Charleston SC Landscape Architect
Licensed Landscape Architecture Firm Serving Charleston and the Lowcountry
Evergreen Design Group is a licensed Charleston landscape architect firm specializing in commercial and multifamily development throughout the Lowcountry. Charleston is one of the most active development markets on the East Coast — and one of the most regulated. Between the city’s tree protection ordinance, Design Review Board oversight, Special Protection Area constraints near marshes and wetlands, stormwater design standards, and the environmental sensitivities of the Lowcountry, every commercial site plan carries real complexity before a shovel ever hits the ground.
Evergreen Design Group has been navigating exactly this kind of complexity since 2005. We partner with land developers, civil engineers, architects, builders, and design-build contractors on commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily projects throughout the Charleston metro — from the upper peninsula to Daniel Island, West Ashley, Johns Island, the Cainhoy Peninsula, and the growth corridors of Berkeley and Dorchester counties. We hold South Carolina Landscape Architect Certificate of Authorization Number 412, are licensed to practice landscape architecture across 43 states, and maintain our corporate headquarters in Bluffton, SC — approximately 30 miles from downtown Charleston.
We work exclusively with professional commercial clients — not homeowners. Our deliverables are structured for permit submittal, technical review, and direct integration with your civil and architectural scope. Every service is performed in-house by our licensed professionals with no subcontracting of scope.
Landscape Architecture Services We Provide in Charleston
Evergreen Design Group offers a full suite of integrated design services — all in-house — so your project team has a single point of contact for every landscape-related scope item. Every service is performed by our licensed professionals with no subcontracting of scope.
Charleston’s development environment is layered: flood zones, Special Protection Areas near marshes and wetlands, stormwater management requirements under the city’s Stormwater Design Standards Manual, DRB oversight on designated corridors throughout the city, and the environmental sensitivities of the Lowcountry all create constraints that must be integrated into the site layout from the earliest design stage. We work from the site plan up, coordinating landscape elements with building footprints, parking areas, open space, and stormwater infrastructure so that DRB compliance, SPA setbacks, tree preservation requirements, and stormwater BMP placement are established correctly before the civil plan set is developed.
Whether your project is going through the City’s Technical Review Committee or navigating Charleston County’s Zoning and Land Development Regulations, we understand what reviewers are looking for and design to those standards from the outset. For projects in the City of Charleston’s DRB corridors, land planning scope includes the landscape framework documentation required to support DRB Preliminary Review — not just the permit submittal package.
Planting in the Lowcountry means designing for heat, humidity, salt exposure, and sandy or loamy coastal soils — often all on the same site. Our planting plans are built around species selection that performs in these conditions, combining native Lowcountry plants like sweetgrass, pink muhly grass, coral bean, lanceleaf coreopsis, wax myrtle, and live oak with adaptive species that meet city landscaping requirements, satisfy DRB planting palette preferences, and hold up through the humidity of a Charleston summer.
Species selection accounts for the site’s specific soil drainage profile, tidal proximity, salt spray exposure, and the tree canopy and buffer coverage requirements of the applicable ordinance. For projects near marshes and tidal features, we specify marsh-edge buffer planting appropriate to the site’s SCDHEC and SPA requirements. For DRB corridor projects, planting palette composition is calibrated to the DRB’s design standards for the applicable corridor designation. The goal is a landscape that looks right, functions well, and does not become a maintenance liability three years after construction.
Charleston’s tree protection ordinance requires documented survey, preservation planning, and formal approval before impacting Grand Trees or Protected Trees. Projects that do not address tree compliance at the site planning stage regularly face delays at the BZA-SD. We conduct site surveys to document trunk diameter, canopy spread, and critical root zones, then develop site layouts that maintain required clearances and minimize regulated impacts. When removals are necessary, we prepare the full documentation — including mitigation planting calculations and replacement species specifications — so that the BZA-SD submittal is complete and the review process moves efficiently.
Tree disposition documentation is coordinated directly with your civil grading plan from the initial site layout stage. We work to preserve existing trees wherever the site program allows, reducing mitigation obligations and supporting faster approvals. On DRB corridor projects, tree preservation and canopy coverage documentation is also produced to support DRB review requirements.
Charleston’s humid subtropical climate doesn’t eliminate the need for well-engineered irrigation — it makes precision more important. Overwatering in high-humidity conditions encourages fungal disease; underwatering in the heat of a Charleston summer stresses plants and generates callbacks. We design site-specific systems that deliver water precisely where it is needed: drip lines in planted beds, bubblers for shrubs, and precision rotors for turf areas. For projects near the coast or in tidal influence areas, we specify corrosion-resistant irrigation components as standard.
Our irrigation designs are produced in-house alongside our landscape planting plans, not added as a separate scope item after the landscape plans are complete. Water budget calculations, irrigation scheduling documentation, and point-of-connection details are formatted to support permit submittal and contractor installation without ambiguity.
Charleston’s residential development market — from the mixed-use phases on Daniel Island to the large-scale communities taking shape in West Ashley and on the Cainhoy Peninsula — demands amenity packages that drive leasing and sales velocity. We design pools, courtyards, trails, pavilions, splash pads, fitness areas, and gathering spaces that serve the specific demographic profile of each community and hold up operationally over time. Amenity design is coordinated with your planting and hardscape plans from the start, ensuring nothing is left to resolve in the field. All designs are developed to HOA standards, local building codes, ADA accessibility requirements, and DRB standards where applicable.
Entry monuments, pedestrian walkways, plazas, pool decks, retaining walls, seat walls, and outdoor structures for commercial, mixed-use, and institutional projects throughout the Charleston metro. We design hardscape that fits the character of the project and the Lowcountry context — specified for coastal durability, salt air exposure, and the drainage integration requirements of Charleston’s stormwater management framework. For DRB corridor projects, material selections are calibrated to DRB design standards for the applicable corridor.
Hardscape documentation is coordinated directly with your civil and architectural drawings. ADA compliance, impervious surface calculations, and stormwater drainage direction are addressed as integrated design parameters, not post-completion adjustments.
Who We Work With in Charleston
We don’t design for homeowners. Our clients are the professionals building Charleston at scale — the people who need a landscape architecture partner that can keep pace with a fast-moving project, coordinate across disciplines, and deliver permit-ready plans on schedule.
Land Developers. Managing entitlement, site planning, and community amenity design across large mixed-use and residential projects. We integrate landscape architecture scope into the development workflow from the initial site layout stage, keeping tree disposition, SPA setbacks, stormwater BMP siting, and DRB requirements resolved before they become permit cycle problems.
Civil Engineers. Who need a coordinated landscape and irrigation package that integrates cleanly with their grading, drainage, and utility plans. Our tree disposition plans, planting plans, and stormwater BMP documentation are produced to coordinate directly with your civil drawing set and formatted to support the same permit submittal package.
Architects. Working on commercial, hospitality, and multifamily buildings that require DRB-compliant landscape plans and a unified site design. We attend DRB preliminary and final reviews, respond to design comments, and produce the documentation your project needs to move through the City’s review process efficiently.
Design-Build Contractors. Who need constructable plans delivered on schedule and specified for real-world installation. Our construction documents are produced to be built from in the field, with sufficient detail to allow accurate bidding and installation without RFIs or field substitutions that could create code compliance issues.
Designing with the Lowcountry’s Ecology in Mind
Charleston’s landscapes are not just a backdrop — they are working ecological systems. Marshes, tidal creeks, maritime forests, and coastal prairies all play roles in water quality, wildlife habitat, and the long-term resilience of the built environment. Our planting selections prioritize native and regionally adapted species that support local ecology and satisfy the increasing native plant requirements embedded in municipal landscape ordinances and DRB design standards.
We design vegetated buffers along waterways and marsh edges that filter stormwater runoff before it reaches the Ashley, Cooper, or Stono Rivers. We preserve existing tree canopies where the site program allows, reducing mitigation obligations and supporting faster approvals. We select deep-rooted species in areas prone to erosion and specify marsh-edge plantings appropriate to each site’s tidal influence and SCDHEC buffer requirements. These design decisions hold up over time and reflect well on every project they’re part of.
Understanding Charleston’s Regulatory Framework
Commercial landscape projects in Charleston move through multiple layers of review. Depending on project location and type, landscape plans may be subject to review by several agencies simultaneously. Understanding which agencies are reviewing your plans — and what each is looking for — is part of how we keep your project on schedule.
City of Charleston Design Review Board (DRB)
Required for projects on designated DRB corridors citywide. The DRB reviews landscape plans alongside architecture and site design as part of Preliminary and Final Review phases. DRB standards address planting palette composition, hardscape materials, site lighting, signage, and the relationship between the proposed development and the surrounding streetscape or natural context. We design to DRB standards from the initial concept stage on all corridor projects, so the documentation that arrives at the DRB reflects those standards rather than needing revision after the first review cycle.
Board of Zoning Appeals — Site Design (BZA-SD)
Has jurisdiction over tree protection, landscaping, and other site-related zoning regulations in the City of Charleston. For projects impacting Grand Trees or Protected Trees, BZA-SD approval is required before permits can issue. The BZA-SD review process is on its own schedule and has its own submittal requirements. Projects that encounter unexpected tree protection issues mid-design regularly face Charleston BZA-SD delays that compress entitlement timelines. Early tree disposition work eliminates this risk.
Technical Review Committee (TRC)
Coordinates site plan review across Planning, Zoning, Engineering, Stormwater, and other City of Charleston departments. Landscape plans and stormwater BMP documentation are reviewed as part of the TRC process. We format landscape submittals to address TRC requirements alongside the DRB and BZA-SD requirements simultaneously, reducing the risk of sequential revision cycles across multiple review bodies.
Charleston County Zoning and Land Development Regulations (ZLDR)
For projects in unincorporated Charleston County — including development along Highway 17, the West Ashley corridor, and on Johns Island, Wadmalaw Island, and James Island — the ZLDR administered by the Charleston County Zoning and Planning Department governs open space, landscaping, and site development standards. The County’s review process and landscape standards differ from the City’s in important respects. We bring direct experience in both jurisdictions and know the differences that affect submittal requirements and review timelines.
Coastal and Wetland Buffer Requirements
Properties near marshes, wetlands, tidal creeks, or the shoreline are subject to Special Protection Area requirements, CAMA setbacks administered by SCDHEC, and in some cases additional requirements under FEMA floodplain regulations. These constraints directly affect site layout, building footprint placement, grading, and landscape buffer design. We incorporate SPA boundaries and CAMA setbacks into our land planning and planting plan scope from the initial site analysis, so that regulatory constraints are resolved before the civil plan set is substantially developed.
Frequently Asked Questions — Landscape Architecture in Charleston, SC
Does a commercial project in Charleston require a landscape plan for permit?
Yes. Most commercial and multifamily projects require a landscape plan as part of the site plan package submitted to the City of Charleston or Charleston County for development review. Projects on DRB-designated corridors require additional landscape documentation as part of the Design Review Board’s Preliminary and Final Review phases. Tree disposition plans are required separately for any project impacting Grand Trees or Protected Trees under Charleston’s tree protection ordinance.
What is a tree disposition plan, and does my project need one?
A tree disposition plan documents the existing trees on a site, identifies which will be preserved and which require removal, specifies protection measures for preserved trees, calculates mitigation obligations for regulated removals, and specifies replacement planting. In Charleston, any project impacting Grand Trees or Protected Trees requires this documentation and BZA-SD approval before permits can issue. We recommend addressing tree compliance in the earliest phases of site planning to avoid costly redesigns and BZA-SD hearing delays later.
What does a Charleston landscape architect need to know about the Design Review Board?
The DRB reviews landscape plans alongside architecture and site design as part of Preliminary and Final Review phases for projects on designated corridors throughout the city. DRB standards address planting palette composition, hardscape materials, site lighting, and the relationship between the proposed development and its context. A landscape architect working on DRB corridor projects needs to know the DRB’s design preferences for each corridor designation and produce documentation that reflects those preferences before the review. We design to DRB standards from the initial concept stage on all Charleston DRB corridor projects
Do you have experience with Charleston County’s permitting process as well as the City of Charleston?
Yes. We work on projects in both jurisdictions regularly. Charleston County operates under the Zoning and Land Development Regulations administered by the County Zoning and Planning Department, which has different landscape buffer standards, open space requirements, and review processes than the City of Charleston. Projects near the city-county boundary require close attention to which regulatory framework governs the site. We are fluent in both frameworks.
How early in the project should we bring in a landscape architect?
As early as possible — ideally at the site planning stage, before the civil plan set is substantially developed. In Charleston specifically, tree disposition requirements, DRB design standards, SPA and CAMA setbacks, and stormwater BMP siting all affect site layout decisions that are difficult and expensive to revise after the civil plans are finalized. Bringing a Charleston landscape architect in at the site planning or schematic design phase gives you the most flexibility and consistently produces cleaner submittals through the City’s multi-body review process.
Can you coordinate directly with our civil engineer and architect?
Yes — that is the standard on most of our projects. We work as an integrated part of the project team, coordinating with civil, architectural, and other disciplines throughout design development and construction documentation. Our tree disposition plans, planting plans, and stormwater BMP documentation are produced to coordinate directly with your civil drawing set.
Can Evergreen Design Group serve as a subconsultant on a Charleston project?
Yes — that is one of our most common engagement structures in this market. 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.
Does Evergreen Design Group work with homeowners in Charleston?
No. Our practice is exclusively B2B. We serve land developers, civil engineers, architects, and design-build contractors. We do not take on individual homeowner projects.
Is Evergreen Design Group licensed to practice landscape architecture in South Carolina?
Yes. Evergreen Design Group holds South Carolina Certificate of Authorization Number 412. All landscape architectural services for South Carolina projects are performed under this COA by our licensed professionals. Landscape architecture in South Carolina is regulated by the South Carolina Board of Landscape Architectural Examiners.
What are the landscape requirements for a project in the City of Charleston's Special Protection Area (SPA)?
Projects within or adjacent to a Special Protection Area must maintain prescribed buffer setbacks from tidal wetlands and marshes in compliance with SCDHEC Coastal Zone Management requirements. Landscape plans for SPA-adjacent projects specify marsh-edge buffer plantings appropriate to the site’s tidal influence and SCDHEC buffer requirements. We incorporate SPA boundaries into site layout from the initial analysis stage to avoid conflicts with building footprint placement and grading.
Does Evergreen Design Group have experience designing community amenity packages for multifamily developments in the Charleston market?
Yes. We design pools, courtyards, trails, pavilions, fitness areas, and gathering spaces for multifamily and mixed-use developments throughout the Charleston metro — including projects on Daniel Island, the Cainhoy Peninsula, and in West Ashley. All amenity designs are coordinated with our planting and hardscape plans and comply with HOA standards, local building codes, ADA accessibility requirements, and DRB standards where applicable. |
Scope Your Charleston Project with Our Team
If you have a commercial or multifamily project in Charleston or the surrounding Lowcountry and need a licensed landscape architect — for land planning, tree disposition plans, DRB-compliant planting plans, irrigation design, hardscape, or full-scope landscape architecture — contact Evergreen Design Group. We’ll review your project details and provide a clear proposal. Most projects receive a response within one business day.
Contact Us— or reach us directly at (800) 680-6630.
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