholm Design Intake Competition Top 10 Finalists, Austin City Hall, 2013

Fanta Se Festival, 2013

Women in the Dirt NM Exhibition, University of New Mexico, 2012

Re:Mike Urban Redevelopment Temporary Installation with Creative Santa Fe, 2012

Current Landscape Architecture in NM, University of New Mexico, 2010

Parking Day Temporary Installation, Santa Fe, NM 2010

© Surroundings Studio LLC