HOW WE WORK
 

Project Orientation & Program Definition  
When you express an interest in having Ciavonne, Roberts & Associates as your Landscape Architect, it is vital for us to gain familiarity with your interests at the onset of a project. Whether we are designing an entry sign or an urban plaza, a residential landscape or a city park, a streetscape or a subdivision ... we must first know what your expectations, goals, and budget considerations are for your project.

Base Information and Inventory
Understanding the parameters of your project, we gather pertinent base information and research your property and your project. This often includes understanding your existing site conditions, topography, views, vegetation, floor plans / site plan, utilities, etc. Basically we collect all the information that is available. We consider any applicable ordinances (e.g. zoning, densities, building setbacks, landscaping requirements, etc.) to be comfortable that your project complies with all requirements imposed by a homeowners’ association, the city, county, or any other governmental body affecting the project. 

Aerial view of Kokopelli Trail Design of this premier biking trail

Opportunities, Constraints, Idea Generation
Having the above information as a guide, our next step is a charrette, typically involving the design team, but sometimes facilitating input from a much larger audience. A charrette involves scheduled time to look at the project, the base information, the research, and generate as many planning or design ideas as possible (practical or not). The outcome of this “brainstorming” activity is the consolidation of ideas into a limited number of creative concepts for your consideration.

  340 Corridor

 
  Alternate Solutions, Preferred Plan
When sharing alternative concepts with you, not only are we wanting feedback on your likes and dislikes, we are also wanting to confirm and/or re-assess the original goals and program decisions. Often one of the proposed concepts will ‘hit the mark’, but the additional opportunity to select and group desirable elements from differing concepts helps assure your input and satisfaction. The concept is refined to a graphic level that clearly displays your preferred plan. This may be the stopping point for you, or you may want Ciavonne, Roberts & Associates to continue with planning and/or design documents that aid you in the implementation of your project. 

Amphitheater at the Botanical Gardens

Preliminary and Final Documents
As determined by you, we can move forward with your project to the next level of planning and/or design. This may include submitting for appropriate governmental approvals such as rezones, sketch plans, site plan approvals, wetland permits, etc. This may also be the production and creation of cost estimates, construction documents (grading, layout, landscape, irrigation, site features and amenities), and specification and bid documents. These processes and procedures are typically divided into Preliminary and Final ‘phases.’ The Final ‘phases’ of planning projects typically includes the securing of approvals, the formal acceptance of a plan, or the legal recording of information. Design projects, however, may proceed to the physical construction of the design. 

 

2nd Street Plaza Final Plan
Project Implementation
Once construction begins, we remain in contact with you and the contractor(s) and visit the site to ensure that the quality of the finished product meets the your expectations.