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Case Study

Location: 

 Upstate New York

Services: 

Services: 3D, Plantings, Lighting, & On-Going Project Management

Project Description:

The client owns a weekend lakefront retreat with a neglected landscape. They crave a vibrant transformation with a kaleidoscope of colorful plants to breathe new life into the property. Beyond planting, they've entrusted me with the lighting design, securing necessary permits, and overseeing the construction, which is now in full swing.

Before Pictures

3 Phases of Landsape Design

Client Questionnaire

Phase 1:

Vision Phase - This design is all about you. The best way to create something truly yours is by getting to know you. Let's start with a deep dive into your vision, your dreams, and your needs.

Client Questionnaire:

What do you want? Let's uncover everything about your hopes and dreams for your project.  Best Way to do this is by working with me through the Client Questionnaire. LIt's a great disscusion where I ask about 100 questions to uncover as much about you before we start designing.  

Sharing Pictures

Other Landscapes:

Show me what inspires you. Send photos of landscapes you love, whether from your neighborhood or online. I recommend using Pinterest and Houzz for their vast databases—they make sharing your vision quick and easy.

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Phase 2:

Site Analysis - What does your current landscape look like? How many plants do you have? Which direction does your house face? What are the critical views? These questions are essential before moving to the design phase. The key ingredients of this phase are...





 

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  • Site Survey​

  • House Blueprints

  • Base Map

  • Site Inventory

  • Site Analysis

  • Design Program

Site Analysis

We could move forward without this information, but I strongly recommend against it.

Diagrams

Phase 3:

Design - Now it's time to bring all the hard work to life and start designing. I begin by creating functional diagrams—simple sketches that map out possible layouts. These diagrams offer a few variations for the client to choose from. Once I get their feedback, I move to the next stage: the preliminary design. This is a more detailed freehand sketch, refining the chosen concept. While it's possible to skip this step, it allows me to explore alternatives and ensure the design meets all expectations.

3D:

Want to see your design come to life? 3D design offers a realistic and immersive view of your landscape. These lifelike drawings are an opportunity to be even more creative and detailed with your project. You can virtually walk through your landscape, experiencing every feature in accurate size, texture, and color. This visualization helps you see the final outcome and provide valuable feedback, ensuring the design is just right before moving forward.

"Bottom line: Mario has been the best contractor experience we have ever had on Upwork If you need landscape designer you should just hire him ASAP.

We engaged him to build the designs of the exterior landscape for our first home (upstate NY, approx two acres of design.) The man knows flowers, bushes, grass, trees of all kinds (even the fruit trees that grow in our region!) but that's not all! Add to that bonus stonework, exterior lighting, local animal behavior (what will the deer eat?) and we had our ideal expert. If you want spectacular attention to the details of your outdoor project, Mario will exceed any expectation you have.

But, as many know who have used Upwork and similar services, the biggest impediment to a successful project can be COMMUNICATION. We CAN NOT say enough about how amazing Mario was with communication. We were talking on the phone, or WhatsApp, or Video, or email, or sharing files, CONSTANTLY throughout the project. He was always available to discuss the project, which is fantastic in itself, but even more important was that from the first conversation, it was clear that he wanted to know what WE wanted. He was immediately focused on our broad vision of the project, and he listened! At every point during the contract we felt as though Mario was our partner in the process. We traded design ideas constantly, and while we often deferred to Mario's expertise, we never felt like we were not being heard. To the contrary, he went above and beyond to tailor his designs and renderings to our discussions.

As for technology, expect top tier schematics and 3d renderings. For the lists of flora, expect highly detailed spreadsheets. If you need to work with a separate builder/planter, Mario will communicate with that third party.

For price, the amount of work that Mario put into our project far exceeded what we could've hoped to get from the contract price.

Ultimately, just don't think too hard about this. If you need the best in landscape design, get Mario if he is available. He has a passion for his craft that extends equally to his work and his clients, and you don't find that very often. Thank you Mario!!"

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