FAQs:

Question

What is landscape architecture?

Answer

Think about a place that you enjoy. This place is probably a landscape, a seashore, a national forest, a grassy picnic site, or your favorite climbing tree. It is human nature to yearn for elements of nature. Now, think about some of the places that are familiar in your daily life – your neighborhood, a park you visit, your school grounds, the streetscape outside your favorite coffee shop or a golf course you play on. It is likely that a landscape architect was part of a design team that created many of the places in your daily life.

Landscape architecture is the analysis, planning, design, and management of the natural and built environment. Landscape architects help to enhance the quality of our lives by adding beauty – but they’re also problem solvers who analyze the environmental impact of proposed development, plan for pedestrian and automobile traffic, and determine the best use of each site.

Question

What does a landscape architect do?

Answer

Today, landscape architects are involved in the design of parks, playgrounds, zoos, residential developments, campuses, shopping and mixed use villages, gardens, golf courses, waterfront parks, greenways, streetscapes, & recreation areas to name a few examples. They may be involved in the creation of small urban parks or huge national forests - a residential garden or a large, mixed use development.

By sketching and using computer-aided design tools and computer mapping systems, landscape architects plan the location and arrangement of buildings, walkways, roads, water features, site furnishings, plants, flowers, and trees. The landscape architect can conceive the overall concept of a project and prepare the master plan all the way through to detailed design drawings and technical specifications for the construction of a project. They can also manage the development process by coordinating and overseeing other design consultants, reviewing proposals and bid contracts as well as observing and administrating the construction process.

Question

When should I call a landscape architect?

Answer

Because a landscape architect is a multi-disciplinary field, incorporating aspects of architecture, horticulture, civil engineering, geology, the arts, environmental and social science, and ecology, the most valuable contribution of a landscape architect can be made at the very beginning of a project, working closely with other professionals to generate ideas with the proper technical understanding of environmental and social concerns as well as a creative flair for the design, organization, and use of spaces. Also, significant cost savings can be achieved throughout a project by engaging a landscape architect early on to creatively and strategically locate buildings, roadways, and other program elements that if not properly designed and planned can prove to be costly.

Question

What makes Vision Design Collaborative unique?

Answer

We are a small, innovative design firm founded on the principle of collaboration and enjoy working closely with clients and other professionals to achieve creative design solutions. At our very roots is a deep appreciation for the environment and a commitment to the highest standards of planning and sustainable design with a relentless pursuit of innovative design solutions that result in a positive impact on the quality of people’s lives.

We are both registered landscape architects and LEED certified with a combined 20 years experience in the design of outdoor spaces and the skill to analyze, envision, design and illustrate any size or type of project. Our design process is highly visual and includes sketching, 3-D computer modeling, architectural illustration and illustrative rendering to explore multiple design options and to help convey our ideas to the client and project team.