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Meet Niccole Smith!

Please join us in welcoming Niccole Smith to the Io LandArch team!

A licensed landscape architect and northern Utah native, Niccole earned her BLA from Utah State University with an emphasis on horticulture. She has loved beautifying spaces and studying plants her whole life, so pursuing landscape architecture for her career was a natural step.

Waterwise landscape with chair lift tower integrated into the design

In addition to the tower, historical preservation, adjacent commercial property, and severe slope added to the challenge of designing this landscape (previous experience).

Professional Experience

Niccole has practiced professional landscape design in Utah for over 10 years, 7 of those at her own landscape design firm, Primula Horticulture & Design. Her experience ranges from designing tiny residential gardens to expansive commercial and housing developments.

Modern backyard landscape with a symmetrical design featuring light stone retaining walls and four copper scuppers spilling water into a river rock basin. Wide stone steps lead up to a raised lawn and planting beds with shrubs and ornamental grasses. A dark wood pergola runs along the left side, creating a shaded walkway, while a white outdoor fireplace sits to the right. Mature trees and fencing enclose the lush, private garden setting.

This backyard was built to entertain, under the canopy of a magical mature catalpa tree. Due to some unique circumstances, this design had to work with a partially installed previous design and a number of existing materials that the client didn’t want to eat the cost on. The result is party-ready space that’s a treat for all the senses (previous experience).

Niccole prides herself on attention to detail, creating plans that are just as functional as they are beautiful, and caring deeply about each clients’ wants and needs.

Small mid-century brick home at dusk with a xeriscaped front yard featuring gravel mulch, low shrubs, ornamental grasses, and young plantings arranged in curved beds. A lit vintage-style streetlamp stands centered in the foreground, framed by mature trees. A driveway and detached garage sit to the left, with wood fencing and neighboring homes visible on either side.

This plan took an entirely grassed front yard to zero grass to reach the owner’s goal of reducing water use and maintenance while still keeping things beautiful (previous experience).

At Io LandArch

At Io LandArch, Niccole is focused on working with our Home and Garden clients from Vision Plan to Contract Administration. Her experience working with clients throughout the entire project lifecycle is an amazing asset to our team!

Front view of a contemporary craftsman-style home with beige siding and light stone accents. A covered entry porch with square columns sits at the center, framed by neatly layered foundation plantings of shrubs and small evergreens. A manicured green lawn and modern rectangular stepping-stone walkway lead to the front door.

Niccole designed this dreamy suburban landscape with curb appeal and space to play, entertain, and relax. The goal with this design was to create an aesthetic that feels both contemporary and timeless (previous experience).

Article written by Emma Bevevino
Emma’s backgrounds in English, urban studies, and marketing converge into a cohesive passion for strategic and impactful project storytelling and A/E/C marketing. Fascinated with the process and consequences of design, Emma cares deeply about landscape architecture, public space, and the stories behind places—from both design and marketing angles. At Princeton University, her studies culminated in an award-winning thesis on American playground design, and her masters in Digital Marketing complements this experience, adding marketing expertise and know-how to her passion for sensitive and contextual design.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-hopkins-bevevino/

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Downloadable Resources
Guide to maintaining your new landscape, pdf download
Mid-Century Modern planting design