Draft:Orlando Comas, Landscape Architect

Orlando Comas, born June 1, 1949, is a highly respected and award-winning American landscape architect based in Miami, Florida. He is the founder and principal of Comas Design Group, Inc., and has nearly five decades of experience in creating high-end residential gardens, parks, and upscale resort landscapes.

Early Career and South American Sojourn: Before his 1973 venture to South America, Comas designed significant gardens for buildings like Casa del Mar, the tallest building in Key Biscayne, Florida, and an office building with waterfalls that received the Building of the Month Award from the City of Miami Ecology and Beautification Committee in 1972. Also in 1972, the City of Miami Commission appointed him to the Architects and Planners Committee to re-zone Downtown Miami for 1973-1983, serving alongside distinguished members such as Wilfredo Borroto, Norman Giller, George Reed, and Edna Mingo.

In 1973, his assignments in South America, primarily Venezuela, led him to create outstanding landscape projects. To supply the necessary plant material for these large-scale endeavors, he established a large-scale nursery that became the largest private nursery in Venezuela by 1975. A notable project during this period was the Doral Beach Hotel & Villas in Puerto la Cruz, which opened in 1978. This resort, one of the largest in South America, featured gardens, fountains, and a pool area as its main theme. It was inaugurated by Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez and gained widespread media attention, being included in the Venezuelan Architecture Yearbook. Other important projects in Venezuela included designs in Puerto Ordaz, The Governor's Mansion of the State of Anzoátegui, Puerto Morro (a large beachfront development), and the gardens of the No. 81 Command of the Venezuelan National Guard. Comas collaborated with renowned architects like Gaston Gonzalez Acevedo, Manuel Padula, and Siso y Shaw, and was introduced to the famous Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, who supplied reproductive material for his nursery along with Dr. Tobias Lasser, then Director of the Caracas Botanical Garden.

Return to Miami and Established Practice: Upon returning to Miami, Comas engaged in construction management for high-end private residences in Key Biscayne and Loch Lommond in Miami Lakes. His construction background provided a strong foundation and a competitive edge in detailing hardscape elements within his landscape architecture designs.

In 1996, as a registered landscape architect in Florida, he opened his professional studio. Throughout his career, he has designed over five hundred projects and received multiple awards. Orlando Comas is recognized for his holistic approach to landscape design, his keen understanding of aesthetics, and his significant contributions to the field, particularly in high-end residential and boutique hotel projects.

Key Achievements and Recognition: • Extensive Portfolio: Completed over three hundred commissions throughout his career. • Awards and Honors: • AIA Miami "2010 Landscape Architect of the Year Award." • Multiple awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Florida Chapter, including an Award of Honor in 2010 for Leucadendra Residence and an Award of Honor in 2014 for "Rare Gem." • Multiple awards from the American Society of Registered Architects (SARA) at both Florida and National levels, including Gold awards for Omphoy Resort and a private residence in Miami Beach. • Architecture MasterPrize: Honorable Mention in Landscape Architecture / Residential (2018, 2021) and Residential Best of Best (2020). • Builders Association of South Florida Awards: Including a Platinum award for Ocanos Resort (2007). • Professional Affiliations: • Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). • Member of The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. • Served as Treasurer of the Florida Chapter of the Society of American Registered Architects. • Gables Estates Architectural Review Board Member (2022-Present). • Board Member for the Miami Beach Design Review Board (2021-2023). Publications: His work has been featured in numerous local, national, and international publications, including Florida Architecture Magazine, Luxe Magazine, Florida Design Magazine, Ideas, The Miami Herald, Landscape Architect & Specifier News Magazine, Maco Caribbean Living Magazine, Diario de Oriente, and El Tiempo Newspaper.

The Artist. Beyond his landscape architecture practice, he's also a trained artist. He honed his skills under the tutelage of Lee Willig at ArtWorks, a Miami studio renowned for teaching figure drawing and classical art. He furthered his figure drawing studies with Roberto Martinez (1930-2023), a Spanish artist who settled in Miami after earning his Master's degree in fine art from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, Italy, and working with Marino Marini in Florence. His formal art education culminated with Leandro Soto Ortiz (1956-2022), a prominent Cuban-American multidisciplinary artist who studied at Havana's prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte and Instituto Superior de Arte. Orlando Comas has participated in several joint exhibits, and his artwork is featured in the collections of numerous art collectors.