* What: Through a partnership with Thompson Engineering and Fleetwood Development, Renovo Design Studio has worked on residential, commercial and municipal projects that emphasize the environment and green growth. The company is working on a redesign of the Fleetwood parking lot on 11th street. The design involves a two-acre elevated green space above the parking area that includes a waterfall, stream, pond, and green area. The project will help reduce runoff in the area, will beautify the area, company officials said.
* Companies: Renovo Design Studio and King Collins Golf, renovodesignstudio.com and kingcollinsgolf.com
* Location: 100 Cherokee Blvd.
* How’s it green: Rob Collins, president of Renovo, said that he tries to make sure that every job the company works on has a green aspect to it. The primary goal is to take high maintenance and high water-use landscapes and transform them into low maintenance and low water usage areas.
* Plans for expanding in future: The company already has offices in Florida and Chattanooga, and plans to expand in both locations. Mr. Collins said he wants to go into interior design to be able to offer green architecture, green landscape architecture and green interior design services within one company.
* Is this an essential part of the business focus and why? “Chattanooga’s next frontier should be striving to become the greenest city in the country,” said Mr. Collins. “And we want to be a part of that.”
* Advice for others: Mr. Collins noted that where the Tennessee Aquarium is now was once a longtime manufacturing so anything is possible if residents demand sustainable and energy-saving growth.
— Compiled by staff writer Ellis Smith, esmith@timesfreepress.com