Considering building green? We can help. Learn more about sustainable practices at Board & Vellum.

Custom Residential, Multifamily, Commercial, Civic

Landscape Architecture at Board & Vellum

Beautiful outdoor rooms expand our experience beyond the enclosure of interior spaces; they build community, and are a joy to experience.

Spending time outside is essential to our health and happiness. From our own backyards to everyone’s public parks, we love designing beautiful, sustainable spaces people simply love to be. Knowledgeable and passionate, our landscape team has experience on projects public and private, large and small, commercial, residential, and civic.

The rooftop garden at the Lucille on Roosevelt: a glamping tent surrounded by lush plantings. – Landscape architecture by Board & Vellum.
A Relaxing Rooftop Experience

A boardwalk flanked with planters overflowing with lush plantings — even trees — leads to a glamping tent offering shelter from sun, wind, or rain. Lucille on Roosevelt | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

A Relaxing Rooftop Experience

A boardwalk flanked with planters overflowing with lush plantings — even trees — leads to a glamping tent offering shelter from sun, wind, or rain. Lucille on Roosevelt | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

We’re committed to great design, sustainable environments, and healthy neighborhoods.

We live in and love the Pacific Northwest; as residents and designers, we’re fundamentally invested in the future of our communities.

We love designing beautiful, useful outdoor spaces, both public and private, adding materially to our cultural fabric by creating real opportunities for people to come together. Seeing the big picture and considering how the natural environment will change and grow ensures we design in a way that makes the most of your investment.

No matter the project type or size, our goal is to create enjoyable places that will grow, mature, and evolve for years to come.

Queen Anne Gambrel – Integrated Design for Indoor/Outdoor Living – Board & Vellum, Custom Residential Design Services
Putting Down Roots

Introducing order and ease of maintenance to the garden helps this busy family stay out of the weeds. Queen Anne Gambrel | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Putting Down Roots

Introducing order and ease of maintenance to the garden helps this busy family stay out of the weeds. Queen Anne Gambrel | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Gas fire pit in yard with comfortable seating. – Urban Yard at The Seattle Box – Board & Vellum
Urban Yard at the Seattle Box

Urban Yard at the Seattle Box | Photo by Derek Reeves.

Urban Yard at the Seattle Box

Urban Yard at the Seattle Box | Photo by Derek Reeves.

A fire pit on the rooftop at the Lucille on Roosevelt. – Multifamily residential design and landscape architecture design by Board & Vellum.
A Fire Pit Anchor in a Gathering Space

A linear gas fire pit sits off-center in a rooftop seating node, allowing residents to adjust their distance from the warmth, and gather in large or small groups. Lucille on Roosevelt | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

A Fire Pit Anchor in a Gathering Space

A linear gas fire pit sits off-center in a rooftop seating node, allowing residents to adjust their distance from the warmth, and gather in large or small groups. Lucille on Roosevelt | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

A straight-on photograph of the home's front fence. The fence is white and fronted by espalier trees with their branches coaxed into right angle from the trunk. – Residential landscape architecture by Board & Vellum.
No Dull Driveway

Espalier trees add order and interest along the fence by the newly lowered parking pad. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

No Dull Driveway

Espalier trees add order and interest along the fence by the newly lowered parking pad. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

Landscaped retail streetscape at Club Monaco – Board & Vellum
Downtown Retail Streetscape

Downtown Retail Streetscape for Club Monaco | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

Downtown Retail Streetscape

Downtown Retail Streetscape for Club Monaco | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

Looking across the deck toward to valley-view below. The sun hangs low in the sky casting light and shadow across the deck. Charcoal-colored planters lining the deck overflow with green, purple, and magenta plants. – Residential landscape by Board & Vellum
A Deck For Year-Round Enjoyment

Careful planning brought together all the elements of an enjoyable outdoor living space: plenty of room for comfortable seating, a new roof overhang with built-in heaters for chilly nights, and plenty of access to the season’s greenery. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

A Deck For Year-Round Enjoyment

Careful planning brought together all the elements of an enjoyable outdoor living space: plenty of room for comfortable seating, a new roof overhang with built-in heaters for chilly nights, and plenty of access to the season’s greenery. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

We work well with all the tools of the trade.

Plants and vegetated elements are only one piece of comprehensive site design.

Our landscape teams back up their design chops with the technical knowledge of zoning and building code, environmental design systems, and their skill coordinating with project collaborators, like structural engineers, civil engineers, and geotechs to get a successful landscape and site design project to the finish line.

Our work is not just about things that grow, it’s about hardscapes, site sculpting, and outdoor rooms and structures. We work at the interface between the natural environment and the built environment, designing cohesion between the two.

We consider all the elements of a site: the living elements, the natural features, the buildings, the indoor spaces, the neighboring spaces — the overall experience of being there. We consider how it will function and feel, making it not only beautiful but designing how it will evolve, react to the elements, shift with the season, and change over time.

Tall fencing, layered plantings, and gabion blocks form the edge of an outdoor room anchored with a fire pit to take the chill off cool nights. – North Beach Refresh – Board & Vellum landscape architecture.
Sheltered Backyard Fire Pit

Tall fencing, layered plantings, and gabion blocks form the edge of an outdoor room anchored with a fire pit to take the chill off cool nights. North Beach Refresh | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Sheltered Backyard Fire Pit

Tall fencing, layered plantings, and gabion blocks form the edge of an outdoor room anchored with a fire pit to take the chill off cool nights. North Beach Refresh | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Dusk outside a blue home with a large raised port illuminated by exterior and interior lights. The garden surrounding the porch is verdant and green. — Residential Landscape Architecture by Board & Vellum
The Power of Light

Even as night descends, the new deck and green plantings feel bright and lively. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

The Power of Light

Even as night descends, the new deck and green plantings feel bright and lively. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

Leveraging technology to make space for design.

We’re constantly exploring technology and refining every part of the project process to be more efficient, freeing up time and energy to devote to design. Great tools allow us to iterate faster as we test theories and explore new ideas — we aren’t an analog studio.

Not only do we design in 3D, but we start with an advantage, using drones and cutting-edge software to create detailed site models with photographic overlays of the actual conditions of your property. On-site with iPads in-hand and drones above, we work with hybrid digital and hand graphics to design in real-time, creating beautiful artifacts from the design process itself, without having to return to the office to spend time and money rendering an idea.

Changes and challenges take up much less time when we have the tools to help us connect the dots, illustrate proposed solutions, and make quicker decisions — keeping your project on track and on budget.

Trees reflect in the windows of a new home with a landscaped garden. – Residential landscape architecture by Board & Vellum.
Mature Trees

The site design centers around the property’s existing mature trees cloaking the home in lush greenery. Laurelhurst Landscape | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Mature Trees

The site design centers around the property’s existing mature trees cloaking the home in lush greenery. Laurelhurst Landscape | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

A photograph of some plantings along the patio and deck stairs. They're illuminated by lighting along the stairs and under the plants themselves. Because of the lights, the plants glow a soft yellow even in the twilight.
Beauty in Day & Night

The bright but diffused lighting played a big role in making these outdoor spaces feel ”right” to the homeowners. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

Beauty in Day & Night

The bright but diffused lighting played a big role in making these outdoor spaces feel ”right” to the homeowners. Denny-Blaine Outdoor Revival | Photo by Meghan Montgomery.

Detail of a metal railing meeting a concrete retaining wall with plants trailing down. – Landscape architecture details at Board & Vellum.
Urban Yard at the Seattle Box

Urban Yard at the Seattle Box | Photo by Derek Reeves.

Urban Yard at the Seattle Box

Urban Yard at the Seattle Box | Photo by Derek Reeves.

The penthouse of the club room amenity space as viewed from the rooftop garden at the Lucille on Roosevelt. – Board & Vellum
Club Room Penthouse

Just below the rooftop level, the club room amenity space is flooded with light from its penthouse, offering direct access to the rooftop via a statement staircase. Lucille on Roosevelt | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Club Room Penthouse

Just below the rooftop level, the club room amenity space is flooded with light from its penthouse, offering direct access to the rooftop via a statement staircase. Lucille on Roosevelt | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Backyard Reading Retreat – Board & Vellum landscape architecture, interior design, and architecture.
Small Space, Many Functions

Who would have imagined such a small exterior space could comfortably contain a reading retreat, hot tub, fire pit, sauna, outdoor shower, and a tranquil mix of flora? Backyard Reading Retreat | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Small Space, Many Functions

Who would have imagined such a small exterior space could comfortably contain a reading retreat, hot tub, fire pit, sauna, outdoor shower, and a tranquil mix of flora? Backyard Reading Retreat | Photo by Andrew Giammarco.

Kids play on log play structures at Westside Park in Redmond, Washington. Park refresh by Board & Vellum landscape architecture team.
Westside Park Rejuvenation

Westside Park Rejuvenation | Photo by Juliana Hom.

Westside Park Rejuvenation

Westside Park Rejuvenation | Photo by Juliana Hom.

What type of project would you like to pursue?

Public and private, large and small, commercial, residential, and civic — we’ve done it all.

Don’t worry, your project isn’t too small, too large, or too complex for us. Our landscape architects and designers have experience with a wide array of project types and scopes.

We love a small backyard refresh just as much as a comprehensive plan for a residential estate, a multifamily amenity roof deck, a commercial streetscape, or a public park or community space. Our site design team works not only with our other in-house design teams, but also independently with other architecture and interior design firms.

The point is, we’re your advocate and a successful project is the goal, regardless of how the project team comes together. We’re here to help, so read on, or reach out to let us know what you have in mind.

Residential Landscapes

The experience of your home doesn’t end at the walls of your house. Our site design team cohesively blends indoor and outdoor living with beautiful, functional spaces lush with life.

Multifamily Residential

We focus on distinctive projects we can weave into the greater neighborhood around them, designed to please not only the developer, but the residents and community.

Commercial

We approach commercial design from an integrated services standpoint, composing multidisciplinary teams balanced for the particular needs of your project to create a beautiful and functional space.

Parks & Public Spaces

Neighborhood spaces should be as beautiful as they are functional. That’s why we’re focused on creating engaging public spaces supporting both the physical and mental health of our communities.

Collaborative teams create beautiful, enduring projects.

Our interdisciplinary, creative culture means we’re always growing.

Working at a multidisciplinary firm means our landscape architecture team engages in design for a wide spectrum of projects and is constantly collaborating with architects, interior designers, and a host of other creative professionals. This gives us the benefit of an unusually broad experience and depth of knowledge we apply to bring fresh ideas to all of our projects.

Our open, collaborative studio culture means we ask questions left and right across market sectors and design disciplines. Even when a project is firmly rooted in the realm of landscape architecture, everyone has access to firm-wide knowledge and the benefits of creative critique.

This cross-disciplinary pollination enriches our work, leading to more cohesive, more holistic designed experiences across the firm. We’re an experienced team, passionate about the work — we’d love to help you design the landscaped space or outdoor experience you’re envisioning.

Would you like to learn a little more about us?

Awesome! Feel free to explore the pages below, and — of course — feel free to reach out to us if you have something particular you’d like to ask.

Portfolio

Our portfolio of work spans across a spectrum of project types and scales. We don’t have a particular “style” either: we love traditional, modern, contemporary, you name it. Our goal is to work with you to design a project you love.

Recognition

As a young firm, we are humbled and honored to be recognized for not only our design work and professional service, but for being a great place to work. This inspires us to keep pushing forward to bring the next great project in our community to life.

Considering a project? Or, just curious about something?

Send us your questions about design, architecture, interiors, landscape, LEGO rooms… Anything, really. We’re always eager to meet new people, and we’d love to get to know you, your project, and your goals.

Get in touch.