Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our most recent addition to the team,Civil Engineer, Dan Soder.

Originally from New Jersey, he’s also lived in Florida and recently decided to relocate to the Carolinas. He attended New Jersey Institute of Technology and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree. With 6 years of experience in the industry, a large portion of his career has been in project engineering for the airport sector on the Newark Airport AirTrain Replacement Project. His involvement has consisted of traditional civil design, automated people mover systems as well as large scale construction throughout the airport.

In his spare time, you may find him dirt biking, hiking, or on his motorcycle. He also enjoys gaming, playing flag football, watching movies, and seeking a thrill.

We are excited to have him join the team!

Please congratulate him by visiting his LinkedIn or email at dsoder@bloc-nc.com.

As we start the last month of the year leading into our firm's 10 Year Anniversary celebration, we are excited to announce that we exceeded our $10,000 Fundraiser goal for Veterans Bridge Home with a raised total of $10,720. We appreciate this opportunity with Veterans Bridge Home to support our local Veteran community and could not have done it without the help of our staff, clients, friends, and families. We appreciate your impact on reaching our goal!

Last month, we had our Annual Thanksgiving Potluck. It's always a great time gathering around the table as a team for a classic family meal!

We are kicking off the month of November with some exciting news. Join us in celebrating our upcoming 10th Year Anniversary by raising $10,000 for local non-profit organization Veterans Bridge Home. We are honored to take part in this opportunity to help bring connections to those who have served our Country.

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We ask that you join in on this special opportunity and help us raise our $10,000 goal through the month of November. You can give by following the steps below:

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➡️ Click Here

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➡️ Scroll to Tribute Gift

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➡️ Select the 1st Check Box

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➡️ "In Honor Of" Put BLOC DESIGN

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Together, we can make a difference.

The team had a blast with our Annual Pumpkin Carve Off and Costume Contest. Our social media followers decided the all-time champ for the best pumpkin. After the votes were tallied, it was Pumpkin 'E' for the win! The Costume Contest just keeps on getting better and better every year. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram so you can make your vote count next year.

The Tuckaseegee Dream Fields and Education Center, formerly named Optimist Park consists of three new turf and grass fields. The facility will provide an environment to reach young kids in the community for various programs, coaching camps, and events. The fields will also be used for Queens College home baseball and softball games.

With site programming becoming a challenge due to limiting size, topography, and tree save requirements, Bloc Design creatively used the fields underdrain system to accommodate stormwater. In result, this helped reduce the size of the surface detention and water quality systems, saving the clients considerable cost and valuable space. Construction is expected to be completed by Fall 2021.

The team enjoyed an interactive team building experience playing Archery. Needless to say, we all had a great time and in the process, rocked our new Bloc t-shirts. We are beyond thankful for an awesome team.

The Athletic Field is now complete for Corvian Community School. The new complex incorporates field sports with track and field, along with football. The new press box with bleachers and a field house was also included in the project scope. Bloc Design provided master planning, civil engineering, and landscape architecture design services for the project. We are glad have this opportunity to help the client achieve their visions and goals.

Michael Ambrosio, our newest civil engineer, joined the team in May. In 2020, he earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from NC State and has quickly grasped onto the tips and tricks of the industry. His passion for engineering was sparked when he found an interest in math. Born and raised in Concord, his spare time consists of reading fiction books and novels, building computers, and gaming.

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Please congratulate him by visiting his LinkedIn or email at mambrosio@bloc-nc.com.

Are you looking for a firm where you are highly valued and are a critical part of a team? Come be a part of a growing, dynamic civil engineering and landscape architecture firm in the Charlotte area. At Bloc Design, we are seeking individuals who are self-motivated and driven, eager to be a part of an exciting design firm and share our company values. Our firm is committed to providing an environment of collaboration, communication, and growth, and are searching for people with great attitudes, teachable, and are team players. 

Check out our updated careers page for more information here. 

Ascension Lutheran, a 2.5-acre site located on East Morehead Street, has added a new exposed timber building canopy including a parking lot expansion and new playground facilities to the existing Charlotte campus. Bloc Design provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services for the project, which included site design, engineering, permitting, construction administration, and coordination with Ossa Studio. Along with the new canopy, the project scope included associated hardscape design, courtyard design, foundation landscape renovation, and low voltage site lighting. Currently under construction, the new canopy design and the monumental rear entrance will create a social atmosphere for the congregation and community.

Crossridge, a 120,000-square-foot office building, consists of 30,000-square-foot floorplates with a large rear plaza overlooking a decorative stormwater pond and future development, which includes retail, multifamily and hospitality uses. The 4-story building is expected to be ready for occupancy in late 2021. For more information on what all the new facility will have to offer, click here. 

Landscape architecture services were provided by Bloc Design for the new Iredell Health Center in Mooresville, NC. At the face of this world-class facility is a meticulously designed entry plaza that fosters a welcoming experience for patients, visitors, and staff. Within a rhythmic blend of hardscape and landscape are respite nodes carved out for relaxation under some dappled shade, transitioning the entry experience into the facility. Construction is expected to be completed by Summer of 2021.

Designed to create a comfortable and aesthetic communal gathering space, the new plaza at Temple Israel incorporates an amphitheater and a series of open lawns. Lush plantings was integrated in the design for events and ceremonies. Bloc Design provided landscape architecture and civil engineering design services for this project.  

Civil engineering and landscape architecture services were provided by Bloc Design for Mayerling Park. Located on approximately 5 acres, the design was built in an existing residential neighborhood, giving easy accessibility for an active lifestyle. The park includes a shelter, walking trails, a basketball court and a Berliner Custom design structure. The structure was nestled within an existing valley to provide additional privacy.

Check out our very own Collin Brock with Jack Ossa on Ossa Studio's The Power of Design Podcast. Collin digs into his journey in starting the firm, our firm's leadership approach, and the value we bring to clients within the design process. To listen to the full podcast, click here. 

Work continues for the 115 lot subdivision located in Kannapolis, NC. The project scope included civil engineering, coordination with the City of Kannapolis on the project’s public utilities, the overall schedule for engineering and permitting, and our standard QC process to ensure that the project documents were accurate and thorough. Phase 2 is now under way.

Check out our new arrivals that just came in for the Bloc Swag. The team couldn't be more excited to have their winter apparel come just in time for the cold weather. If you ask the engineers, they can agree it's coming in pretty handy right about now for the site visits. Thanks to our in-house modeling team!

Last month, we had our Annual Thanksgiving Potluck. It's always a great time gathering around the table as a team for a classic family meal!

Check out behind the scenes on how the the Managing Partners, Collin and Larry, are getting ready for Bloc Design's upcoming 10 Year Anniversary. Stay tuned over this week for more on how we are celebrating 12.12.21, the big 10!

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Alexander Rhode, E.I.

Born and raised in Miami, he is a true Floridian at heart and bleeds orange and blue. He graduated from the University of Florida, where he earned his EIT certification in December of 2019. After completing his education, he gained experience in Land Development with a primary focus in commercial and mixed-use developments in Uptown Charlotte and the Dilworth area. He has also worked on various projects surrounding Union, York, and Dorchester Counties. His interest for civil engineering sparked when he found interest in the community’s use of infrastructure and buildings. He knew by doing this, he would be a part of something that benefits the world around him, and he would have a meaningful impact on society.

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“I joined Bloc to be a part of a growing company and really tighten up my technical skills, hopefully carrying forward to more client interaction and learning how to manage projects”

-Alexander Rhode, EI

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His hobbies include hiking outdoors, discovering the local breweries (Wooden Robot is his number one), afternoon runs on the Sugar Creek Greenway, gaming, writing, date nights with his girlfriend, and traveling to other cities all over the world. His favorite aspect on traveling is discovering the infrastructure and cultures; he even has an exciting trip to Italy planned next year. We are excited to have him on board!

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Please congratulate him by visiting his LinkedIn or email at arhode@bloc-nc.com.

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Our 10th Annual Paintball Networking Event was a huge hit this year. We would like to take a moment to thank all of our clients that were able to come out and join us. We also had a special visitor with Veterans Bridge Home at the event to talk more about their Mission and how they serve Veterans in the community.

In addition to our typical grand prizes, we changed things up a bit this year with a Shotgun raffle, which went towards our fundraiser goal. We would like to congratulate Chris Butlak, with Barringer Construction, as the winner of the beautiful Beretta A400 12 Gauge Shotgun.

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For those of you who missed it, the MVP (Most Valuable Paintballer) round was quite the show. If you aren't familiar with the MVP, it's safe to say that although all other games are team oriented, this round's rule is that you are only out of the game when you surrender. A new bar was set this year with our very own Amy Vondra winning the MVP trophy. Let's just say that the loser had a hard time counting the welts when he got home!

Please give a warm welcome to our newest addition, Senior Project Manager, Mark J. Caspar, P.E. Originally from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, he attended the University of Louisville and received his B.S. in Civil Engineering.

After graduating in 2002, he served in the United States Air Force as a Deputy Bioenvironmental Engineering (BEE) Flight Commander, where he met his wife of 17 years. Furthering his engineering career, he attended Auburn University where he earned his Master’s in Civil Engineering.

With 19 years of experience in the engineering industry, he has extensive experience in program and project management, city infrastructure, fleet management, site development, and industrial environmental compliance. He has strong local and federal government experience with a background in Project Management ranging from Civil/Site to multi-discipline construction projects.

As a detail-oriented team leader, he will build, lead, and manage cross-functional teams at various scopes and budgets as well as enhance and grow Bloc Design's reach in public work.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. You can find him serving at his local church, being outdoors, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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​Please congratulate him by visiting his LinkedIn or email at mcaspar@bloc-nc.com.

Construction is coming along for the townhome development located within walking distance of the Harold B. McEachern Greenway Trailhead. The project scope consists of two sites that back up to one another along the trailhead. Wilkinson Court is a 12-unit townhome development and Woodsdale consists of 22 townhome units. Bloc Design provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services for this project. Stay tuned for more progress.

This month, part of the team participated in an urban plaza site walk. The design staff was able to analyze existing conditions and learn from the surrounding environment. To bring on a fun challenge, a landscape architecture scavenger hunt was thrown in the mix. Whether we're in the office or out, it's always a great learning experience.

Around Father's Day, we had the opportunity to welcome this sweet bundle of joy to the Bloc Design family. Welcome to the world, Maggie Coleman.

Congratulations to our Project Manager, Austin, and his family!

Bloc Design is excited to announce our most recent addition and summer intern, Anna. As an NC State grad student, she plans to earn her Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture in May of next year. Her work experience in garden centers sparked her passion for horticulture. She is hardworking, detail oriented, and driven to gain hands-on experience with our collaborative team. Her goal with this internship is to gain real world knowledge and make connections in the industry.

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The areas of study she focuses in is stormwater management, conservation efforts, courtyards for education facilities, and planting plans.

Anna enjoys an active lifestyle and thus far, has ran 3 half marathons. In her spare time, you will find her reading fictions and murder mysteries.

Please congratulate her by visiting her LinkedIn or email at aedwards@bloc-nc.com.

Located at the intersection of Cedar Forest Road and Pinnix Road in Rhonda, NC, this proposed 65-acre vineyard, campground and residential retreat is designed to amenitize the existing natural features of the property and enhance existing mountain views. Bloc Design provided master planning services for this project.

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Numerous diagrammatic master plan options were created by the design team, illustrating various options for the vineyard and campground. The master plan consists of a residential retreat, working farm, vineyards, an equestrian center with trails, recreation spaces, a tasting room, and a maintenance facility. The design scope also covers a pond, retail and restaurants, a campground, mountain vistas, beautiful hiking trails, and internal circulation roads. Designed for a rural naturalistic getaway, the site will implement a unique oasis to the area, giving the community a sense of serenity and complementing existing vineyards in the surrounding area.

Construction is now complete for Iredell Health's new medical facility in Mooresville, NC. Our firm provided landscape architecture services for the new world-class facility, which includes a beautiful entry plaza. We enjoyed collaborating with the project team while helping the client's visions come to life.

This week, our team enjoyed an interactive afternoon at Escape Tactic. We split up into two teams and were within seconds of beating each others escape time. It was a fun challenge, but we learned from one another and enjoyed the adrenaline. 

Bloc Design's Managing Partner Collin Brock and Assistant Project Manager Austin Coleman attended Carmel Country Club's Grand Opening event this week. The facility welcomed it's members with the reveal of the new and improved 22,000 square foot expansion. This site features a beautiful outdoor plaza that overlooks the golf course with multiple seating areas, an event lawn, firepits, and luscious landscaping. Bloc Design provided  civil engineering and landscape architecture services for the project.

Nestled against a large floodplain area and stream, this 70 acre site features 87 age targeted single family homes. Bloc Design provided master planning, rezoning, SITEOPS, civil engineering, and landscape architecture services for the project.

Stephanie Holland is a Senior Landscape Architect with eleven years of diverse professional experience, and is skilled in leading projects from inception through installation. Her project portfolio consists of a wide variety of projects including public parks, private residences, single family and multi-family residential, and mixed-use commercial. Her current role includes all aspects of collaborative design development, site design and programming, plan production, client coordination, and consultant management.​

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To congratulate her, please visit her LinkedIn or email her at sholland@bloc-nc.com. 

Construction is now complete for the new Cunningham Recreation headquarters office. Located in the LoSo area of Charlotte, the project scope included the removal of an existing office building and replacement with a 5,000 square foot office building featuring decorative paver areas along the front entrances. Landscape architecture and civil engineering services were provided by Bloc Design for this project. Rendering courtesy of Ossa Studio.

Construction continues for the 98,000 square foot Senior Living facility and 7 Independent Living duplex cottages on a 9 acre site located in Stallings, NC. The site consisted of challenging topography and stormwater management, as well as required road improvements. Construction is expected to be completed towards the end of the year. Bloc Design provided master planning, landscape architecture and civil engineering services for this project. 

This is what life looks like when Dan is not in the office. It is just a small behind the scenes for him outside of the design world. In his current training season while at Park City, Utah, he has accomplished 2 Silvers in 2 Races. He will have a couple more races in Lake Placid, New York, then he's off for the Olympic Trials. Way to go, Dan (but don't forget about that deadline on Friday... no pressure)!