Phase I: Pre-Design Services, Site Survey & Base Plan

We begin with a detailed interview of how our clients seek to engage with their outdoor space. During this phase, we seek to discover what brings you outside. We share photos, discuss options and use active listening to uncover the best direction for the components of your project.

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In the Pre-Design Phase, we will become acquainted with you, your project site and your vision for the garden. Phase 1 includes a site survey and development of a base plan, which are necessary steps before the design work commences.

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Phase 1: Pre-Design Services & Base Plan

The following work will be conducted in this phase:

1. Existing data will be reviewed for your project site. Any information you may already have will also be reviewed to make sure that we can minimize the amount of work required for this phase. What we primarily are looking at is surveys that show the location of your site, the surrounding property lines, the footprint of your house, key landscape features, any septic, leach lines and/or underground utilities so that the project can take those into account.

2. We will visit your garden and home to review all existing conditions and take any necessary measurements.

3. We will assess the utilities to see how they effect the design of the space.

4. Water is critical to all outdoor spaces, and we will need to understand current drainage. We will also locate significant vegetation, identify view sheds and any negative views/site problems that may effect the design.

5. We will confirm how you intend to use the garden and take notes of everything to ensure that the design meets your needs. 

6. We will provide you with a questionnaire survey that will inform our design process.

7. We will arrange a digital shared drive for photo documentation, research, and required field work.

8. We will organize a Pinterest Project Board to collaborate on & contribute to.

9. We will create a Project Proposal with precedent studies and Project Vision Boards.

B. Base Plan

We will use drawings that either you, an Architect, and/or a professional Surveyor/Engineer produces. Specific site measurements and inventory will be added to the site survey in order to create a landscape base plan. All additional existing site information will be incorporated as needed. What we need from you is a recent, to scale, professional site survey in order to begin this critical phase of design work. If this does not exist, Lion House Design will work with you to get this work conducted by an engineering firm/professional site surveyor. All other phases of design cannot begin without a site survey and base plan.