At SSLA, we have been involved in many ground-up construction projects and one thing we want clients (and building architects) to understand is that it’s never too early to involve a landscape architect. Landscape architects do not just handle planting and irrigation but make decisions regarding grade changes, drainage, underground utilities and infrastructure, and the design and placement of retaining walls, structures and pools. The earlier a landscape architect is brought on board, the more coordination can happen, which ultimately not only saves time and money, but lowers the chances of costly changes.
In this example below, we were involved from concept through construction, produced planting and irrigation documents and calculations for submittal to the City of Santa Monica Plan Check, produced pool drawings for pool contractor bidding and construction, coordinated materials with the project’s Interior Designer, and visited the site a few times during construction. The design includes beautiful limestone paving, permeable driveway pavers (which helped the project pass on-site water capture requirements), a medium-sized family pool with large spa and water feature, a multi-purpose lawn, a covered lounge space with built-in heaters, and a double-island outdoor kitchen/bar. We were involved for about a year of the overall process and our fee was about 10% of the landscape construction cost (excluding the pool).
We are happy with the resulting landscape, which is inviting, private and low maintenance. We were able to maximize space while maximizing value. As Angelenos consider building or rebuilding, we hope this example is helpful in thinking about how to approach the exterior of a new construction project and we are here to answer any questions you may have.
