LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES
LARA design company is pleased to be able to offer the following services.
Site Visit Consultation: Lara Kauffman, RLA will visit your site for a consultation. Prior to the visit, the client should gather any plans, sketches, and photographs to help with the design process and meeting. Lara will meet with you and discuss your project and plans and may provide simple sketches on site of suggestions or thoughts about basic design that may help guide you through some decision making. The initial site consultation for new customers is $250 which allows for local travel time to your site (within Centre County) and up to 1 hour onsite. Returning client site visits and consultations for previous customers are $100 per hour. Travel outside of Centre County, PA area will be additional. If you have time, please fill out the design questionnaire prior to our consultation:
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Preliminary Plans: A preliminary plan is a design that shows the basics of the overall plan. In order to complete a preliminary plan, a basic 'map' and site analysis of the site must be completed. This includes measurements of the existing site with locations of all structure, elevations of entry points, trees, hardscapes, bed areas, and simple topography. If the client is able to provide this in PDF or DWG the process will move forward more quickly. Once these basics are entered into the design program, the plan can begin. The preliminary plan would normally include property line locations, layout of hardscape locations, bed area locations and suggestions of types of plants in them. It will show the 'bones' of the garden with a very basic conceptual direction that should be approved by the client before proceeding to the next level. Preliminary plans start at $600 which would include the review and a revision to it.
Master Plans: The master plan is a process and having a master plan to work from is a priceless investment. The plan can be used and referred back to for many years. Clients who would like to phase their projects should begin with the investment into a master plan. LARA design Co. master plans include the initial site visit, the measuring of the site and entering it into CAD form, and the complete site analysis to evaluate sun/shade/wind/deer and other concerns for your project. The plan then typically includes all hardscape and material suggestions for those areas, planning of design of extra outdoor living areas (fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, firepits, playsets, pergolas, fencing, vegetable garden locations and sizes, etc.) Landscape lighting locations and products are included, as well as locations and suggestions for all woody plant materials (detailed perennial plantings, vegetable gardens, deck design, pool design, and elaborate outdoor living spaces may take some added time and additional plans). Each master plan comes with photographs of examples of similar projects all completed by Lara and a plant catalogue with photographs and the common and latin names of each plant suggested). All of this is also supplied on a USB drive in PDF format for you records. Master plans start at $1200 which would include a review on site, and a visit to one or more of the following: a stone or masonry supply yard, outdoor kitchen supply store, garden center, or the Arboretum to look at selected plants. Additional time beyond the scope of design contract will be billed as time and materials.
Design Imaging: Design imaging is software that allows LARA design Co. to take a photo of your site and then add plant materials and some hardscape details to the image. It is fast, simple, and gives the client a good general idea of what the front or back facade could look like with a plan. Its an inexpensive option starting at just $150 per image.
Specialty Design: Many different situations can arise that require additional time, resources, research, permits and travel expenses. These will be evaluated at the Site visit consulation, then a proposal will be emailed that includes a cost for your project. Additional project types that Lara has designed:
Deck Design and code drawings
Outdoor Fireplace/Firepit design
Outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas
Rooftop Gardens
Green roofs
Family cemetery
Commercial parking areas, entrances, site design work, planting plans
Occasional landscapes (weddings, outdoor events, Arts Festival etc)
Seasonal displays (planters, lighting, etc)
LARA design Company is a licensed and professionally insured LLC in the state of Pennsylvania