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For more than 40 years, WithersRavenel Parks and Recreation Project Director Brian Starkey, PLA, ASLA, has been shaping communities through landscape architecture. His career has spanned continents and disciplines, from working for large design firms to spending three years in Amsterdam to running his own business, OBS Landscape Architects, from 1996 to 2018.
Over the last five years at WithersRavenel, Brian has continued to champion thoughtful, community-driven design and inspire the next generation of landscape architects.
Throughout his career, Brian has witnessed and helped lead changes in landscape architecture. The core purpose of the profession has remained constant, improving lives through meaningful spaces, yet the tools and approaches have evolved dramatically.
“When I started out, we were creating construction drawings with ink pens on Mylar,” Brian recalled. “Today, we use advanced computer software, and now artificial intelligence is coming. The ability to illustrate our work and communicate it to clients and the community is something we can do much better today—and much quicker.”
As technology has expanded what’s possible, Brian has also recognized that the human side of the profession, sharing ideas, mentoring others, and building community, remains essential. The same innovations that have accelerated design have also opened new opportunities to teach, collaborate, and pass on lessons learned from decades in the field.
Brian has left an enduring mark through mentorship and service. He has guided young designers at WithersRavenel and through relationships with programs at NC State University and North Carolina A&T University, helping students connect academic theory to real-world projects. He has also served in leadership roles with the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NCASLA) and the North Carolina Board of Landscape Architects (NCBOLA), as well as on Raleigh-area boards focused on art, design, and community appearance.
“I enjoy giving back and interacting with young designers,” Brian said. “They teach me things as well.”
That spirit of learning and collaboration continues to motivate him. Even after more than 40 years in the field, Brian’s enthusiasm for design hasn’t waned. The relationships he’s built, the ideas he’s shared, and the spaces he’s helped create all fuel his ongoing passion for the profession. He continues to enjoy working with clients and colleagues to create meaningful outdoor spaces that connect people to place.
WithersRavenel congratulates Brian on his extraordinary career and thanks him for his contributions to our company, our clients, and the landscape architecture profession. His leadership, creativity, and mentorship have shaped both places and people across North Carolina and beyond.
We wish Brian the very best as he embarks on his next chapter in life!