Denver Landscape Architect
Denver Landscape Architecture for Land Developers, Civil Engineers, and Architects
Evergreen Design Group is a licensed Denver landscape architect firm serving land developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors across Denver and the greater Colorado Front Range. Founded in 2005 and licensed in Colorado, we deliver land planning, planting design, hardscape design, and irrigation design on residential communities, mixed-use developments, commercial campuses, and civic infrastructure projects of every scale.
Our practice is exclusively B2B. We work as a coordinated subconsultant and project partner to development and design teams — not homeowners. Every service is performed in-house by our licensed professionals; we do not subcontract landscape architecture, land planning, or irrigation design scope to third parties.
Denver’s development environment is technically demanding: semi-arid climate with approximately 15 inches of annual precipitation, Denver Water conservation requirements, the Denver Zoning Code’s zone-district-specific landscape standards, Denver Community Planning and Development plan review, expansive clay soils, and wildfire-interface considerations in the metro’s western and southern suburban fringe. A Denver landscape architect who knows these conditions produces cleaner submittals, fewer revision cycles, and better-performing landscapes than one who does not.
Landscape Architecture Firm Denver
Evergreen Design Group is a landscape architecture firm in Denver operating at both a local and national scale. We hold active licensure in 40+ states, including active Colorado licensure — and our team brings direct project experience navigating Denver Community Planning and Development, the Denver Zoning Code, Denver Water conservation requirements, and the varying landscape and development review standards of the major suburban municipalities across the Front Range.
As a landscape architecture firm serving Denver developers, civil engineers, and architects, we bring jurisdiction-specific knowledge of Denver’s landscape requirements by zone district, xeriscape and water-wise ordinance compliance, tree disposition requirements under Denver Community Planning and Development review, and the clay soil and drainage conditions that directly affect planting and hardscape design across the metro. That local depth, backed by the process discipline of a nationally operating firm, is what sets our landscape architecture firm in Denver apart.
Founded by Marine Corps veteran Rodney McNabb, Evergreen Design Group is built around accountability. Our clients are architects, civil engineers, land developers, and design-build contractors who need landscape architects in Denver who understand entitlement timelines, deliver construction-ready documentation on schedule, and integrate cleanly into their project teams.
Landscape Architecture Services We Deliver in Denver
Every service is performed in-house by our licensed Colorado professionals.
Land planning is the highest-leverage phase for a Denver landscape architect to engage on a development project. Our land planners work with developers and civil engineers at the pre-application and schematic design stage to establish open space frameworks, buffer yard configurations, stormwater BMP siting, xeriscape compliance areas, and streetscape frameworks that satisfy Denver Community Planning and Development review standards and the applicable zone district requirements — before the civil plan is locked.
Early land planning coordination is critical in Denver because the Denver Zoning Code’s landscape requirements vary significantly by zone district and project type, and Denver Water’s xeriscape and water-wise ordinance requirements create interdependencies between landscape architecture and civil engineering decisions that must be resolved at the site planning stage. Our land planning team coordinates these constraints with your civil engineer from initial layout — where entitlement schedules are protected or lost.
Planting design for a Denver landscape architect requires species calibrated to Denver’s USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b/6a, semi-arid climate with approximately 15 inches of annual rainfall, high UV intensity at 5,280 feet, expansive clay and Pierre Shale-derived soils, and Denver Water’s water-wise compliance requirements. We specify Colorado-native and regionally adapted species with demonstrated performance in the Front Range environment — excluding any species listed under the Colorado Noxious Weed Act.
Our planting plans are documented to the level required for CPD plan review, contractor bidding, and installation: species (common and botanical names), container sizes, spacing, water use classification per Denver Water requirements, soil amendment specifications for clay soil conditions, erosion control measures, and seeding specifications for large disturbed areas. For projects in Denver’s urban design overlay districts, we include street tree species from Denver’s approved list with structural soil and tree grate specifications where required.
Tree disposition plans are a standard submittal requirement for commercial development and redevelopment projects across Denver’s established neighborhoods, where mature cottonwood, American elm, honeylocust, and ornamental street trees are present on infill and redevelopment sites. Our plans include field-verified inventories with species, caliper, and condition documentation; regulated removal impact analysis; mitigation calculations per Denver CPD requirements; replacement specifications; and tree protection zone plans formatted for Denver Community Planning and Development submittal. For projects involving Denver’s right-of-way street trees, we coordinate with Denver Public Works and Denver Parks and Recreation as applicable.
Community amenities design for Denver’s multi-family and mixed-use residential market requires accounting for Denver’s semi-arid climate, freeze-thaw durability requirements, xeriscape-compliant planting in HOA common areas, and the cost-per-door economics that Denver developers track. We design amenity packages — pool surrounds, fitness courts, clubhouse outdoor spaces, dog parks, pocket parks, and trail connections — that are market-responsive, code-compliant, and built for operational durability in Denver’s climate.
Water efficiency is integrated into every Denver amenity design. Irrigation for turf areas, planting buffers, and community open spaces is designed to Denver Water’s water-wise standards from project initiation. For transit-oriented and urban infill amenity projects, we design constrained outdoor environments that satisfy both CPD design review standards and the practical needs of dense residential communities.
Hardscape design in Denver demands explicit engineering attention to conditions that standard specifications do not address: aggressive freeze-thaw cycling that causes pavement failure in poorly detailed expansion joints; expansive Pierre Shale and Denver Formation clay soils that cause surface movement without adequate subbase preparation; high UV at altitude that degrades inferior materials faster than lower-elevation markets; and impervious surface stormwater management requirements under Denver’s municipal stormwater code.
Our Denver hardscape construction documents include materials specifications appropriate to Front Range climate and soil conditions, subbase and drainage details calibrated to expansive clay profiles, expansion joint design for freeze-thaw movement, grading and drainage coordination with the civil plan, and structural pavement sections for vehicle and pedestrian loading. For commercial streetscape and plaza projects in Denver’s design overlay districts, we produce hardscape designs that satisfy both engineering requirements and CPD design review standards.
Irrigation design in Denver is one of the most regulated landscape architecture deliverables in the market. Denver Water’s xeriscape requirements, water budget documentation standards, summer watering schedules, and Colorado’s Prior Appropriation framework make the irrigation plan a document with real permitting and operational consequences.
Our Denver irrigation designs include: a hydraulic water demand analysis; point-of-connection sizing and documentation; zone layouts organized by plant water demand classification per Denver Water hydrozone requirements; smart controller and weather-sensor specifications for Denver Water scheduling compliance; backflow prevention documentation; water budget calculations formatted for CPD and Denver Water plan check; and flow and pressure calculations. Irrigation design is performed in-house alongside our landscape architects throughout the design process — not subcontracted or added after the landscape plans are substantially complete. All designs are produced for competitive contractor bidding and Denver Community Planning and Development plan review.
What Denver Developers and Civil Engineers Need to Know About Landscape Architecture Here
Denver’s development environment presents a specific set of design and regulatory challenges that general landscape architecture firms often underestimate. Our team designs for these conditions on every Denver project.
Semi-Arid Climate and Denver Water Conservation Requirements
Denver receives approximately 15 inches of annual precipitation — well below the threshold at which most commercial landscape species establish without supplemental irrigation. Denver Water enforces strict summer watering schedules and xeriscape ordinance requirements that directly affect landscape design decisions on new commercial and multi-family development projects. Water conservation is not optional in Denver; it is a code requirement built into the plan review process.
A Denver landscape architect must design planting and irrigation plans with drought-tolerant, regionally adapted species and Denver Water-compliant irrigation systems from the outset — not retrofitted after the civil plans are finalized. We build water conservation into our design process from the concept phase forward, establishing water budget parameters during design development so the construction document package arrives at Denver Community Planning and Development in approvable condition.
High-Altitude UV Exposure and Temperature Extremes
At 5,280 feet elevation, Denver's UV intensity is measurably higher than lower-elevation markets — accelerating degradation of inferior pavement sealers, lighter hardscape materials, and plant species without demonstrated UV tolerance at altitude. Temperature swings between summer highs above 90°F and winter lows well below zero create real durability challenges for hardscape materials and plant establishment alike.
Our Denver hardscape construction documents specify UV-rated materials appropriate for altitude, expansion joint design for freeze-thaw movement, and frost-depth subbase specifications calibrated to the Front Range. Plant selection accounts for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b/6a, freeze-thaw cycling, and the compressed establishment windows that Denver's climate imposes on new plantings.
Expansive Clay Soils and Drainage Complexity
Denver's expansive clay soils — derived from the underlying Pierre Shale formation and the Denver Formation clays present across much of the metro — shrink and swell seasonally, creating ongoing challenges for plant establishment, pavement stability, utility installation, and drainage design. Infiltration-based stormwater management strategies that work in other markets often underperform in Denver without specific engineering for clay soil conditions.
Our planting plans for Denver projects specify soil amendment protocols appropriate to expansive clay profiles, address drainage design at planting pits and tree grates in constrained urban environments, and coordinate subbase preparation requirements with the civil engineer of record. Hardscape joint design and edge restraint specifications account for seasonal clay movement rather than assuming stable subgrade conditions.
Denver Zoning Code and CPD Permitting Compliance
Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) administers the Denver Zoning Code, and landscape requirements vary significantly by zone district and project type. Requirements differ between Denver's urban contexts — downtown mixed-use, transit-oriented development along RTD corridors, suburban residential zones, and urban edge contexts adjacent to Jefferson and Arapahoe counties. A Denver landscape architect without current zone-district-specific knowledge of CPD's requirements generates plan review corrections that delay entitlement.
We understand how Denver's landscape requirements work within the entitlement and building permit process by zone district, and we coordinate our drawings to support your permitting timeline — not create delays in it. For projects in Denver's design review overlay districts — including the I-25 Corridor, Colfax Avenue Corridor, and historic districts administered by Denver Landmark Preservation — we produce submittals calibrated to design review expectations.
Xeriscape and Water-Wise Design Mandates
Colorado's xeriscape laws and Denver Water's water-wise ordinance require commercial landscapes to meet minimum water conservation standards as a condition of plan approval. These requirements govern turf area limitations, drought-tolerant planting ratios, and irrigation system efficiency specifications — and they are reviewed by Denver Water and CPD as part of the permit process. Non-compliant plans are flagged at plan check, generating corrections that delay permit issuance.
We design landscapes that comply with Denver's xeriscape requirements from the initial site planning stage. Water budget parameters, plant factor documentation, and irrigation efficiency specifications are established during design development and are coordinated with your civil engineer before the plan set is substantially developed. Water-wise compliance is a standard deliverable — not an add-on triggered by a plan check comment.
Wildfire Interface Awareness in the Denver Metro
Urban Denver itself is not a high wildfire-risk area, but projects in the metro's western and southern suburban fringe — including areas near Jefferson County open space, Douglas County, and the I-70 mountain corridor — increasingly require fire-adapted plant palettes and defensible space planning as a condition of development approval and insurance underwriting. We identify applicable fire hazard zone designations during project onboarding and incorporate fire-resilient design standards into planting and site design accordingly.
Who We Work With in Denver
Our clients are professionals who need a landscape architecture partner that understands the pace and precision of commercial development:
Architects
We coordinate closely with project architects to ensure landscape and site design are fully integrated with building design, maintaining design intent from schematic through construction documents.
Civil Engineers
Our grading and drainage coordination with civil teams ensures our planting and hardscape plans are buildable, and that our irrigation designs align with available water supply and site utility infrastructure.
Land Developers
From entitlement through construction documentation, we support developers across all asset classes — including multi-family, mixed-use, retail, industrial, and master-planned communities.
Design-Build Contractors
We provide construction-ready landscape and irrigation documents that support competitive bidding, minimize RFIs, and help keep your project on schedule.
Project Types We Support in Denver
All project work is B2B — performed for land developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors across Denver and the Front Range. Evergreen Design Group does not serve homeowner projects.
- Multi-family and build-to-rent communities
- Mixed-use and transit-oriented development along RTD corridors
- Master-planned residential communities
- Retail centers, pad sites, and commercial outparcels
- Office and corporate campus projects
- Industrial parks and logistics facilities
- Senior living and continuing care communities
- Healthcare and medical campus environments
- Civic and municipal facilities
- Educational and university-adjacent development
Denver Metro and Front Range Communities We Serve
Evergreen Design Group delivers landscape architecture and irrigation design throughout the Denver metropolitan area and the broader Front Range.
Denver Metro Core
Denver — all zone districts including downtown, urban edge, suburban residential, and industrial/employment areas. Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Broomfield, Englewood, Littleton, Centennial, Parker, Lone Tree, Castle Rock, Brighton, Commerce City, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Highlands Ranch, Greenwood Village.
Front Range and Statewide
Boulder, Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, and all active development markets statewide. We are licensed across Colorado and serve projects wherever they are located within the state.
Why Denver Project Teams Work with Evergreen Design Group
Licensed In-House, 20+ Years of National Experience
Evergreen Design Group holds active Colorado licensure and our landscape architects are individually licensed to practice in the state. Founded in 2005, we have delivered projects across more than 40 states. Every Denver project is performed in-house by or under the direct supervision of a licensed Colorado landscape architect — no subcontracting of scope to third parties. That depth of national experience, combined with sustained Front Range project engagement, is what keeps our Denver submittals moving through CPD plan check cleanly.
Your Denver Landscape Architect Knows Denver’s Codes and Jurisdictions
Denver’s zone-district-specific landscape requirements, Denver Water’s xeriscape ordinance, CPD plan review expectations, tree disposition standards, and the varying landscape codes of the major suburban Front Range municipalities — these are the working environment for every project we produce. We maintain current working knowledge across Denver’s active development markets and produce documents formatted to clear plan review on first submission.
Single-Source Landscape Scope Management
Land planning, planting design, hardscape design, tree disposition plans, irrigation design, and community amenities design — managed by one firm under one contract, coordinated internally, and delivered as a unified construction document set. No gaps between consultants, no coordination conflicts when issues arise. One point of contact for your civil and architectural team throughout the project.
Construction-Ready Documentation, Built for Denver’s B2B Pipeline
Our deliverables are produced to the standard that licensed contractors can price and build from without excessive RFIs. Materials specifications, drainage coordination, planting schedules, and irrigation hydraulics are all documented to the level that supports competitive bidding and minimizes change orders in the field. We understand Denver’s entitlement timelines, phasing requirements, and the pace of commercial development across the Front Range.
Cost-Conscious Design
Good landscape architecture does not have to be expensive to build or maintain. We design with constructability and long-term performance in mind — fewer change orders in the field, lower lifecycle costs, and irrigation systems that perform to the water budgets they were designed to meet. In Denver’s competitive development market, landscape scope that is well-designed and right-sized contributes directly to project economics.
Frequently Asked Questions: Denver Landscape Architect
Yes. Evergreen Design Group holds active Colorado licensure and our landscape architects are individually licensed to practice in the state. All Colorado projects are performed by or under the direct supervision of licensed landscape architects with direct project experience in the Denver metro area. The title Landscape Architect is legally protected in Colorado and requires licensure by the Colorado State Board of Landscape Architects.
No. Evergreen Design Group serves commercial clients exclusively — land developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors. We do not provide landscape design services for individual homeowners in Denver or any other market.
Our Denver-area practice covers multi-family residential communities, mixed-use and transit-oriented development along RTD corridors, master-planned communities, retail centers and commercial outparcels, office and corporate campuses, industrial parks and logistics facilities, senior living communities, healthcare campuses, civic facilities, and educational and university-adjacent development — all performed as B2B engagements for developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors.
Water conservation is built into our design process from the initial site planning stage. We specify regionally adapted, drought-tolerant plant species compliant with Denver Water’s xeriscape requirements, design irrigation systems to meet Denver Water’s scheduling and efficiency standards, and establish water budget parameters during design development so the construction document package arrives at CPD in approvable form. Denver Water compliance is a standard deliverable on every Denver project — not a correction triggered by plan review.
Yes. Irrigation design is a core in-house service at Evergreen Design Group — not a subcontracted afterthought. Our irrigation designers work alongside our landscape architects throughout the design process, ensuring that systems are fully integrated with the planting plan, site design, and Denver Water’s hydrozone and water budget requirements from day one. All irrigation designs are produced in AutoCAD and formatted for CPD and Denver Water plan check submittal.
Land planning scope for a Denver landscape architect involves developing open space configurations, buffer yard layouts, stormwater BMP siting, xeriscape compliance areas, and streetscape frameworks that satisfy Denver Zoning Code requirements for the applicable zone district. It must also address Denver Water’s water-wise ordinance requirements and any site-specific entitlement conditions — all coordinated with your civil engineer from the initial site layout stage. Our land planning services are performed in-house with no subcontracting of scope.
We serve the entire Denver metro area, including Aurora, Lakewood, Thornton, Westminster, Broomfield, Arvada, Littleton, Englewood, Parker, Lone Tree, Centennial, and surrounding Front Range communities. We are licensed statewide and work on projects throughout Colorado — from Fort Collins and Boulder to Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, and the Western Slope.
Yes — that is one of our most common engagement structures across the Denver metro. We integrate into your project team and deliver the full landscape architecture scope as a subconsultant, coordinating directly with your project manager and other disciplines throughout the design and entitlement process. Our deliverables are formatted to integrate with your civil set and delivered on a schedule that supports your project’s submittal milestones.
As early as possible — ideally at the site planning stage, before the civil plan set is substantially developed. Early engagement allows Denver Water conservation parameters, Denver Zoning Code landscape compliance by zone district, tree preservation requirements, stormwater BMP siting, and xeriscape compliance thresholds to be integrated into the site layout before those decisions are locked in. Projects that bring a Denver landscape architect in at the land planning stage consistently produce cleaner submittals and fewer CPD revision cycles than projects where landscape architecture is added as a late-stage deliverable.
Contact Our Denver Landscape Architecture Team
If you’re a developer, architect, civil engineer, or design-build contractor with a commercial project in Denver or anywhere along Colorado’s Front Range, Evergreen Design Group’s landscape architects in Denver are ready to discuss your project scope, schedule, and team structure. We’re ready to integrate into your project at the right stage.
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