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A b e t t e r p l a c e 2 0 1 2

I n t r o d u c t i o n   t o   E L M

ELM  is  an  integrated  mul1-­‐disciplinary  Environmental  Design  firm  of  experienced  planners,  architects,  landscape  architects,  designers,  and  staff  commi?ed  to  making  the  world  a  be?er  place.

Serving  clients  na1onally  and  interna1onally  from  studio  offices  in  Florida  and  Sea?le,  the  firm  is  recognized  for  its  commitment  to  sustainable  prac1ce,  innova1ve  design  excellence,  and  technical  proficiency.  ELM’s  work  encompasses  projects  in  natural,  learning,  cultural,  resort,  commercial,  recrea1onal,  visual,  urban,  and  living  environments.

Planning

Architecture

Landscape Architecture

Urban Design

Interiors

Environmental Graphics

E x p e r i e n c e   a n d   D i v e r s i t y

ELM’s  team  has  uncommon  diversity  and  established  experience  in  large-­‐scale  natural  resource  planning,  strategic  conserva1on,  park  &  recrea1on,  zoological  design,  urban  planning,  mixed-­‐use,  mul1-­‐family,  hospitality  and  resort,  health  care  and  senior  living,  commercial  development,  educa1onal  campus,  park  and  recrea1on,  residen1al  community  planning  and  design,  as  well  as  signage  and  environmental  graphics.  

Since  the  firm  provides  professional  services  in  mul1ple  disciplines  and  project  types,  ELM  is  oKen  called  upon  to  lead  very  large  complex  mul1-­‐disciplined  assignments  oKen  encompassing  several  years,  as  well  as  providing  focused  exper1se  in  a  single  discipline  working  in  collabora1on  with  other  design  professionals  on  very  small  site-­‐specific  projects.  The  firm  tailors  its  services  to  the  unique  requirements  of  each  assignment;  always  for  the  purpose  of  adding  value  to  the  work  of  each  client.

The  applica1on  of  the  lessons  learned  through  years  of  experience,  the  con1nues  pursuit  of  crea1ve  solu1ons,  combined  with  personal  service  and  extensive  experience  within  many  unique  market  niches  at  the  principal  level  is  fundamentally  important  to  unlock  the  greatest  value  for  each  of  our  clients  on  every  consul1ng  assignment.

H i s t o r y   o f   E L M

Ervin   Love?   Miller   was   established   in   Jacksonville,   Florida   by  partners  Russ  Ervin,  Steve  Love?,  and  Tim  Miller  in  2001  for  the  purpose   of   applying   the   combined   craKs   of   planning,  architecture,   and   landscape   architecture   for   the   admi?edly  idealis1c   purpose   of   “making   the   world   a   be?er   place”.   The  firm’s  clients  have  benefi?ed   from   the  partners’  combined  65-­‐years  of  professional  experience  encompassing  a  wide  variety  of  project  types,  scales,  and  geographies.  During  the  past  ten  years  the  firm  has  earned  numerous  commissions  from  repeat  clients,  ELM’s   work   has   contributed   posi1vely   to   the   communi1es   in  which   they   are   located,  and  numerous  projects  have   received  recogni1on  for  quality  and  design  excellence.

In   2011   the   firm   expanded,   opening   an   office   in   Sea?le,  Washington   and   adding   a   new   Principal,   Chris   Overdorf,  formerly   a  Partner   in   the  well-­‐known  firm   Jones  &  Jones.   This  expansion  allows  ELM  to  be?er  serve  its  clients  na1onally  from  its  west-­‐coast  office,  and  augments  the  firm’s  capabili1es,  today  recognized   as   an   innova1ve   leader   in   large-­‐scale   natural  resource  and  conserva1on,  park  and  recrea1on,  and   zoological  planning  and  design.

B u i l d i n g   R e l a t i o n s h i p s

In  contrast  with  larger  consul1ng  firms  offering  similar  services,  ELM  uses  a  smaller  mul1-­‐disciplinary  studio  and  highly-­‐experienced  team  that  focuses  on  understanding  and  interpre1ng  each  client’s  vision  and  objec1ves  and  applying  crea1vity  and  providing  excep1onal  personalized  service.  ELM’s  clients  benefit  from  the  firm’s  agile  structure  -­‐  designed  to  create  efficiency,  foster  crea1vity,  and  ensure  accountability.    Presently  the  firm  is  comprised  of  an  integrated  mul1-­‐disciplinary  team  of  fourteen  talented,  experienced  designers  and  staff  commi?ed  to  their  craK,  providing  a?en1ve  service  to  clients  and  focused  on  the  crea1on  and  preserva1on  of  great  places.  Because  of  the  small,  integrated  nature  of  the  firm,  ELM  purposefully  limits  the  number  of  projects  that  it  accepts  at  any  given  1me  and  significant  principal  involvement  occurs  throughout  every  phase  of  each  project.

We’ve  found  that  a  smaller  prac1ce  structure  allows  us  to  provide  be?er  service,  build  stronger  rela1onships,  and  have  more  fun.

S u s t a i n a b i l i t y

Sustainability  goes  far  beyond  the  tradi1onal  defini1ons,  dimensions,  and  clichés  of  “Green  Building”.  While  it’s  true  that  the  crea1on  of  Sustainable  Places  must  emphasize  environmental  sensi1vity  and  ecological  performance,  there  are  many  other  factors  that  play  into  a  project’s  true  sustainability.  ELM  refers  to  these  as  PERFORMANCE  VALUES,  and  believes  that  successful,  sustainable  places  perform  across  these  mul1ple  dimensions—without  exploi1ng  or  compromising  any  other.  

The  achievement  of  the  highest  possible  performance  and  greatest  value  for  our  clients  and  those  who  experience  our  work  is  the  measure  of  our  success.  

SOCIAL PERFORMANCE“…places that support happiness and positive,

responsible, authentic human experience.”

ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE“…places that are financially sustainable and that add

perpetual value by any measure that is applied.”

CULTURAL PERFORMANCE“…places that embody the spirit and character unique

to their location and to those who influence and inhabit them.”

AESTHETIC PERFORMANCE“…places that represent nature’s beauty while

celebrating human creativity, design, and the wonder of discovery.”

FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE“…places that serve the purposes and people for

which they are created; sensibly, with dignity, order, and quality.”

ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE“…places that enhance the long-term environmental

health and ecological systems of their site or region.”

HEALTHY PERFORMANCE“…places that support and encourage healthy habits

and promote long-term physical well-being.”

E n v i r o n m e n t a l d e s i g n

The term “Environmental Design” describes the process of bringing broad expertise together across different disciplines to focus on the total experience and performance of the places we plan and design within each market niche we serve.

We have the skill and experience ranging from large system-level watershed-scale regional planning projects, to small-scale site specific architectural or landscape architectural assignments, and we add value and reduce compromises and conflicts by applying the concepts of Environmental Design and the total experience in every project, no matter the size, or the extent of our role.

We are experienced in urban settings and wild natural places, and our work is committed to the enhancement of the built and natural environments and systems – together, without compromise. Our role may be as comprehensive or focused as appropriate for any given client or project.

Natural Environments

Living Environments

Cultural Environments

Recreational Environments

Urban Environments

Resort Environments

Commercial Environments

Visual Environments

Learning Environments