Michael Kuras
Michael was lead Landscape Designer for Gold Coast Nursery and Landscape (GCNL) in Delray Beach, Florida an upscale, full service container, field and retail nursery. GCNL provided landscape design, installation and maintenance services for residential and commercial clients specializing in water and oceanfront estates. He is a native Floridian, second generation Florida landscape designer and served as Chairman of several HOA landscape committees in Florida and Georgia. Michael has consulted and crafted design proposals for residential, commercial and institutional projects throughout the Southeastern United States and the Bahamas. His passion is design with a focus on aesthetics and sustainable ecologies utilizing native plants while also incorporating economically and environmentally friendly materials and methods.
Influences
"I have spent a lifetime immersed in design. From art to architecture, graphic to spatial, landscape to product, design permeates my thinking and creative energy. This website focuses on my landscape orientation, another will reflect my alternate design life. My influences and influencers range from Legos to Colorforms, EXPO 67 to Miami Modern (MiMo), my parents to Le Corbusier, Mondrian to Jaume Plensa, Paul Rand to Peter Walker, Milton Glazer to Eero Saarinen, William McDonough to Paul Hawken."
Education
- Horticultural Courses, Broward College, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Horticultural Courses and Seminars, University of Florida Extension
- Horticultural Courses and Seminars, University of Georgia Extension
- International Society of Arboriculture Trees Symposium, University of South Florida
- Sustainable Landscapes Professional Workshops, University of Texas (Scholarship)
- Master of Landscape Architecture, Auburn University (50 Semester Hours)
- Master of Global Sustainability (Green Design focus) University of South Florida
Certifications
- FNGA - Florida Certified Nursery Professional (Landscape Design)
- FNGLA Certified Horticulture Professional
- FNGLA Certified Landscape Designer (pending)
- University of Georgia - Georgia Certified Landscape Professional
- UF-IFAS - Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Certified Professional
- Florida Green Industries - Best Management Practices
- Florida Water Star℠ Accredited Landscape Professional
Memberships and other Good things
Florida Native Plant Society
Florida Association of Native Nurseries
Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami, Florida (Past)
South Florida Orchid Society (Past)
Atlanta Botanical Garden (Past)
American Society of Landscape Architects- Auburn University
Urban Land Institute
United States Green Building Council- LEED Green Associate
