Design - to plan and fashion artistically or skillfully; to intend for a definite purpose.

Residential Landscape design

Our Residential Design Service may be better described as private garden design. The spaces around your home are each as unique as the rooms in your home. These “rooms” include the sense of arrival both by car and on foot, private and public space and spaces for passive and active recreation. Their relationship to one another, the surroundings and the architecture can each be analyzed and assessed to maximize their full potential. This process is one of the fundamental segments of a practice known as Landscape Architecture. Landscape Architects are trained to manipulate the physical environment. While “design” is often a far reaching term used to describe a plan by which to follow, the the knowledge required for a quality project can only be known with the marriage of good design theory and experience in good construction practices. Our company prides itself on using these two guiding principles to create beautiful, long lasting solutions to your outdoor environments.

While working closely with you and/or other design team members each design develops from a synthesis of the unique site conditions, your personal objectives and our design skills. Some projects require an extensive level of detail that culminates in a Master Plan that addresses the whole property or perhaps a simpler design may only explore some portion of the property. We are glad to accommodate either challenge at hand with the same expertise and enthusiasm so please feel free to contact us to discuss your specific project.

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Our office is uniquely qualified to assist you with design solutions for light commercial properties that require a slightly higher level of detail. Professional buildings, retail developments, restaurants, medical facilities, multifamily housing units and the like can all benefit from a quality landscape plan. Working with property owners, managers, developers, architects, and civil engineers we can enhance a property’s exterior and help bring it to its fullest potential.

We are skilled at providing appropriate planting plans, pavement detailing, retaining wall design, the design and specifying of site amenities’ including signage, benches, receptacles, fencing, light standards, and general site enhancements. Depending on the complexity of your project we can provide insight about unique, specific areas of concern as well as full-service design.

With the criteria established by the LEEDS and LID programming our approach to designing projects is with an eye on preserving and/or maintaining as many of the sites existing amenities’ as possible. The development of a site should use these guiding principles to reduce the impact on the larger environment. We also use appropriate programming and budgets at the beginning of a project as we have found that can have tremendous impact on the project’s overall success.

Process

Our process begins with a site consultation to discuss what you desire and what opportunities and/or constraints the site may have. Next, a Base Map is developed using documents you may already have including property or topographical surveys, septic plans, floor plans and sections/elevations. These documents can be merged together to allow us to collect data for a Site Analysis and Assessment. Studying, photographing and measuring your property is an important step to to developing an accurate and buildable drawing. This also proves to be a valuable document as a reference tool for any future plans.
The conceptual design phase which explores the possibilities of the property and is the peak of the creative process. The end design result is then presented and discussed with you for your approval. From that discussion and your reactions we are able to further refine the design and we make those adjustments and inputs to finalize the overall look of the property and begin to explore different material selections. After the design is finalized, we will create the construction documents that detail the specific dimensions for the layout, grading, planting, lighting, and irrigation. The execution or implementation portion of the project, one of our favorites, can now be discussed. With an accurate game plan an estimate, a proposal and a strategy can be agreed upon.
Depending on the complexity of your project we may need to discuss Phases based on budget, priorities, resources, etc. Construction can have its surprises but at this point, with this approach, most have been minimized. Our team works hard to minimize inconveniences you and your routines but Landscape Development does have its moments depending on the improvements being made!