Community evokes a shared sense of belonging, a feeling of home that extends beyond individual houses to the public spaces where people connect. Larry Levis has spent nearly 40 years designing such environments.

Born in Montreal as the amalgamation of Canadian, Jewish and Greek family origins, Levis proudly describes himself as a “cultural mutt.” After graduating as valedictorian from the University of Miami with a five-year degree in Architecture, Levis quickly found his colorful background lent itself to his early career as an Architect and Master Planner. 

Levis has worked on projects worldwide, from opera houses in Paris to a waterfront in Abu Dhabi. That breadth has imbued him with a profound understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity and provides a rich context for his role as Haskell’s Regional Architecture and Engineering (AE) Design Principal and a member of the company’s Planning & Design Collaborative (P+DC).

“We’re in the service business,” Levis said. “It’s not about us. We have to elevate the idea on the client’s terms. We look for ways to direct the client’s attention to the experience that will result from their project.”

He stresses the importance of putting the client’s success before all else and brings that success to fruition by focusing on the experience.

“The experience is qualitative,” he said. “Our culture seems to devalue experience. It’s easy to focus on the bottom line, but it’s important to slow down and consider the impact the space will have.”

Empathy is fundamental in his approach. After considering the client’s needs and goals, the next step is to consider the public. Who will use this space? How will they use it? What will create a positive and lasting impression?

“By really paying attention, you’re able to make the experience that much better,” Levis explained.

‘Breathing In’ Okefenokee

Recently, a project reimagining the Okefenokee Swamp Park (OSP) Natural History and Ecology Interpretive Center provided the ideal canvas for Levis’s holistic approach.

With a goal no less ambitious than becoming the United States’ 26th United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, OSP leadership partnered with Haskell’s Planning & Design Collaborative (P+DC) and Atlanta-based Breedlove Land Planning to create a strategic narrative that would revitalize the Okefenokee experience. The resulting interpretive plan lays the groundwork for a paradigm shift from the park’s traditional mission of edutainment to a resolute commitment to conservation.

To begin the first public meeting, Levis led the team and attendees in a literal breathing exercise. “We took a deep cleansing breath in, held it and slowly let it out,” he said.

Framing the project as a "big charrette," Levis used this physical exercise to set the tone and help guide the participants' minds toward a shared starting point. Then, for two months, the team "breathed in" the elements of the Okefenokee swamp and the hopes and dreams of all involved in the project.

Following this period of reflection, the participants were able to "breathe out" their ideas, moving from contemplation to creation. In a single afternoon, Levis and his team sketched what would become the proposed project design in its entirety, demonstrating the power of thoughtful, reflective planning.

For Levis, the keyword for this was liminality – the space in between. By placing subtle barriers, such as a five-minute walk from the parking lot to the Visitor Center, the design allows parkgoers to become immersed in the surrounding nature and wildlife as they approach the main facilities, such as the managed habitats and amphitheater.

“The Visitor Center represented a thin layer between the outside world and the world of the swamp,” he said. “We wanted to give people a sense of wonder for what the swamp has to offer.”

“The project had guiding principles of soliciting input to form a consensus-based vision. Helping them pivot from what they were to what they want to be,” said Haskell Senior Planner Van Christiansen, a significant OSP contributor. “Larry was well positioned to lead the project given his approach. The process not only accelerated project momentum but also heightened stakeholder engagement.”

Placemaking and Storytelling

Throughout his career, Levis has refined his method to a point where it encompasses a deep commitment to client success, project longevity and public utility. His work demonstrates the value of prioritizing the project experience by creating spaces that matter and that bring awareness to the environment and the communities that inhabit them.

P+DC Design Director Fred Jones, Levis’s frequent collaborator, said shifting the focus from the end goal to the process itself is a distinctive factor in the success of urban design and a key factor in their team’s work.

“I think that’s what is so distinct about our approach,” Jones said. “The keyword is placemaking – having someone who can take it all in and ask the right questions. Moving from that investigative state to generating excitement about the project. It’s about storytelling. That’s where Larry and I have really connected. We know there’s a risk in challenging the standard approach, but we want to go above and beyond to show how much we care to make spaces that will serve and last.”