About Us

Elemental Designs offers landscape architecture services to Rhode Island and Connecticut. In Massachusetts we currently offer landscape design services. We have experience in the residential, commercial, and public sectors of landscape architecture. Landscape architectural work within the residential and commercial sectors is our primary focus. We provide design, consulting, and construction administration services for properties and projects that range in size from very large (acres) to very small (a planting bed). Elemental Designs is committed to producing beautiful landscape spaces that make sense.

Elemental Designs is a company that provides landscape architecture design services. The company does not perform the landscape construction/installation itself, but does provide construction administration services, so each project is seen through to completion. The end result is a beautiful landscape that's built of the highest quality.

Hiring a landscape architect/landscape architecture company to provide the design services and a separate contractor to perform the project's installation is one of the best decisions a property owner can make. It will enable the landscape architect to act as a third-party facilitator between the contractor and the owner. The reason this is of great importance is because it eliminates the possibility of there being financial ties to the contractor, which could lead to a conflict of interest on the project. The ability of the landscape architect to properly observe, prescribe, support, and regulate the quality of work (ex: it's materials and methods of construction) is crucial to ensuring corners aren't cut on a project. This ultimately saves clients time, money, and aggravation in both the short and long term. The health, welfare and safety of the public is a landscape architect's top priority and by hiring a separate landscape architect or landscape architecture company to perform the design work, it will allow them to ensure the job is done right and done well the first time around.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's):

Why is improving a residential landscape of value to a homeowner?

Maintaining a great landscape around a home is the best thing a person can do to increase the value of their home/property and to keep it looking great. By spending 5% of the value of your home on the installation of a quality low-maintenance landscape, you could boost the resale value by 15%, earning back 150% or more of your landscape investment. - (Smart Money Magazine March 2003)

Landscaping can add between 7-15% to a home's value. - (The Gallup Organization)

As an investment, landscaping can increase the value of your property by as much as 20% if done well. - (This Old House Magazine April 2003)

Homes with excellent landscaping can expect a sale price of about 6-7% higher than equivalent houses with good landscaping, while improving landscaping from average to good can result in a 4-5% increase. - (Clemson University)

Landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100-200% at selling time. Kitchen remodeling brings 75-125% recovery rate, bathroom remodeling a 20-120% recovery rate and addition of swimming pool a 20-50% recovery rate. - (Money Magazine)

What is the value of hiring a Landscape Architect vs. a Landscape Designer or Design/Build with a Landscape Designer?

Legal & Municipal Credibility:

• Landscape architects are licensed professionals just like architects and engineers. They have their own stamp/seal, which is affixed to their plans and other related documents. Many municipalities have rules and regulations that specify who is qualified to submit plans for regulatory approval. Most municipalities and even some home owners associations require a licensed professional to put together the plan(s) for work that will require municipal, association, or government entity review and/or approval. Designers can’t stamp plans and are not viewed as license professionals in the eyes of the law or by a vast majority of municipalities or government entities.

Safety & Responsibility:

• Landscape architects are licensed professionals who are responsible for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public while promoting environmental conservation.
• Landscape architects are known for being stewards of the land and surrounding environment. They’re experienced in how to integrate the man-made and natural environments through sustainable and minimally invasive practices.

Education & Expertise:

• Landscape architects specialize in grading and drainage design.
• Landscape architects are generally much more knowledgeable regarding construction methods and typically have a superior educational background and technical expertise.
• Landscape architects stay up to date on the latest technologies, products, and constructions methods. Some states require landscape architects to participate in “continuing education” courses & seminars as a requirement for maintaining their license. Landscape designers aren’t required to continue to further their knowledge and education.

Quality Control:

• Landscape architects can save a client money and piece of mind by ensuring a project is done right the first time around, which will help to ensure corners aren’t cut and constructed items last as long as they should. Carpenters have an old phrase, “measure twice and cut once” and there’s a reason why they abide by that phrase. The money spent on the planning and design is typically small in comparison to the money necessary to reconstruct or fix an item that wasn’t constructed correctly the first time.
• Landscape architects are not financially tied to the installation contractor, so there won’t be any potential for conflicts of interest regarding the project quality, goals, and objectives.

Time & Peace of Mind:

• Landscape architects can save a client the stress of trying to observe and consult with the installation contractor on a frequent (time consuming) basis, regarding all the different project items that are being installed.

 

What kind of work does a landscape architect perform?

Below is a list of some of the types of projects that are produced by landscape architects all over the world. Many companies that provide landscape architecture services typically focus on providing services for just some of the areas listed below.

Academic campuses
Conservation
Corporate and commercial
Gardens and arboreta
Green infrastructure
Historic preservation and restoration
Hospitality and resorts
Institutions
Interior landscapes
Land planning
Landscape art
Monuments
Parks and recreation
Reclamation
Residential
Security design
Stormwater management
Streetscapes and public spaces
Therapeutic gardens
Transportation corridors
Urban design

Below are some more specific examples of design elements landscape architects are able to design within the landscape:

Benches
Monuments
Athletic Fields
Playgrounds
Pools
Patios
Pergolas
Arbors
Fireplaces
Firepits
Patios
Decks
Walkways
Driveways
Parking Lots
Roads/Driveways
Drainage
Grading
and more.