Io LandArch

COMMUNITY DESIGN

At Io LandArch, we specialize in designing and planning for vibrant, sustainable, and equitable communities! Our biophilic design philosophy and culturally-centered process combines the disciplines of planning, urban design, and landscape architecture with community advocacy, sustainable agriculture, and deep ecology resulting in holistically vibrant places. Our signature grassroots design process centers around five catalytic strategies that foster strong communities: historic preservation, creative placemaking, development planning, recreation & trails, and ecological landscapes.

Our Services

Community Design – Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation

In addition to a myriad of economic benefits, the preservation and adaptive re-use of historic buildings, landscapes, and districts creates communities that have a strong sense of unique identity and pride. Historic neighborhoods are inherently more walkable and historic districts tend to be more culturally diverse and economically resilient.

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Creative Placemaking

Creative placemaking is the process of engaging the local community, government entities, and private developers as part of a broader urban design strategy. This collaborative process involves small-scale, community-engaged interventions that build on the unique local culture, increase pride of place and incentivize reinvestment in a place.

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Recreation & Trails

Ecological places, trails, and activities create and sustain vibrant communities. With more outdoor recreation, neighborhoods can support their local economy, encourage healthy lifestyles, and foster more community gathering. We believe the ability to enjoy nature is a right for all and aim to make these opportunities more accessible.

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Development Planning

Development planning leverages private sector investment to create vibrant places. We work with cities and developers to plan projects that not only meet market needs, but also preserve the quality of life, maintain the character of existing neighborhoods and landscapes, and provide returns on investment for property owners and community members alike.

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Ecological Landsapes

We seek to expand the earth's ecological capacity to provide ecosystem services through preservation, smart development, urban agriculture, and green infrastructure. This includes taking development pressure off of prime agricultural farmland and wild places by designing vibrant, walkable, and green urban communities where people want to live.

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Our Design Process

"One does not simply walk into Mordor."

— Boromir, Lord of the Rings

Embarking on a major construction or renovation project can feel like an exciting adventure, filled with opportunity, but also potential pitfalls and challenges. Our Design Quest process guides you through the intricacies of planning, design, communication, and construction - to reach the pinnacle of success for your project.

Step 1: Discovery

Together, we'll identify any obstacles and outline your goals. This process provides clarity on your current position and the steps needed to achieve your desired outcome.

Step 2: Vision

This pivotal step allows us to understand your project’s specific challenges and opportunities. We’ll work together to hone in on your unique design style and align your vision with your budget, laying the groundwork for successful implementation.

Step 3: Design Magic

Delve into the realm of possibility, through a meticulous 3D model, refining the layout and selecting materials to fulfill your vision. This transformative phase empowers you to visualize your future project in all its grand potential.

Step 4: The Map

Detailed documents will serve as a guide for contractors, providing clear direction, to ensure that the design is faithfully implemented and conflicts are resolved efficiently during construction.

Step 5: Transformation

Together, we navigate the construction process, assisting you in obtaining bids from qualified contractors and observing the construction progress to ensure adherence to the design.

What's Next?

Find out more about our process, how to work with us, and what the next steps are.

LET'S TALK

Our Projects

Over 15 years of vibrant, ecological design

We’ve dedicated over fifteen years toward honing our approach to helping local governments, non-profits, developers, and community members create economically viable, socially equitable, and ecologically sustainable places. Our list of clients includes cities, such as Ogden, Salt Lake, and South Salt Lake, and rural communities, such as Beaver and Washington Counties. Io intends to continue supporting municipalities in realizing growth opportunities while preserving their inherent sense of unique character and identity.

What our clients are saying...

Ogden City Business Development

Io LandArch has successfully provided a variety of services for Ogden City – from documenting historic landscapes to preparing the master plan for a major redevelopment project. Io created the design concept for the Ogden Business Exchange, a redevelopment project that is transforming a historic but vacant stockyard into a state-of-the-art business park. Io’s design weaves in the rich history of the site and its proximity to natural amenities to create a truly unique sense of place..

By Sara Meess Project Coordinator
City of South Salt Lake

Io has been a tremendous help to the City of South Salt Lake as they have worked over the years to help plan and design numerous city buildings and parks. We are grateful for this consistency and reliability as we complete many projects in phases. Io’s attention to detail and quality and willingness to listen to our needs ensures we are always happy with the end product.

By Sharen Hauri Urban Design Director
Amy Jorgensen

I absolutely love working with Io! They are smart, insightful, and excellent at what they do. Their team is keenly attuned to the relationships between history, place and design - and work closely with clients to build a plan that is responsive and visionary. A pleasure to work with, Io brings the best work to the table, I give them my highest recommendation.

Ogden Contemporary Arts

Ogden Contemporary Arts were lucky enough to work with io Landarch on our outdoor sculpture park, PLATFORMS. Shalae was critical to pulling off this community project. She offered their services as an in-kind donation and even went as far as recommending volunteer options, as we are a nonprofit with limited funds. The outcome was astonishing. What was once a lot of overgrown weeds, chain-link, and trash, is now a welcoming park scattered with beautiful native plants and whimsical winding pathways. Ogden is lucky to have such a community-oriented landscape architecture firm in our community.

By Venessa Castagnoli Executive Director
The Pingree Mansion

Io LandArch custom-designed my solar-carport. They even got approval from the historic landmark commission where I live (which would have been a headache to do on my own). It turned out beautifully. It’s as much work of art as it is carport and fit my budget. I’m very happy with the results and highly recommend them.

By Rebecca Sato

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