Any great project begins with an understanding and response to the conditions of the site. Our approach to landscape architecture centers on applying our place-making skills to create a remarkable experience in both the short-term and over the longest span. By working with a client to analyze their space, we introduce a human scale to nature, concentrating on the ways in which living and non-living forms interact. Working seamlessly with all other disciplines, we incorporate concepts that include both public and intimate spaces while integrating hardscapes, view corridors and people flows. The goal is to re-imagine the site as a series of rooms, or spaces, or alternatively, as a stage for a great building. Our work is always collaborative and true to task of bringing a shared vision to life.

Crafting three-dimensional space that conforms to our client’s master vision begins from within. The goal of our work is to evoke an emotional response through space design that touches all of the senses. Whether the environment is one that is fun and exhilarating, or is one that is quiet and introspective, we endeavor to respond to the objectives of our client and the needs of the end user. By working as a small in-house team with our colleagues, we create a seamless experience for each client.

SGA|NW recognizes that the human experience of any built environment is informed by history, the context of the site, and the surrounding natural environment. Our goal is to engage in a process of discovery that allows us to fully understand the existing conditions of a site, while engaging in the shared vision of our client and the end user. When this synthesis is at its most successful, remarkable solutions emerge. This is true whether the project is a K-12, higher ed, residential, commercial, recreation or park project.

SGA|NW applies our understanding of the land, its opportunities and constraints, in conjunction with the goals and vision of the developer, institution, and end users. SGA|NW then optimizes land use for the benefit of our client, as well as the larger community. Great plans must always have some element of delight, however. This is the essence of placemaking.