Each site is unique and at the commercial level there are many players involved beyond that of a typical residential project. Marcus Parker Landscape Architecture (MPLA) conducts an in-depth site analysis at the beginning of each project in order to understand the site’s opportunities and constraints.

These efforts early on are very useful to our commercial clients and through a series of feasibility studies we can begin to understand how their program best fits into the existing site context, what opportunities exist to leverage and exploit, what constraints could cause issues with constructability and budget, and what is the best way to organize the site overall to make sure the commercial design is a success.

Landscape Concept Design is the exploratory process that seeks to distill all the components of a project, including the site program and site analysis, down to one simple yet effect design “parti” or concept. At this level, details are not as important as broader design factors such as scale, gathering nodes, circulation, and the overall organization of these elements.

When a design concept that works is achieved, it is a primary goal of the designer to stay true to that concept throughout the rest of the design process and apply those core principles across all scales, details, branding opportunities, and design problems.

Commercial Landscape Design Development is the design phase between Concept Design and Construction Documentation. The majority of design work is completed during this phase and includes developing smaller spaces within the overall site plan, generating site sections and elevations, reviewing landscape materials through physical samples and image boards, and collaborating with other design professionals involved in the project to coordinate our individual disciplines. Pricing can also usually be sought from contractors during this phase and any VE (Value Engineering) efforts can be made to mitigate budget surplus.

Once the design is developed and design disciplines are coordinated, construction drawings are produced to document the design, specify landscape products to be installed, and outline contractor responsibilities to help safeguard the owner and the project.

It is in this phase that landscape details are finalized and at MPLA we pride ourselves on our attention to detail. Although no set of construction documents is perfect, we strive to produce a comprehensive set of plans that contractors can accurately price and build from with as little design ambiguity as possible.    

During construction MPLA stays on through construction to project completion. Our construction administration support consists of reviewing and approving material submittals, answering any requests-for-information (RFIs) the contractor may have, and most importantly ensuring that installation is being conducted according to the construction documents.

MPLA will make various visits to the job site, generate field reports to record installation progress and notify the owner and contractor of any concerns. Once the project is complete, MPLA will make a final site visit to review punch list items with the owner and contractor before the project is closed out and completed.

Commercial projects are often subject to permitting by various government agencies and processes. MPLA is available to present and discuss any of our commercial landscape designs to review boards, community groups, or any other interested body in order to obtain approval for the project.

Some of the best design solutions have come from open dialog between development teams and communities and we welcome the opportunity for this invaluable collaboration.