Design Team


Meet the Team

The City of St. Petersburg has engaged two design teams to create a new Pier District, which connects the city’s downtown core to its waterfront with an active, connected and coordinated sequence of facilities and venues. The Pier District encompasses two projects: the Pier and the Pier Approach.

Both design teams combine architecture firms with international expertise in developing high-profile waterfront spaces with locally-based experts who have deep knowledge of our community.

The Pier design team is a partnership between ASD Architects, Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers and Ken Smith Landscape Architects. The Pier Approach design team is a partnership between W Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Wannemacher Jensen Architects.

Watch the video or read the bios below to learn more about the architects shaping St. Petersburg’s signature waterfront space.


Pier Design Team

ASD Architects, Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers and Ken Smith Landscape Architects

Robert M. Rogers, FAIA, lead designer is founder and principal of Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers. His current work includes the redesign of 50-acre Constitution Gardens in the National Mall, one of the most revered public spaces in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., along with the redesign of President’s Park South also in Washington, DC. Completed work includes the Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street and Governor’s Island Park, both in New York City, as well as the Henderson-Hopkins School in Baltimore, MD. He is the lead designer for the St. Petersburg Pier.

Vincent Lee, RA, project designer is an associate partner of Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers in New York City. His current work includes the redesign of the 50-acre Constitution Gardens on the National Mall, one of the most revered public spaces in our nation’s capital, Washington, DD. Completed work includes the Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street and Battery Park City Streetscapes in New York City, as well as the Henderson-Hopkins School in Baltimore, MD. He is a designer for the St. Petersburg Pier.

Ken Smith, FASLA, co-lead designer principal of WORKSHOP: Ken Smith Landscape Architects in New York City. Heis one of the best-known landscape architects who blend art, architecture, and urbanism to create landscapes as a way of improving the quality of urban life.His current work includes the East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers project on a two-mile stretch of the East River in New York City, including Pier 15. He is the co-lead designer for the St. Petersburg Pier.

John Curran, AIA, project director is studio leader at ASD Architecture in Tampa. Over the past 23 years, he has worked on numerous parks, plazas, stadiums, libraries, recreation centers, theaters, and museums, including the Glazers Children’s Museum and The Florida Aquarium’s Rising Tides exhibit expansion, both in Tampa, and Highland Recreation Complex in Largo. A Tampa Bay-area resident since 1991, he is the project manager for the St. Petersburg Pier.

Ken Cowart, AIA, LEED AP, project architect is associate architect at ASD Architecture in Tampa. His projects have included Asheville Merrimon Mixed Use Center in Asheville, North Carolina and Navy Federal Credit Union’s Heritage Oaks Campus in Pensacola, Florida, which is a 220,000-square-foot LEED Silver building. A Tampa Bay-area resident since 2003, he is the project architect for the St. Petersburg Pier. He will ensure the design is right for the St. Petersburg community and compatible with Florida codes. 

Hunter Booth, LEED AP, local landscape architect is president of Booth Design Group in St. Petersburg. With more than 30 years of experience in Florida’s Gulf Coast, he creates sustainable, long-term, low-maintenance solutions that are rich in color and style. His projects include The Dali Museum and Signature Place Condominiums, both in St. Petersburg. He is the local landscape architect, and will ensure the designs are sustainable in St. Petersburg’s climate and environment.

The team also includes subcontractors for specific specialties including civil engineering, structural engineering, environmental considerations, coastal engineering, and others.

Pier Approach Design Team

W Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Wannemacher Jensen Architects.

Barbara Wilks, FAIA, FASLA, lead designer, is founder and principal of W Architecture and Landscape Architecture and is a recognized leader in city design. Her goal is to use design to create access and a means of participation—a route to discovery and engagement. Her recent work includes St. Patrick’s Island in Calgary, Alberta (Canada), the Edge Park Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, West Harlem Piers Park in New York City, and Tide Point Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition, she is a resiliency resource expert for the Rockefeller Foundation. Barbara is the lead designer for the Pier Approach.

Jason Jensen, AIA, LEED AP, community liaison and project architectis a principal with Wannemacher Jensen Architects. Jason has been recognized with the Dean Rowe Award, The Garcia Award, UF Young Architects Award and over 20 other Design Awards. He has an experiential approach to architecture and lighting creating unique opportunities to engage the environment and landscape.  His recent work includes Lights On Tampa, The Madeira Beach Municipal Complex, Sims Waterfront Park in New Port Richey, Legacy Park & Recreation Center in Doral, Florida, and Largo Community Center.

Harold Somarriba, local project manager, is a project manager with Wannemacher Jensen Architects. With previous experience as a construction administrator, Harold works to ensure that project goals and design objectives are accomplished and maintained during the different phases of the build process. Some recent work includes City of Doral’s largest park/recreational center, Legacy Park & Recreation Center in Doral, Florida, and Madeira Beach Municipal Complex. Harold is the local project manager for the Pier Approach.