Landscape Architecture

Urban Design

Planning

Urban Forestry

Houston 713.722.8897

Austin 512.537.3433

About us

Founded in 1995 with headquarters in Houston, M2L Associates is a small firm that delivers big results, specializing in landscape architecture, urban planning, tree preservation and urban forestry for commercial, municipal and institutional clients.

A hallmark of every M2L project is strong, collaborative leadership and hands-on principal involvement. Whether we’re leading complex, long-term projects from inception to completion or enhancing your team with local support or special skills, our team brings deep expertise and wide experience to every project engagement.

M2L Associates is a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and a Metro Small Business Enterprise (SBE). These certifications affirm our strong commitment to diversity among our principals, as well as benefit our clients and partners that value achieving excellence in supplier inclusion and promoting opportunities for diverse suppliers.

MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

You can count on M2L for exceptional execution and project management.

Karen Rogers

Principal, President

Michael Mauer

Principal

Lynn Mauer

Principal,
Chief Financial Officer

Kenny Jones

Associate Principal,
Austin Office Director

WHY CHOOSE OUR FIRM?

Since 1995, landscape architecture firm M2L Associates has put a distinctive imprint on the Texas Gulf Coast and beyond. Through our proven, hands-on design and innovative planning collaboration process, our expert designers, planners, certified arborists and sustainability experts bring heart and soul to your next project.

With a strong reputation for success, our firm enjoys a high profile and a high level of repeat business.

What matters at M2L

OUR FIRM CERTIFICATIONS

OUR PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS

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M2L BY THE NUMBERS

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WHAT’S POSSIBLE WHEN YOU WORK WITH M2L?

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Karen Rogers, Principal, President

ALSA, PLA, LEED AP

Karen Rogers is a principal and president of M2L Associates with more than three decades of deep industry experience. She joined M2L in 1998 to reinforce the firm’s growing land planning practice and today leads the firm’s planning efforts as director of planning. Since graduating from Texas A&M University in 1981 with a bachelor of science degree in landscape architecture, she has developed a passion and commitment to community design with extensive experience in park planning, land use planning, plan processing, and commercial, residential and institutional landscape architecture projects in both Texas and California.

Karen serves as the firm liaison for regulatory compliance regarding both planning and landscape architecture projects, dealing with government agencies such as the City of Houston, Harris County, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and other state and local counties, municipalities, and federal agencies. She has gained invaluable management and community facilitation skills leading wide-ranging projects across the region, including in Houston, Mont Belvieu, Orange, Alvin, Missouri City, Sugar Land and Rosenberg, helping to foster and expand many of M2L’s long-standing relationships.

As the firm’s foremost LEED-certified expert, Karen leads M2L’s efforts in sustainable and low-impact design and oversees the firm’s certification design methodology. Her rich experience in both design and project management of multiuse land projects brings strong capabilities to the table in handling complex, multidisciplinary projects.

Get to know Karen

Proudest professional accomplishments, favorite projects? Houston is famous for its many bayous, and M2L has been instrumental in adding hundreds of miles of explorable paths, trails and greenways for biking, walking, running and exploring along those bayous. Our Sims Bayou, Halls Bayou and Willow Waterhole Greenway hike and bike trail projects are a few of my favorites. There are so many lovely trails and greenways to enjoy right here in the city!

What subjects in our field excite you right now? Finding new ways to help clients prioritize sustainability and address environmental concerns within budget constraints is a constant challenge. Our field has always been about making projects look good, but today’s projects have to work well long after the unveiling. New technologies and methods are as exciting and promising as they are necessary, especially for fast-growing cities and suburbs that will be increasingly challenged to balance development and environmental concerns.

These are a few of my favorite things? When I’m not working, you’ll find me? Relaxing by the pool

watching my grandchildren play and learn to swim in my backyard. I enjoy a movie and dinner with my husband and going to antique shows in the nearby country areas. As a native Houstonian, I’m a big fan of the Astros and enjoy watching their victories. I also love to check out Houston’s food scene on the east or northeast side where new neighborhoods are booming.

“OUR CLIENTS FACE ENORMOUS AND OVERLAPPING CHALLENGES, and we want to be a part of the solution, helping them turn out stronger
and better projects for all stakeholders.”
— Karen Rogers, on facilitating complex client challenges

   

Michael Mauer, Principal

ALSA, PLA, Certified Arborist, Certified Green Roof Professional, Certified NCIP CPD Professional

Michael Mauer is a principal and cofounder of M2L Associates, establishing the firm in 1995. A dedicated steward of the land, he leverages his deep expertise and certifications as arborist and green-roof professional across M2L’s portfolio, offering key insights into parks, urban design, transit, infrastructure, and site development work. Michael brings a thoughtful, multidisciplinary approach to environmental protection, frequently collaborating with other design professionals to integrate tree preservation strategies across markets and projects. More recently Michael added specialized training and certification in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to bring added focus on designing public spaces to maximize safety, security and community well-being.

A 1985 graduate of The Ohio State University, Michael provides strong, hands-on leadership for the firm. Throughout his impressive body of work spanning community planning, parks, and urban design and forestry projects, he has steadfastly focused on client needs to create unique landscape design approaches that fit and mold the context of a community.

Since 2002 Michael has overseen one of M2L’s strongest and most prolific partnerships — the firm’s long-standing engagement with the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department — leading teams of architects and engineers in the design of more than 100 park facilities representing a combined commitment of more than $120 million in construction costs.

Get to know Michael

Proudest professional accomplishments, favorite projects? Our firm takes enormous pride in our parks and recreation portfolio. Over the past 30 years, we have had the privilege of creating and reimagining municipal and community parks and recreation spaces across the region. And with our expansion to Austin, our parks projects are gaining recognition in the Hill Country and across Texas. Another career highlight was leading the firm’s urban design efforts to revitalize the City of Houston’s historic downtown Main Street. What an honor to have played a role in bringing Houston’s first light-rail line to life and creating Main Street Square in the heart of the downtown business district!

Where do you find inspiration? What subjects in our field excite you right now? As an arborist, I am passionate about projects that focus on preserving and protecting historic trees because they are irreplaceable. The use of innovative green technologies, stormwater infrastructure, and sustainable materials allows project owners to explore more options and features that not only save energy but also help preserve natural resources and save money in the long run. Our collaboration with the City of Houston Parks Department and public works is particularly noteworthy due to its forward-thinking approach to integrating neighborhood stormwater detention. I draw inspiration from projects like our work for Emancipation Park, which is the oldest public park in the City of Houston and was purchased by formerly enslaved people. This community park holds a deep sense of history, place, and community, and it will serve as a showcase for community resilience for generations to come.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me? I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the lake, doing woodworking, and cheering for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now that I’m a grandfather, creating memories with my grandkids is one of my top priorities!

“Houston may be known for its concrete jungle, towering skyscrapers, and sprawling developments, but we are leading the way in prioritizing our green spaces. We are dedicated to creating and reimagining areas that showcase our native trees, plants, and community resilience as the invaluable assets they truly are. Join us in preserving and celebrating the natural beauty that Houston has to offer.”

— Michael Mauer, on designing to prioritize green living

   

D. Lynn Mauer, Principal, Chief Financial Officer

Lynn Mauer joined M2L in 1997 after 12 years in public accounting in the audit department of accounting giant Deloitte, where she worked with clients from small, privately held companies to Fortune 500 publicly traded companies.

After arriving at the firm, Lynn quickly moved beyond her accounting responsibilities to an expanded role managing the firm’s day-to-day business operations and assisting with both quality control and qualification statements. In 2009 she was promoted to principal and today serves as M2L’s chief financial officer and office manager, overseeing human resources and administration, firm certifications and affiliations, and community involvement efforts.

Before joining Deloitte, Lynn graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of science degree with a concentration in accounting.

She is an active member of St. John Lutheran Church, serving as president of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, cochairing the annual Lutheran World Relief project and volunteering in the St. John Community Garden to benefit Cypress Assistance Ministries Food Pantry.

Get to know Lynn

Proudest professional accomplishments, favorite projects? I love when we’re able to showcase the unique history, cultural and art of a place or community through our projects. For example, our work in and around Emancipation Park and MacGregor Park is strongly rooted in the area’s important legacy in the African American community. Bringing these neighborhoods and places back to life while educating new generations about their history and heritage is such an honor.

Where do you find inspiration? Now that I’m a grandmother and so much of my life revolves around nurturing little people, I’m prouder than ever of our work to add and reimagine parks, playgrounds, and ball fields across the area. It’s hard to beat the joy on my grandsons’ faces when they get to explore new jungle gyms, slides and spray fountains. And now that M2L has been around for a while, I’m thrilled that some of our earlier park and community projects are being enjoyed by a whole new generation!

When you’re not working, where will we find you? Beyond family time, I enjoy getting my hands dirty in our church community garden or getting away to the lake to enjoy nature.

“M2L ASSOCIATES VALUES hard-working and extraordinarily talented people who bring thoughtful and innovative solutions to every project we take on.”
— Lynn Mauer on next-level customer service

   

Kenny Jones, Associate Principal, Austin Office Director 

Kenny Jones is director of our full-service office in Austin. Kenny hails from central Mississippi, graduating from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture in 2015. Following graduation he joined M2L, focusing on a wide and deep range of projects that allowed him to hone impressive skills in 3D modeling, construction documentation, signage and wayfinding design, and much more.

In August 2017 Kenny relocated to Washington, D.C. where he worked on U.S. embassies around the world as well as institutional and civic projects across the nation’s capital and great DMV area. In early 2020 Kenny returned to Texas, rejoining M2L to help plan and launch the Austin office. Kenny’s passion for urban design, tree preservation, green infrastructure and creating sustainable public spaces, along with his desire to incorporate innovative technology and solutions into his project work, bring much to the table for M2L clients across greater Austin, throughout the Hill Country and beyond.

Kenny enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two young children and exploring new and fun things to do in Austin and around the Hill Country.

Get to know Kenny

What are your proudest professional accomplishments and favorite projects? I’ve learned so much standing up our Austin office and working on the projects we’ve landed out as a result. It’s rewarding to take our M2L brand of project expertise to new parts of Texas, like the Brenham Family Park project in Washington County, the City of San Juan Youth Complex and Park in the Rio Grande Valley and the East Travis Gateway Library project in Del Valle, southeast of Austin.

Where do you find inspiration? What subjects in our field excite you right now? I find inspiration everywhere, but especially our natural environment as there is no better sense of inspiration than using what occurs naturally. I also enjoy using new tech and computer software to hone how our imaging and rendering capabilities allow us to bring projects to life for clients. Computer and imaging advancements are transforming our industry, giving us new ways to enhance the narrative and visual aspects of our projects.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me?  There’s so much to do here! Getting outdoors with family is one of the best things about living in Austin. The climate is great most of the year so I always enjoy being outside, taking a nice hike, going for a run, building things with my hands, and playing with my kids. I also love travelling with my family to experience new places, eat great food and make lasting memories!

“AT M2L, WE PRIDE OURSELVES on exceptional teamwork
and personal interaction. I’m honored to lead M2L’s efforts to bring our innovative and customer-centric approach to more spaces in greater Austin.”
— Kenny Jones, on expanding the firm’s footprint across the region