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PHILOSOPHY
Landscape Architects and Environmental Planners shape the environment to fit the needs of the client while working to preserve and protect a site’s most valuable features. The first step in the process is to look at the land. What is a parcel’s natural potential? What atmosphere are we attempting to create? Are there environmental constraints? These are the questions the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planner must ask and answer before designing the site plan.
At Environmental Design Associates, PC, we begin by understanding a site’s existing natural resources. This allows us to document and determine natural features that must be preserved and protected, as well as determine what site features are available for modification and incorporation into the site design. The site design process at EDA focuses upon the necessary balance between environmental sensitivity and the achievement of development goals.
Several studies are conducted to determine a site’s environmental constraints: wetland limits are delineated, important vegetation is located and identified, steep slope areas are outlined, the site’s hydrology is analyzed, archaeological studies are conducted, and adjacent architecture, landscapes and views are all taken into consideration.
To plan and achieve environmentally sensitive site design, the Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner must have knowledge in many different disciplines. They must understand the basic principles of: art and architecture, horticulture and botany, storm runoff and hydrology, natural sciences, economics, and civil engineering.
But scientific and academic knowledge is not enough. The Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner must also be experienced in the principles of zoning and environmental law. A good percentage of the site design effort will be spent working with environmental agencies, and the planning and zoning boards of municipalities. At EDA, we have a deep understanding of the approval process – we know what can be eliminated and what must be maintained to comply with environmental planning standards.
Since the Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner must rely on natural process for the end product, projects often take years to perfect. As part of the project design team, we work closely with the client in the period of site evaluation and design, during the project review and approval process, throughout the time of active construction, and over the period time necessary to achieve the desired results. A working relationship built on trust and communication must be established right at the start of a project.
For over thirty years, Environmental Design Associates, PC has been dealing with sensitive environmental conditions. This experience has now become second nature, giving us a decided advantage over other design firms – while they view the environment as a problem – we view the environment as a part of the solution. That is the challenge of creativity – to achieve the delicate balance between function, beauty, and sensitivity.
Environmental Design Associates, PC combines the personalized service of a small firm with the extensive support system of a larger company to create an ideal professional resource. The principals work directly on a project with their project team and can draw from a group of experts to answer specialized questions. Their goal it to keep the project on target, on time and budget.
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