Landscape Design & Sustainable Water Use
We believe that beautiful landscape design can live in harmony with nature, enhancing your environment while respecting our natural resources.
WHAT WE DO
Rainscape Design is a landscape architecture consulting firm working in association with other designers, as needed, and landscape contractors and installers. We work with landscape contractors throughout ‘Harbor Country’ in lower coastal southwest Michigan and for 20 years in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Assessment & Planning
- Assessment of your existing landscape and gardens to determine opportunities and constraints for new design
- Site planning for new construction
Design & Management
- Plant selection
- Landscape lighting design
- Improving soil quality
- Rainwater harvesting
- Project management
Our Approach
Ecological landscape design
Our ecologically sensitive approach includes:
- Implementing methods to improve native soil with organic soil matter instead of importing soil
- Working with soil clay content, instead of against it, by using plants that help improve clay soil over time
- Designing landscape plans that use compost to encourage the growth of Mycorrhizae Fungi (plant root symbiotics) instead of petroleum‐based nitrogen fertilizers
- Using native plants as the foundation for planting palettes (where possible), and including specific planting areas for ‘pollinators’
- Developing water budgets based on collecting runoff stormwater from rooftops and other sources for direct and indirect irrigation purposes
- Designing drainage plans that eliminate runoff pollution, and help prepare for wetter weather patterns due to the changing climate
Our Approach
Why hiring a professional landscape architect makes sense
Professional design of your landscape:
- Expands your home into the outdoors where you can enjoy your areas’ seasonally pleasant climate, or California’s climate year round
- Allows you to direct resources to where they are most needed, saving you time and money
- Allows you to distribute your water resources to what is most important to you and your family, saving you money
- Allows you to phase in installation according to your budget
- Design fees are generally less than 20% of the overall cost of a project
Our Approach
Why hiring a professional landscape architect makes sense
Professional design of your landscape:
- Expands your home into the outdoors where you can enjoy your areas’ seasonally pleasant climate, or California’s climate year round.
- Allows you to direct resources to where they are most needed, saving you time and money.
- Allows you to distribute your water resources to what is most important to you and your family, saving you money.
- Allows you to phase in installation according to your budget.
- Design fees are generally less than 20% of the overall cost of a project.
Working with Ira at Rainscape Design was a delight. He is an excellent listener, has a keen eye for design and engages his clients in a very collaborative way. The result for us has been a beautiful, cost‐effective landscape that is well suited for our environment and requires minimal maintenance.
Let us help you discover how to beautify and maximize the use of your landscape.
Rainscape Design
415.218.4058
ira@rainscapedesign.com