Two decades of people, not just projects
In 2006, Mark Klopfer, a licensed landscape architect and architect, founded the firm after years of working at MVVA, Hargreaves Associates, and Landworks Studio, with a stint in Rome as a Fellow at the American Academy.
In 2007, Kaki Martin joined as a partner bringing her extensive public landscape and public process experience to the group after working for multiple firms including Martha Schwartz Inc, Hargreaves Associates, and CSS in Boston.
Early on, the the idea of being a design group generated the firm’s DNA—a place where design ideas emerge from all team members and not only from the top. As we grew, we gained the unique experience and expertise of each individual who joined the firm. They, in turn, energized our team with new ideas and projects, and widened our portfolio. We have completed over 300 projects that include a diverse range of plazas, parks, playgrounds, campuses, multi-family housing, and sites of cultural and historical importance.
In 2026, KMDG is a studio of 20 design professionals. We could not celebrate 20 years of KMDG without the contribution of each team member, client, and collaborator over the years.
Kaki and Mark in 2008.
KMDG in 2026.
20 years in reflection
Looking at our past work to inform our future aspirations.
Twenty years ago, KMDG was formed with a clear mission to provide quality, forward-looking design of sites, informed by collaboration and the discovery of the site's past. As the group hones our skills in practice, we continue to strive for the revelation of the distinct character of each client's site—by supporting environmental, social, and emotional resiliency; and sparking moments of unexpected discovery and delight.
To mark 20 years, we’re looking back—at the places and projects that informed our process and inspire our future designs.
2007
Signature Aviation
Boston, MA
Recipient of the 2007 Merit Award in Design from AIA New England, the 2008 Honor Award from the Boston Society of Architects, and the 2009 Merit Award in Design from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.
2010
Shanghai, China
“The redevelopment of the Bund has at once reconnected the dynamic urban fabric of Shanghai with its riverfront. The design strategies orchestrate a powerful sequence of experiences and spaces and have succeeded in transforming the Bund into an extension of the city’s living room.”
— Shannon Bassett, Topos Magazine
The Steel Yard
2011
Providence, RI
“As a listed entry on the National Register of Historic Places, the Steel Yard is certified as a significant monument of the past. But the best thing about it is that it’s alive in the present.”
— Robert Campbell,
Landscape Architecture Magazine
2011
Boston, MA
Recipient of the Honor Award by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects in 2014, this project deployed a “kit of parts” design approach to integrate the experience of outdoor learning across 9 schoolyards in Boston.
Roemer Plaza | Suffolk University
2016
Boston, MA
Recipient of the 2018 Merit Award in Design from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.
Fisher Hill Reservoir Park
2016
Brookline, MA
“Impressive re-purposing of existing infrastructure from water supply to civic space. Excellent historical research and integration into the design through the use of the high water datum and map of the MDC.”
— BSLA Awards Jury, 2018
Kendall Square Main Street
2016
Cambridge, MA
This project overcame a restricted budget and palette of materials to create an identity of place for Cambridge’s STEM and innovation center in Kendall Square.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Garden Café
2016
Boston, MA
The Garden Café project completely re-envisioned the hospital’s primary dining experience with full-height glass curtain walls and linear garden spaces that bring light and vegetation to diners.
Central Square
2017
East Boston, MA
Recipient of the 2019 Merit Award in Design from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, the square’s redesign retains the original Olmsted Brother’s ellipse while breathing life back into the space.
Malaysia Vision Valley
2018
Seremban, Malayisa
KMDG led the vision and development plan for a new city on 27,500 acres of palm plantation land in Malaysia.
Hoyt-Sullivan Playground
2018
Somerville, MA
The re-designed Hoyt-Sullivan playground relies on natural furnishings and structures to create a series of outdoor play rooms and spaces for gathering and leisure to create an inviting community spot for people of all ages, abilities, and interests.
Runnals Walk | Colby College
2019
Waterville, ME
The new Runnals Walk at Colby College reclaims a space previously overtaken by cars by widening the promenade and creating pockets of furniture to improve the campus experience and create gathering places for students to enjoy Maine’s beautiful falls and springs.
The Speedway
2021
Brighton, MA
“The Speedway is proof that any property, no matter how challenging, can be brought back to life with the right team.”
— Alison Frazee; Executive Director, Boston Preservation Alliance
2022
Bixler Drive | Colby College
Waterville, ME
Converting Bixler Drive to a pedestrian-first corridor creates a reinvigorated connection between the eastern and western parts of campus and supports spill-out activity from the Colby College Museum of Art—the school’s preeminent public-facing venue.
2023
Inman Square
Cambridge, MA
“I used to live and rent in the area years ago, and Inman was always a cozy, fun, independent-feeling place even 15 years ago. But seeing the improvements to the streetscapes, it's so atmospheric and human-scaled now!”
— Ben Wan; Principal, RODE
2024
2 Harbor
Boston, MA
The landscape at 2 Harbor is one of the few large-scale and publicly accessibly open spaces in Boston’s Seaport District, and the design celebrates the scale and light-industrial and seaport history of the site in contemporary and meaningful ways.
Fries Arts Building & Miranda Theater | Wesleyan University
2025
Middletown, CT
The landscape at Wesleyan’s Integrative Arts Lab directly supports the building’s program, extending the experience into exterior spaces that are intentionally flexible and highly adaptable, appropriately scaled and detailed for open-ended experimentation in teaching, learning, making and performing.
Aspirations for the future
We are so grateful to our clients, colleagues, and the KMDG team for the work that has been done to make it possible for KMDG to celebrate twenty years. We wouldn’t be here without you.
As we look to the future, we are excited to make the connections with our clients and colleagues stronger in the creation of new design, new projects, and new ways of evoking wonder and delivering landscapes to our communities.