ValleyCrest Rolls with Design/Build Momentum

A year ago, ValleyCrest Co. announced a national initiative to offer integrated design-build services to its large commercial and public customer base through ValleyCrest Design Group, the company’s new multi-studio landscape architecture division. 

One year later, the decision to grow design-build, both internally with ValleyCrest Design Group and with third-party landscape architects, has delivered impressive results. The company announced that $30 million in significant new, large-scale design-build projects are underway across the public and private sectors, and a significant pipeline of additional work is in negotiation. 

Key projects currently include:

• NAS Pensacola – Landscape design-build contract for the historical mitigation and landscape construction at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida (NAS Pensacola). ValleyCrest Design Group/SiteWorks Studio, landscape architect.
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Eli   Broad Gallery and Sculpture Garden – Landscape design-build assist working with architect Renzo Piano and environmental artist Robert Irwin to develop and build master plan for art museum and cultural center.  ValleyCrest Design Group/Comstock Studio, landscape architect.
• Kenilworth Sports Complex – Landscape design-build project to develop a multi-million dollar, multi-phase public works project for the city of Coolidge, Arizona. Logan Simpson Design, landscape architect.
• Daybreak – Landscape design-build project for Kennecott Land’s sustainable, master-planned “green” community and park system in South Jordan, Utah. G. Brown Designs, landscape architect.
• Johns Creek Environmental Campus – Landscape design-build project for state-of-the art wastewater and sludge treatment facility and environmental learning center located on the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Georgia. HGOR, landscape architect.

“Clients are responding to our unique ability to offer an integrated set of services, from concept through build, for large, complex landscape projects,” said Tom Donnelly, ASLA, president of ValleyCrest Landscape Development.  “ValleyCrest Design Group is being recognized for its unparalleled experience. Our nationally-recognized independent landscape architecture studios combined with our preconstruction services and our ability to efficiently and safely to construct very high quality work, is stimulating innovation and enhancing value across the board.”

“Clients understand that by engaging us in a design-build process they can achieve both a superior end result and a more effective project development process.  Benefits of our design-build approach include: better design to budget, minimized probability of change orders and budget over-runs, clearer accountability, faster time-to-market, reduced administrative burden, and more value overall for each dollar spent,” he added.

Key to the company’s success has been its decision to offer both integrated design-build services and to partner with outside landscape architecture firms when appropriate. The company has structured its internal landscape architecture group as independent studio operations offering both stand-alone landscape architecture and design-build services. 

“Once clients have been exposed to the level of talent and professionalism in our design studios, and have understood our quality standards and delivery processes, they have become very comfortable that our integrated offering will produce outstanding results,” Donnelly says.

ValleyCrest’s approach to design-build begins with ValleyCrest Design Group, its accomplished set of landscape architecture studios.  Its landscape architecture capabilities are grounded in significant experience planning and designing large projects across a wide range of market segments, including hotels and resorts, master planned communities, retail centers, commercial/industrial, and public work.  Studios include:  Comstock Studio, Los Angeles; HRP Studio, Orange County, Calif.; JamesHyatt Studio, Denver; SiteWorks Studio, Fairhope, Alabama; and Phil Graham Studio, St. Petersburg, Fla.