Is your home enveloped by abundant sunlight, or do you have a mostly shaded area? Does your property border wetlands or conservation land? Are you looking for a self-sustaining, low-maintenance yard? There are countless benefits to hiring a landscape architect, and assessing these preliminary questions is only the beginning. Landscape architecture is the process in which a team envisions a home’s natural surroundings, creates a larger vision for the property, executes the plan, and nurtures the elements so that they grow and flourish according to the design. Beyond residential projects, landscape architects take on institutional, commercial, urban, and other public-facing designs.

When it comes to residential landscape architecture, the benefit of working with professionals is that they can assess your property as a system, which addresses any potential design challenges and offers manageable solutions. They create a cohesive plan to help envision outdoor living spaces, pool areas, and gathering spaces, among other outdoor needs.

As a residential interior design firm that specializes in multi-year new construction projects, we’ve had the privilege of working with many skilled landscape architects over the years, from oceanside family homes to a mountain family compound. If you’re already asking yourself the question “do I need a landscape architect,” then chances are good that, in fact — you do.

If you’re in the market for a landscape architect in the New England area, here’s what you should know before you begin interviewing, as well as a list of just some of the many talented firms in the New England area that you might consider as you start your search. 

What is a Landscape Architect?

A landscape architect is defined as “a person who develops land for human use and enjoyment through effective placement of structures, vehicular and pedestrian ways, and plantings.” How that translates to residential projects is not unlike our roles as interior designers. A landscape architect’s job is to assess the functional requirements of a piece of property while learning their clients’ personal aesthetic and goals to create an outdoor environment that aligns with your lifestyle.

What Does a Landscape Architect Do? 

Landscape architects go well beyond simple gardening and pruning in their practice. A skilled and experienced landscape architect works with you to assess your vision, functional requirements, and design challenges that are unique to your project. From there, they prepare site plans, a draft budget and project timeline. Once the concept they’ve prepared is approved, they move to the execution phase, which may vary depending on what time of the year you’ve contracted your design team to begin. 

How Much Does a Landscape Architect Cost?

Naturally, the average cost of landscape architects varies dramatically depending on the scope of the project. According to Houzz, a general rule of thumb when estimating landscape architect cost is to factor 15% of house value as a rough estimate for the job. Again, this can vary widely depending on geographic location, scope of project, the complexity of your location, among other factors. Additional factors that could impact cost include hardscaping that features materials such as pavers, stone, gravel, wood, etc. Some landscape architects also require a minimum project scope or minimum design fee for projects they take on. 

12 Landscape Architects You Should Know

Looking for a landscape architect, but not sure where to begin? To point you in the right direction, here are ten firms in the New England area whose projects have been showcased in regional or national publications, recognized with professional awards, or have garnered top online reviews.

1. Sudbury Design Group

Location: Sudbury, MA

Sudbury Design Group strives to create personalized, unique landscapes that are imaginative, functional, and environmentally sensitive. Their in-house team approach and collaboration with other design professionals have been key to their success over the years. Their experienced staff of award-winning landscape architects and designers are available from the project’s initial consultation to its completion. Through careful planning and hands-on project management, Sudbury Design Group will transform your property into a stunning landscape that meets all your expectations.

Website: landscapearchitectureboston.com

2. Dan Gordon Landscape Architects

Location: Wellesley, MA

Dan Gordon Landscape Architects is an award-winning landscape architecture firm known for beautiful outdoor spaces that humanize and inspire. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, DGLA was founded by Dan Gordon in 1996. His admiration and knowledge of American Renaissance landscape design served as a blueprint for the firm’s evolution. Today, regarded equally for traditional and contemporary designs, the firm has developed a reputation in the greater New England region for thoroughly understanding the natural context of the land, the cultural and built architectural connections, and the specific needs and stylistic preferences of each client. DGLA fully explores these factors and studies the potential of every property to prepare unique, custom designs with a clear connection to place.

Website: dangordon.com

3. Gregory Lombardi Design

Location: Cambridge, MA

This award-winning landscape architecture practice was founded in 1992 with a simple mission: To craft magnificent outdoor spaces for highly discerning clients. Eschewing any single style, their design philosophy calls for the fresh interpretation of classic, timeless principles of order and proportion to create meaningful spaces for clients. Their aim is to create environments that enhance their surroundings, inspire their inhabitants, and awaken the imagination—all while responding to an articulated financial plan.

Website: lombardidesign.com

4. Michael D’Angelo Landscape Architects

Location: Boston, MA

Founded in 2014, Michael D’Angelo Landscape Architecture is a Boston, MA-based design firm focusing on creating contemporary residential, institutional, and commercial landscapes. D’Angelo brings over fifteen years of experience to the firm as a Landscape Architect. He has served as Project Manager for a number of prominent projects in Boston including the streetscape and pocket park design for Liberty Mutual’s corporate headquarters expansion project in Boston’s historic Back Bay district. He has extensive experience in project management, design, construction detailing, and construction observation.

Website: m-d-l-a.com

5. Kris Horiuchi / Horiuchi Solien

Location: Falmouth, MA

On her work, Kris Horiuchi, Owner and Principal at award-winning firm Horiuchi & Solien Landscape Architects, has said, “Everyday, I am challenged and inspired by opportunities to create memorable landscapes – whether it’s an intimate courtyard garden for a family, or a large scale public park like the 9/11 Memorial at Logan Airport.” Horiuchi Solien is based out of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and specializes in garden design for residential projects. The firm offers consultations, design, installation and maintenance services, with projects along the New England coast.

6. Stimson

Location(s): Cambridge, MA and Princeton, MA

Stimson is located in Cambridge and Princeton, Massachusetts and is composed of an urban and rural landscape architecture studio, a working farm and a plant nursery. Stimson was conceived in 1992 by Stephen Stimson, FASLA. Born and raised on a 10th generation dairy farm at the base of Mount Wachusett in Nipmuc territory, a simple, agrarian-minded approach to design is the mainstay of their work. Stimson designs at all scales and every geography. Their work is a collection of intimate gardens, academic campuses, museums, parks and artful installations in the Northeast and around the country.

Website: www.stimsonstudio.com

7. Pelletieri Associates, Inc. 

Location: Warner, NH

Pelletieri Associates, Inc. is a New Hampshire-based design/build firm with extensive experience in residential, commercial, and institutional project work. For almost 40 years, PAI has been providing skilled, creative and comprehensive services to clients throughout New England.

From site assessments and master planning, to plant selection and perennial gardens, Pelletieri Associates produce enduring environments for discerning clients and exceptional properties. Every site has a special history, every project has unusual conditions, and every client has unique goals, desires and needs.  Their landscape architects seek design solutions that unite all of these and reflect your unique personality and lifestyle for living or working.

Website: www.pellettieriassoc.com

8. Wagner Hodgson 

Location(s): Burlington, VT and Hudson, NY

Wagner Hodgson is an award winning professional landscape architecture and design studio founded in 1987 with offices in Burlington, Vermont and Hudson, New York. Wagner Hodgson believes that landscapes are a special art form. Their design process seeks to express the inherent beauty of nature through the creation of modern sculptural landscapes that unite context, program, form and materials.  Structured as a traditional open design studio, Wagner Hodgson encourages and fosters a collaborative design process amongst their team and clients. This environment cultivates a shared commitment to design excellence for making of new landscapes that are beautiful, resilient, social, and performative. 

Website: wagnerhodgson.com

9. Wesley Stout Associates

Location: New Canaan, CT

In pursuit of their mission “to exceed our client’s expectations”, Wesley Stout Associates’ goal is to create environments that are unique, stimulating, environmentally sound and compatible with the greater community. They are obsessed with creative ideas, inspired by nature, and passionate about the spaces we create through an intuitive and analytical design process. The fact that they have been able to meet our clients’ expectations with imaginative solutions that take into account the living environment, sustainability, and the need for function, and which have also consistently enhanced the value of the property, is a great source of pride.

Website: wesleystout.com
 

10. James Doyle Design Associates 

Location: Greenwich, CT

JDDA has a clear vision: to create beautiful and innovative landscapes that deliver world class designs whilst enriching the lives of the people who use these outdoor spaces. They are as inspired by the future as they have been by the past. As they move forward, they strive to create beautiful and sustainable solutions which blend a unique sense of place with a thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of landscape architecture today.

They are always inspired by the land they work on, care about how their clients want to live, and what really matters to them. JDDA believes that full collaboration with their clients and all affiliated professionals is fundamental to the success of their projects. They are passionate about design and are known for consistent, innovative and sustainable designs and unwavering attention to detail in crafting. They are innovators with a sensitivity to our changing world.

Website: jdda.com

11. Janice Parker Landscape Architects

Location: Greenwich, CT

Since 1984, Janice Parker Landscape Architects has established a reputation for conceiving, planning, and installing thoughtful landscapes and are dedicated to excellent design, full documentation, and project coordination. They are committed to strong relationships and long-term development of our landscapes. They pride themselves on clear communication throughout the process and engage our clients as members of the project team. They offer the creative spirit and technical expertise that produces unique and comprehensive solutions to complex site challenges.

Website: janiceparker.com 

12. Katherine Field & Associates 

Location: Newport, RI

The talented team of landscape architects and designers at Katherine Field & Associates are committed to creating landscapes where people connect to the beauty of the natural world and redefine built environments to embrace nature. Katherine Field brings the heart of a gardener, the eye of an artist, and the discipline of an architect to each project the firm undertakes. Under her leadership, the team has grown to embrace these core values and philosophies that have proven so successful. While each designer brings their own talents and expertise, the KFA team insures that their solutions are centered around clients’ unique goals and aesthetics, creating individualized and distinctive landscapes. They fully immerse themselves in each site, understanding its limitations and its potential, testing it for composition and balance, and enhancing its natural beauty. As a result, KFA landscapes are beautiful, sustainable and naturally dynamic.

Website: katherinefield.com

Hiring a Landscape Architect

If you live beyond the New England area, a great place to begin your search is the American Society of Landscape Architects. Alternatively, you can look to Houzz, which allows you to search by the type of home professional you’re looking to hire, by location.

Undoubtedly, hiring a landscape architect has countless tangible benefits beyond enhancing your home’s curb appeal. It can create meaningful outdoor spaces that your family uses for years to come, help utilize otherwise wasted space on your property, and even add enhance your home’s appraisal value. Finding the right professional for your project is the beginning of an exciting journey to creating an outdoor environment of your dreams.