Philosophy

Philosophy/Design Process

Genius Loci is committed to discovering, enhancing and protecting the pervading spirit of place through sustainable landscape design. Genius loci is Latin for “spirit of place”, the soul or essence of a landscape, its animating spirit. Many of our most beautiful and beloved landscapes are suffused with this spirit of place.

Our design process begins with rigorous site analysis, the history of the land, its present day character and its place in the larger contextual landscape. Listening attentively to our client, we guide them in determining their practical needs as well as understanding their dreams and desires. Through site analyses looking at views, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, legal parameters, hydrology, wildlife habitat, micro climates, and more, we uncover a clear design that promotes biodiversity, and a beautiful, functioning landscape.

Clear communication between designer and client throughout the process is crucial to discovering the client’s “inner landscape” and determining how that intersects with the natural and built environment for a successful, working design and its execution.

Genius Loci strives to connect people and place...

in an ecologically sensitive way to create a dynamic, economically sustainable environment for all of us, and offer future generations of people and wildlife an alternative to the often short sighted methods of traditional landscape design.