Principal / Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Batalla is a Founding Senior Partner in the Delray Beach and Costa Rica Offices of Urban Design South. In addition to over-seeing studio design, he also performs on-site observation and coordination, as well as maintaining direct client contact during all stages of development.

Rafael Batalla is an accomplished landscape design professional who has worked in a wide variety of projects including resort planning, residential subdivision design and master planning, commercial, and premier residential estate design. He has been profiled on HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and featured in prestigious publications like Estilos y Casas and The Sun-Sentinel. Mr. Batalla's international exposure spans the world and includes Spain, France, UAE- United Arab Emirates, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, the Bahamas Islands, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, and the United States.

Prior to leading Urban Design South, Mr. Batalla worked at the Florida Headquarters of EDSA for nearly 6 years as an Associate and was involved in the design, planning and project management in various international projects.

Mr. Batalla was born and raised in Costa Rica and has traveled the world. He is bi-cultural and fluent in English and Spanish. With additional understanding of the Italian and French languages, Rafael has an appreciation for all cultures worldwide.

Mr. Batalla holds a Bachelor's Degree in Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University and a Bachelors of Architecture from Universidad Autonoma de Centro America. Specialty areas of study include construction management, landscape architectural design, and art.