MRM Design Group: An Architectural Firm with Years of Experience, Ready to Take on Your Next Project

COVER STORY

By E Frazier

An Architectural Firm with Years of Experience and Ready to Take on Your Next Project!

2022 is another year of record real estate development and sales and services that go along with a successful project. Whether you are a new developer, building your first home, or updating your current home, you will need someone to assist with the planning. This is where MRM Design Group, P.A. comes in. MRM Design Group was founded in 1987 by Jonathan L. Melvin, who has more than 4 decades in the overall landscape design, and construction industry. Jonathan L. Melvin is a registered landscape architect and recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA). Licensed to do work in all of North Carolina, MRM Design Group is a landscape architectural firm with years of experience.

MRM Design Group is affectionately known as “backyard architects”, and the owner, Jonathan Melvin, is known for having an eye for what looks good for picking out colors, textures, and

unique geometric shapes. MRM Design Group is your one-stop shop providing comprehensive services from everything from the design of your project to the implementation, including administrative management. What does this mean for the customer? It means that MRM Design Group can offer you comprehensive services and is a one-stop shop for everything that you need to make your project a success. In addition to MRM Design Group’s repeat customers, they are ready to take on new customers, from residential projects to large-scale commercial projects.

In mid-2022, the real estate market is seeing a slight change, with higher interest rates and a small inventory of homes available for sale. For the homeowner, who wants to keep their grounds but enhance or expand their living space, one way is by adding an outdoor living space. It’s a great way to enhance your property while utilizing your grounds. MRM Design Group can offer hardscape services to complement your home with outdoor living spaces that can include such things as an outdoor kitchen, or outdoor seating area. Your home is your oasis, so why not add some relaxing elements such as water features, a koi pond, or a tranquility garden, just to name a few? Adding outdoor living to your property provides the best of two worlds, functionality and beauty of grounds. Some studies show that enjoying outdoor living can actually improve health and wellbeing.

Homeowners who incorporate their landscape into their living space, get the most value for their property, which can increase property value. This allows you to receive additional entertaining space, while improving your health.

For the new homeowner who just purchased a new property and desires to make it feel like their own; the existing homeowner who wants to update or make changes to their property, or the homeowner who wants to update their home, MRM Design Group is your go-to choice for design renovations. “We have customers who want landscaping design to include a terrace, fire pit and seating area, and even a dining area with an outdoor kitchen”, said Mr. Melvin, “this is the type of hardscape services you can expect from MRM Design Group.”

One example of what a homeowner can expect from MRM Design Group is as Mr. Melvin explains, “we had a homeowner completely gut their home and we did a master plan design to include a circular driveway with lighting and landscaping. We also designed and placed an outdoor building which served as a structure with an outdoor kitchen.”

Mr. Melvin also stated, “Our creative practical approach, with the courage to be different. We don’t follow fashion; we create it. I always say, a good design saves money, so you are not chasing rabbits with marginal ideas. Any successful attempt has a plan. As people go through lifestyle changes, we are there to help them make the transition as they update and upgrade their grounds. One area of specialty for MRM Design is custom design pools which can also include spas, pool decking, fencing, storm drainage, lighting outdoor structures, and pool and bathhouses.”

Are you looking to add a water feature such as a Koi Pond? MRM has you covered! For your complete outdoor vision, MRM Design can create and implement it! For the property owner who is getting ready for a new build, MRM Design Group can advise on the placement of the building on the lot, taking advantage of topography. MRM Design Group offers options that will be more functional to a homeowner’s lifestyle. For coastal builds, MRM Design can design your ground, considering the environmental easements for the property. “We place the house so that it fits and stays within the setbacks and easements, and in compliance with local regulations.” MRM Design Group has done many waterfront properties. MRM Design Group also offers construction administrative services that consist of checking on the general contractor and providing their client with feedback. This includes handling administrative actions such as getting bids and applicable paperwork associated with the project.

MRM Design is strong on communication and educating its customers on the services they are providing. MRM Design services address code, zoning requirements, and applicable regulations. MRM Design Group’s founder states, “We like to do things uniquely and stay within the budget.”

For the commercial developer or property owner, MRM Design Group offers services that will benefit your plans. MRM has an 31

impressive portfolio of projects they have worked on, such as providing services to Beaufort Community College, of which they created a master plan design to layout new roadways and parking, “our work at BCC improved campus circulation”, explained Mr. Melvin. East Carolina University has also been a former client. MRM Design Group provided many different services to ECU, one being the design plan for the Geometry Building on campus. MRM Design Group has also provided services for one of North Carolina’s community colleges by designing a parking lot. When designing parking, they also can handle the engineering that goes with it.

Residential developers can find MRM Design Group as a great choice for providing design services for subdivision entrances, in addition to working with designing signage and logos for signage, and working with the naming of properties. MRM Design Group can assist with many different aspects of your commercial project.

However, hardscaping is not just for the residential customer, but developers are also seeing the benefit in how expanding their property, by incorporating outdoor living into their communities add amenities that attract more clients. Today, most people want to get the best bang for their buck, so whether it’s moving into a rental community or new housing development, the amenities should be pleasing and offer the comforts of outdoor living, with the convenience of it being in your backyard. It can be a plus for commercial rental properties to emphasize outdoor living to potential residents.

More than just providing plantings, MRM Design Group is your one-stop shop for all things related to retaining walls, plazas, courtyards, pools, and water features such as drives, arbors, lighting, draining, and more. “I have done work from Murphy to Manteo”. MRM Design Group is your choice for an experienced landscape architect. MRM Design offers a holistic design continued on page 34

mrmdesigngroup.com 252-972-4400

covering anything exterior, including site planning and parking layouts. For some commercial design work, MRM Design Group has provided its services to include Nortel when it was Northern Telecom. MRM Design Group’s expertise in designing walkways and plaza areas is one area that really makes a building aesthetically pleasing. Additional services MRM provides are grading engineering.

For both residential and commercial projects, MRM Design Group can provide you with options that require less maintenance. MRM Design Group prides itself on making wise choices for its clients and not wasting money on non-beneficial items. Their administrative management is a plus for those who want to add quality control to the project.

MRM Design Group, one of a few landscape architectural firms in North Carolina, is your one-stop shop for your exterior design plans, providing a holistic approach. “We look at the big picture and put all of the components together as a good design saves the client money”, stated Mr. Melvin. MRM Design Group has been in the business for many years, they are sensitive to what will save their client money and have a variety of resources that only time, and experience can bring. Make sure to get in touch with them immediately if you or someone you know is in need of a landscape architectural firm that truly cares about the finished product!

For more information about MRM Design Group, visit: www.mrmdesigngroup.com or Call 252-972-4400!