Designing Spaces for Ecological Engagement
In an era and society dominated by digital interfaces, many lose their connection to nature, community, and the urban fabric. In turn, this disconnection yields a dip in individual happiness and civic engagement. This detachment from nature not only impoverishes personal well-being, but also diminishes stewardship for our natural and built environments. Research in social […]
The Corner Plaza: The Creative Lens
The Corner Plaza stands at the heart of Ogden, a vibrant testament to the transformative power of public spaces. This dynamic hub represents a pivotal element in the burgeoning Nine Rails Creative District. Strategically placed, it not only bridges physical gaps but also connects the artistic pulse of the city. The Corner Plaza acts as […]
The Never Ending Story of Community Revitalization
In my two decades of partnering on community revitalization efforts, a common misconception I’ve encountered is the belief that once we achieve a set list of desires—whether that is improved infrastructure, more local businesses, or enhanced public spaces—we will have “arrived.” The idea is tempting: reach a certain milestone and all challenges will be resolved, […]
3 Strategies for Vibrant Communities
Introduction Recently, I shared an overview of our three core principles for community revitalization on Io LandArch’s social media channels. When creating this content, it struck me that there’s much more to delve into on this subject, along with some pertinent case studies. So, let’s dive in… Whether your community is expansive or compact, we […]
6 Strategies for Creating Mindful Landscapes
The Importance of Mindful Landcapes Have you ever gone for a walk or hike to clear your mind? The outdoors and physical activity have a way of helping us quiet our mind and release our worries and stress. It’s an opportunity to disconnect from screens and immerse yourself in the real world, allowing you to […]
Necessary Nature
There’s not a lot of good news out there lately when it comes to the climate crisis. Despite decades of scientists warning us of a warming planet, our collective response has been relatively too little, too late. Now we’re witnessing many of the most dire predictions becoming a reality. One reason we’re at this point […]
The Value of Design in 3 Cost Scenarios
One of the biggest reasons people choose to DIY their design project, or let a contractor implement a design-build scheme, is because they don’t want to pay for the up front cost of design. But at the end of the day, it’s the design that adds the value to a project. Imagine if you will, […]
3 Strategies for Budgeting Your Landscape Project
While many individuals and organizations start to look at their 2023 goals and budgets, we decided to talk about budgets, money, and value in landscape architecture and architectural design! We’ll kick off by talking about how to create a financial plan in order to realize a successful project. Enjoy! The biggest issues most people […]
Matrix Planting Design
There is a growing trend in landscape architecture when it comes to planting design. More and more, Landscape Architecture Magazine and landscape design social media feeds are filled with sublime, flowing meadows, containing a symphony of softly mounding grasses, interspersed with a wild yet refined mixture of seasonal perennial interest. Yet, more substantive than trends […]
Outdoor Rooms: Four Strategies for Great Spaces
How do you create great outdoor rooms for your home? The biggest mistake people make when creating landscapes from residential gardens to parks and plazas, is to overlook the design. Too often, the landscape is seen as leftover space after a house or building is complete. It then becomes a formless, shapeless blob of visual […]
Perfection v. Progress
I have a confession. We moved into our beautiful Craftsman Bungalow in 2017, and amongst the to-do list of renovation projects, there’s one that is particularly distressing to me: Our garishly BLUE bathroom. Every day for the last 5 years I have walked into this bathroom at least twice a day, only to get punched […]
How to Plant Meadow Grasses
Native meadow grasses are rapidly gaining popularity as both an alternative to traditional turf-grass, or a low-maintenance shrub-border. These grasses are easy to grow, have beautiful ornamental seed-heads, and are very drought-tolerant! A few of our favorite varieties include Grama Grass, Sheep Fescue, Atlas Fescue, or for shady areas, Blue Zinger sedge or Pennsylvania sedge. […]
How to Create a Butterfly Garden
Butterflies evolved into specific species by eating only a few different plants. As human development has expanded, these plants got ripped down or dispersed. Butterflies thrive on large groupings of plants. Many butterflies can’t eat non-native plants; they need their specific native plants to survive. 90% of insect species can only eat the plants that […]
Design Journey: Lessons from ‘Lord of the Rings
At Io LandArch, we believe that the landscape and architecture design process is a journey through cognition and time to create sustainable, vibrant places. It’s an expedition often lined with challenging obstacles and tough decisions. But it’s also filled with anticipation, magic, and a hero-worthy project as your reward. What better archetype to look to […]
Think Twice: Reasons Against ‘Zeroscaping’ Your Yard
With the ongoing water crisis, we’re starting to see a lot of formerly lush landscapes suddenly transformed into barren rock-scapes under the guise of water conservation. While these newfound converts to environmentalism are well-intentioned, a rock-only landscape is actually worse for the ecosystem, the climate, and the drought. I know that seems counter-intuitive but here’s […]
Reviving Communities: 5 Lessons from Historic Home Restoration
As a Historic Home Restoration survivor, veteran community organizer, Landscape Architect/Architect, and Urban Designer, it has occurred to me numerous times over the past 2 decades just how much restoring a historic home is a microcosm of community revitalization. Historic structures are an essential building block of successful community revitalization, but the parallels go much […]
Designing for TV: A Crash Course with Extreme Makeover
We recently had the opportunity to volunteer, by providing Landscape Architectural services for two very deserving families, on the hit TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”! The episodes are 1002 and 1003 and we are looking forward to seeing them air in January 2020 on HGTV! In case you haven’t seen the show (seriously, who […]
Trial by Fire: My Preservation Journey
It was a crisp, late winter evening. We were just settling in to watch a movie at our condo in Logan when the phone rang. It was one of those calls that you don’t ever want to receive. It was the Ogden Fire Department. The house that we had purchased just 2 weeks earlier was […]