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Landscape Design Consulting
Curated Landscapes For Outdoor Living
Landscape Architecture
Landscape architecture is a methodology through which an owner's program, or intended use and requirements for a space, is refined in accordance with the unique circumstances governing each project. The concurrent development of interconnected program elements is fostered through the architectural process where drawings, drafted in a universal language, are created for use by other consultants and for bidding, permitting, and construction.
Right: A diagrammatic representation of the relationship between Landscape Design Consulting (LDC) and the three primary drivers that shape our projects:
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1. The owner's program or intended use and requirements for a space - budget, hardscapes, softscapes, pools, etc.
2. Environmental constraints including climate, ecology, geology, hydrology, topography, lot area and shape, etc.
3. Regulatory constraints for building and lot coverage limitations, environmentally sensitive areas, etc.
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Landscape Design Consulting specializes in identifying the area of overlap that solves for all three variables, and within which successful project outcomes are contingent.
Consulting
With decades of multidisciplinary experience, Landscape Design Consulting is uniquely qualified to provide expert guidance across all project phases from inception to completion. Consulting encompasses feasibility analysis, zoning research, site investigation, planning and advising, bid qualification services, construction observation, and more. LDC will recommend consultants from our professional network with whom we will coordinate our services in the interests of your project - while providing clear, actionable insights tailored to support informed decision making.
Right: The concept plan was designed by Landscape Design Consulting for a private residential client in Rye, New York, and formed the basis of all work required to execute the stunning outdoor living space illustrated in the photo. These images showcase the importance of landscape architecture, site planning, and consulting as a means through which complex and richly layered programs are successfully executed.
Site Planning
Site planning is the art of optimizing a piece of land for its intended purpose and requires the ability to harmonize numerous competing interests. Landscape Design Consulting approaches planning through the lens of a systems analyst from thirty-thousand feet to identify and eliminate potential issues before they become costly mistakes. Value engineering is applied across entire systems to maximize desired results while minimizing the consumption of resources. With regard to site planning, the following quote from Benjamin Franklin is apropos: "By failing to plan, you are planning to fail."
Left: Located on a sprawling estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, this outdoor living space includes a luxury pool and spa, outdoor kitchen and bar, custom pergola, retaining walls and stairs, patios and walkways, plantings, and landscape lighting. Site planning played an integral role in balancing the owner's program with various environmental and regulatory constraints - and resulted in the visionary landscape reflected in the iconic photograph.
Permit Expediting
Notwithstanding our ability to mitigate town involvement in your project, Landscape Design Consulting also provides services to shepherd your interests through the regulatory minefield that has become increasingly challenging to navigate. Examples of regulatory agencies include the Planning Board, Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Architectural Review, and Building Department. LDC will leverage our knowledge of local agencies and their requirements to prepare and submit applications, represent your interests in meetings and public hearings, and obtain requisite approvals for permitting and construction.
Left: The concept drawing was created by Landscape Design Consulting for a residential estate on Long Island Sound in Larchmont, New York, and reflects compliance across multiple regulations and agencies governing the project. The breathtaking photo of completed work showcases a luxury in-ground pool and spa, outdoor shower, grilling area, patios and walkways, native plantings and a rain garden, and landscape lighting.
Project Management
Project management (PM) packages the aforementioned services into the most streamlined and cost-effective way to execute a project through all phases. Although seemingly counterintuitive, additional costs for PM save time and money by establishing lines of accountability, removing counterproductive barriers, and improving communication and efficiencies. LDC's fluency in project-related languages enables us to function as a single point of contact across all relevant variables - choreographing the process while maintaining the integrity of our clients' programs - the diagram below illustrates PM workflow and process.
