• Who Speaks for the Trees?

    August 30th, 2021


    Preserving Natural Landscape Features

    As a landscape architect we are often faced with the challenge of preserving existing site features, such as trees, while facilitating the proposed design. Below are some recommendations on how to approach this balancing act of preserving existing trees.

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  • Our Favorite Landscape Designers and Architects

    April 29th, 2021


    In honor of World Landscape Architecture month it seemed appropriate that we revisit the work of some of our favorites, allowing us the opportunity to reflect on our own past. The time-tested sites of these designers and architects continue to inspire our own work, pushing us to create designs that live up to the functional, beautiful spaces of those that came before us.

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  • Green Design Comes with the Territory

    March 31st, 2021


    To Design embraces a context sensitive design approach that complements a site’s natural characteristics. As “architects of the land,” this is arguably a matter of practice that landscape architects employ by default.

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  • A New Year Upon Us

    January 28th, 2021


    2020 was... unforgettable. That's one way to put it. In lieu of our traditional Year in Review recap, we’d like to share our perspectives on some of the positives that came about  the last 12 months, as well as what we're setting out to do in the new year ahead.

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  • Plants that Warm the Winter Landscape

    January 27th, 2021


    Many of us have been conditioned to think of the winter landscape as bland and lifeless, but there are many plants that can enliven the landscape even in the darkest days of January. The following are a few of my favorite native shrubs and trees of the winter months.

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  • How I Learned Hartford’s Past Through its Parks

    December 15th, 2020


    In 2015, the City of Hartford embarked on a mission to develop a signage program to identify, brand, and unify the diverse properties that form the Hartford Park System. Over the last year and a half, I've had the privilege of managing phase 2 of this project. This consisted of developing graphical sign content and overseeing the installation in each park.

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  • Why Did We Choose Landscape Architecture?

    September 30th, 2020


    Why did each of us at To Design chose to be a landscape architect? What drew us to the profession? The journey to finding the right career can be straightforward, or it can take some trial and error. Below, each member of our small firm discusses what piqued their interest in the field of landscape architecture, and how they got their start. 

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  • Top 5 Go-To Plants When Designing Sites

    August 11th, 2020


    When you ask a Landscape Architect what their go-to plant is, it’s like asking a child what their favorite toy is in a toy store…ALL OF THEM! Similar to toys, each plant offers unique characteristics that make them the appropriate choice under certain growing conditions. When creating a planting design, each plant is carefully evaluated and selected to meet the site's criteria; such as drought tolerance, sun exposure, and form.

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    Posted in: All, Design
  • 9 Elements a Landscape Architect Notices on a Walk Downtown

    June 18th, 2020


    Principal Phil Barlow recently took a walk up and down West Main Street in New Britain right outside the To Design office. He noticed elements throughout the urban landscape that are unique to the eye of a licensed landscape architect. 

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  • 4 Favorite Landscapes of 4 Landscape Architects

    April 22nd, 2020


    In celebration of Earth Day, our landscape architects discussed their top favorite landscape. Some are parks, some are urban spaces, but all evoke nostalgia and remind us why we love what we do. 

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  • 9 Ways to Design Vandal-Proof Parks

    March 4th, 2020


    To prevent your brand-new park from becoming the newest Rage Room in town, I came up with a few techniques and suggestions to keep your park in good condition for years to come.

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    Posted in: All, Design
  • A Landscape Architect Hikes Yosemite National Park

    January 15th, 2020


    Yosemite National Park exists in a precarious balance between the natural and the manmade. Helping to preserve the integrity of the natural systems, while making the landscape accessible to tourists, has been the work of generations of landscape architects.

    Follow Principal Phil Barlow along his trek through Yosemite Valley and beyond. 

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  • Why We Love Goodwin Park's New Playground

    October 9th, 2019


    Landscape Architect Emily Weckman recently visited the newly-renovated Goodwin Park Playground with her family. In this month's blog, she reviews why the improvements will greatly serve the children of the Greater Harford area.

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  • What I did on my summer vacation!

    September 10th, 2019


    Nearing the end of my sophomore year at UCONN, I decided I would apply to firms around Connecticut for an internship opportunity. I wanted to have an experience outside of college where I would be introduced to the field of Landscape Architecture and continue to learn throughout the summer.

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  • The Mystery Behind Our Firm's Name

    June 27th, 2019


    What does the "To" really mean in To Design? What's the history, and why? Read on for Principal Phil Barlow finally clearing the air.

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  • Exploring Peru's Rich and Diverse Landscapes

    May 30th, 2019


    To Design staffer Taylor Richards recently returned from a 14-day trip to Peru. During her travels, she explored dramatic changes in landscapes, ecosystems, and topography. 

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  • How We Implement Sustainable Design

    April 30th, 2019


    Low Impact Development (LID), sustainable design, or green design are terms that all describe what landscape architects have always done-- design with nature. We think that the correct term to describe what we bring to site development is called “Green Infrastructure.”

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  • 10 Commonly Overlooked Features of Accessible Design

    March 26th, 2019


    Principal Phil Barlow was recently published in the CT Chapter of the American Planning Association's Winter 2019 magazine. Learn about why site accessibility is so important to millions of people, along with which 10 practices and areas of accessibility that are often overlooked.

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    Posted in: All, Design, Planning
  • The Positive Effects of Skateparks

    February 28th, 2019


    There's a lot that goes into designing a skatepark. Landscape designer Mary Dehais delves into what it takes for the park to be successful with local boarders.

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  • Tour Our New Britain Office

    January 30th, 2019


    Our office is a reflection of us as a firm-- bright and eclectic yet refined and practical. Read on to see more of what it looks like, and why.

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  • 4 Home Gardens of 4 Landscape Architects

    October 10th, 2018


    Four landscape architects and designers of To Design showcase their home gardens and how their profession bleeds into their personal outdoor environments.

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  • A Layperson Looks at Contemporary Urban Park Design

    August 30th, 2018


    Along the Williamsburg waterfront, in a neighborhood where property values are skyrocketing and new development is everywhere, a shockingly large parcel of land has sat vacant for over a decade. It’s the site of the old Domino Sugar refinery, which operated from 1854 to 2004 and in its heyday produced half the country’s sugar supply. In its place now sits Domino Park, which opened early June.

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  • Combining Nature and the Workplace

    July 31st, 2018


    In New York this month, L.L. Bean set up a temporary outdoor office space to show what cubicle workers can experience when they can go outside and feel the fresh air as they work on their computers. It sounds counterintuitive—how can one stay focused with the distractions of the outdoors around them?

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    Posted in: All, Design
  • Do's and Don'ts of Planting Design

    June 21st, 2018


    Site planting is an important and integral part of most construction projects. When done correctly, planting can add the final touch to a construction project. On the day of the ribbon cutting, the site is typically green, and inviting. However, the proof of success lies in what happens many years later.

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  • 5 Plants to Notice This Spring in Connecticut

    May 17th, 2018


    Spring is noted for its time of renewal. My favorite sights this time of year are new growth on plants. How many times have I come home to discover my hostas grew several inches in a few hours. 

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  • A Refreshed Brand, Three Decades in the Making

    March 29th, 2018


    A Refreshed Brand, Three Decades in the Making

    In 1987, I made what would be a fateful decision to spend money that I didn’t have on a logo for my fledgling business. An upstate New York designer produced my logo for what I remember was a $700.00 fee.

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    Posted in: All, Design
  • Why Biking is the Best Urban Transportation

    February 6th, 2018


    This week's blog features Principal Phil Barlow's son Wil as a guest writer. Wil lives in Brooklyn and commutes across NYC daily by bike.

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  • Why a LANDscape Architect Should Lead Your Site Design Project

    January 17th, 2018


    Many architects and engineers still cling to the stereotype of the landscape architect as the purveyor of grass, trees, and shrubs. On many site design efforts, the landscape architect is best suited to lead the municipal approval, site design, and construction documentation effort. Here’s why:

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  • 2017 - A Year In Review

    January 3rd, 2018


    We've rounded up our favorite moments of the year-- ribbon cuttings, acts of charity, completed projects, awards, and personal achievements.

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  • A Landscape Architect Visits Our National Parks

    November 14th, 2017


    This Fall, I had the good fortune to experience first-hand three iconic California national parks over a two-week period. Under the pretext of being required to attend the ASLA annual meeting as our chapters trustee, I somehow “sold” the trip to my family and staff. 

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  • Navigating Municipal Land Use Approvals Pt. 1: Planning and Zoning

    October 24th, 2017


    An important part of site designing is sheperding the project through the municipal land use process. Although this process can oftentimes be confusing, frustrating, and costly, it is an essential milestone that must be completed before a building project can move forward. I like to think that upon completion, we “secure the landscape” and pave the way for the architect and building engineers to do their work.

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    Posted in: All, Design, Planning
  • Four Ways to Successfully Manage Yourself & Others

    September 5th, 2017


    The Hartford Business Journals "90 ideas in 90 minutes" was one of the best networking events that I have been to all year. As the name implies, HBJ structured the event so that 10 community leaders presented nine ideas with a time limit of 5 minutes apiece.  My favorite takeaways were as follows:

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    Posted in: All, Profession
  • Hartford Can Do Hip, It's Been There Before

    August 15th, 2017


    Aetna is leaving Hartford. With those four words, everything changes.

    The new workforce is looking for urban parks, shared streets, bicycle facilities and public plazas. The millennials have spoken and they could care less about a speedy trip up the corporate ladder. They care about lifestyle and quality of life now. Other cities get this.

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  • Save the Suffocating Trees!

    July 26th, 2017


    We've all heard “practice makes perfect” so many times as a child, however practice alone does not always guarantee you are learning or doing a skill properly. This is so true as every spring, I have the pleasure of witnessing what we call in our industry as “volcano mulching” – the incorrect landscape technique of applying mulch around trees.

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  • Planning - A Landscape Architect's View

    April 19th, 2017


    The worlds of planners and landscape architects are forever intertwined, and both professions are the better for it. Today we tend to think of them as two distinct professions, but that was not always the case. 

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  • Ode to Winter

    March 30th, 2017


    Every year, around this time, I actually get a little nostalgic for winter. I lament not skiing enough, not taking more snowshoe hikes, and not wasting enough time sitting by a fire. 

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  • What is a Landscape Architect?

    February 4th, 2016


    As landscape architects, we continually fight the battle of “being misunderstood”. Our all too familiar lament is that “even my mother does not understand what I do.” I have been in the profession for over 30 years and I still cringe when I tell a layperson that I am a landscape architect.

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    Posted in: All, Profession
  • New Britain's Undiscovered Gems

    December 16th, 2015


    As we begin our tenth year in Downtown New Britain, I continue to believe that this city is an undiscovered jewel. 

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  • The Iconic Seagram Building

    April 1st, 2015


    Mies van der Rohe's iconic Seagram Building on New York’s Fifth Avenue is not only known for the steel and glass architectural design, but for the innovative site plan as well.

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    Posted in: All, Design