Our Story

Who We Are

Outdoor Architecture is a residential and small commercial landscape architecture firm serving Beaufort County. Outdoor Architecture’s owners, Brian and Kelli Franklin, are conservationists at heart. They emphasize organic and natural landscaping methods, conservation, the use of native plants, and thought-provoking, elegant designs.

Brian Franklin

Brian Franklin’s professional experience encompasses many areas of landscape architecture, including urban design and downtown redevelopment, garden design, open space planning, parks and recreation, entitlements, permitting, construction documents and construction administration. Brian emphasizes strong client communication and teamwork, project management skills, planning and design skills, and construction knowledge. He holds a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture degree from Auburn University.

Kelli Franklin

Kelli Franklin’s professional experience encompasses many areas of landscape architecture and land planning, including comprehensive master plans, urban design and downtown redevelopment, open space planning, parks and recreation, community planning, entitlements, permitting, construction documents and construction administration. Kelli emphasizes strong client communication and teamwork, project management skills, and planning and design skills. She holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Auburn University, and a Master’s of Landscape Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic University.

“What architect so noble … as he who, with far-reaching conception of beauty, in designing power, sketches the outlines, writes the colors, becomes the builder and directs the shadows of a picture so great that Nature shall be employed upon it for generations, before the work he arranged for her shall realize his intentions.”

~ Frederick Law Olmsted

The Franklins

It all started in a landscape architecture class at Auburn University, where Brian and Kelli Franklin met and learned that they shared a love of nature and landscaping.

A Love of the Land

Kelli had changed her major from architecture to landscape architecture because, she said, “I learned that I enjoyed designing the places that a building will inhabit, not the building itself.” In 1998, Kelli and Brian traveled to China to study the gardens and urban designs of several of its cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzho and many others. After graduation, they went their separate ways, Brian to Knoxville, Tenn., where he worked for a landscape architecture/architecture firm. Among the projects he worked on was the World’s Fair Park in Knoxville. Meanwhile, Kelli moved to Alexandria, Va., to study at Virginia Tech. While there, she worked with a local firm on several landscape architecture projects in the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area.

How Outdoor Architecture Began

In 2000, Kelli and Brian moved to Alexandria, where he became an architect/urban designer for the city. Then in 2001, they took the plunge and got married. In 2002, they moved to Beaufort County to be closer to family. They both worked for a landscape firm on Hilton Head Island, but ultimately decided to realize their dream of opening their own company. “We worked for others for a while, but decided that we didn’t want to practice just indoors,” said Brian. “We have a love of nature and what can be created from it through design and the visioning process. We both love getting our hands dirty!” After the 2007 birth of their son Aiden, Kelli became a semi-stay-at-home mom. She recently joined Outdoor Architecture on a full-time basis. Both Kelli and Brian (and Aiden, too!) are happily getting their hands dirty.