Adrian Tiafierro Keys, a leading voice in sustainable landscape architecture and founder of Sarasota-based Keys Ecological Design, is the subject of a newly released in-depth interview focused on success, growth, and the lessons learned from working with the land.

In the Q&A-style feature, Keys reflects on how his early experiences — from sketching garden layouts at his family’s kitchen table to working on job sites with his father — helped shape a career built on ecological design, practical resilience, and community impact.

“Success is when the work you do reflects the values you live by,” Keys shares in the interview. “If a landscape I design can improve a community’s resilience or reconnect someone with nature, that feels like success.”

The interview covers a range of topics, including:

• How observing nature firsthand informs his design process

• Why walking completed projects is part of his learning habit

• What failure taught him in his first year running a business

• The unconventional value of keeping a “failure folder”

• His belief that slow, steady progress outlasts fast success

Keys also discusses the importance of patience in design, how he avoids burnout by reconnecting with water through kayaking and paddleboarding, and how teaching at the University of South Florida continues to shape his perspective on leadership.

Known for projects like the Bayfront Park Redevelopment, Ringling College Arts Campus Courtyard, and his work with community initiatives such as GulfGrow, Keys brings an earthy, honest voice to the conversation around professional success.

“This wasn’t just about business wins,” he says. “It was about learning from failure, staying curious, and understanding the land — because the land always has something to teach us.”

About Adrian Tiafierro Keys

Adrian Tiafierro Keys is a Registered Landscape Architect, LEED Accredited Professional, and founder of Keys Ecological Design in Sarasota, Florida. His work focuses on sustainable coastal design, native planting, and ecological restoration. He also serves on the board of the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and teaches at the University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design.

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Contact Person: Adrian Tiafierro Keys
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City: Naples
State: Florida
Country: United States
Website: adriantiafierrokeys.com