Lanie McKinnon, PLA

Lanie joined Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects in 2016 and brings more than two decades of experience shaping complex civic, cultural, and institutional landscapes. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her Master of Landscape Architecture, Lanie works fluidly across scales—from urban districts and campus master plans to plazas and gardens—with deep technical expertise in both at-grade and on-structure environments. Prior to NBW, Lanie spent nine years at SCAPE Landscape Architecture as a senior associate, contributing to nationally recognized projects such as the Blake Hobbs Play-za in New York City and the Blue Wall Environmental Center in South Carolina.

As a Principal at NBW, Lanie provides design leadership and strategic direction for some of the firm’s most significant projects. She guides multidisciplinary teams through visioning, design, and implementation, serving as a trusted advisor to clients and aligning ambitious programmatic goals with rigorous, site-responsive design. Her work reflects NBW's sustained commitment to the public realm and to landscapes that foster cultural vitality, ecological resilience, and long-term stewardship.

Lanie's work at NBW includes the award-winning campus projects of Georgia Institute of Technology EcoCommons and the Academic Quadrangle at Rice University, the master plan and implementation of the Rothko Chapel in Houston, comprehensive planning efforts for Holden Forests & Gardens in Cleveland, and the implementation of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. She currently leads the Piedmont Park Comprehensive Plan in Atlanta, guiding a forward-looking framework for one of the Southeast’s most beloved urban parks.