About Us
From intimate residential sanctuaries to multi-year stewardship strategies that promote habitat connectivity, we endeavor to create a positive impact on the natural environment at all scales. Since the inception of Living Habitats in 2001 our firm has actively promoted an appreciation for the complex beauty and functional value of our natural environment. We have an irrepressible passion for making natural and cultural resources accessible to our clients while emphasizing the beauty and healing capacity of the outdoor environment in our work.
Every Living Habitats design solution seeks to honor the cultural and ecological history of a place while acknowledging the continued pressures on our natural resources and need to innovate to address far reaching environmental concerns. This broad and holistic perspective we bring to our practice work resonates with our studio’s enterprising spirit and thoughtful approach to design.
As designers and ecologists, we find that the best solutions are those that are responsive to our clients’ needs and demonstrate mindfulness for our environment. It is through our collaboration with communities, clients, and other professionals that we create solutions that are both sustainable and resilient.
Services
Living Habitats provides professional expertise in the areas of landscape architecture, ecological services, environmental planning, and custom artwork creation. By leveraging our talented staff’s expertise in all these practice areas, we deliver comprehensive and thoughtfully integrated work products that communicate our ideas to diverse audiences. Positive collective action is possible with inspired planning effectively communicated such that it resonates with people.
Among the many qualities that set our design services apart from our peers, we are particularly proud of the following:
Depth of Experience • Founded twenty-three years ago and located in Chicago, Living Habitats has worked extensively in Chicagoland and the surrounding region, building an intimate knowledge of our natural and cultural environment. Our staff have over a century of combined work experience in our professional service areas and are life-long learners, committed to operating at the leading edge of our respective fields.
Breadth of Knowledge • Our portfolio of work spans an impressive range of types and scales: from large scale institutional landscapes to intimate residential sanctuaries, and from multi-year stewardship strategies for large ecologically focused landscapes, to regionally integrated connectivity strategies. We have a proven facility for design leadership and collaboration. Navigating an ever-changing lineup of complex stakeholder groups, project politics, and diverse site conditions keeps our design and communication skills sharp and our perspectives fresh.
Boldness in Design • We embrace innovation and feel strongly that it is with this spirit that the best interests of the project are met. Experience has taught us that, when bolstered by a deep understanding of the site and program, ambitious, forward-looking design strategies are equally as prudent as they are transformative. Whether in the form of a subtle construction detail or a grand, foundational concept, design innovation can be the difference in meeting important client goals.
Registrations and Certifications
Professional Registration Landscape Architecture:
Illinois, California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland & Texas
Certified Wetland Specialist:
Lake County, Illinois
Woman-Owned Business Enterprise Certified:
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and Cook County Illinois
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise:
Illinois Department of Transportation
Economically Disadvantaged Woman-owned Small Business certified (EDWOSB), U.S. Government
NAICS Codes – 541320, 541430, 561730, 711510
LEED Accredited Professional BD+C Specialty:
U.S. Green Building Council
SITES Accredited Professional:
U.S. Green Building Council
WEDG Associates:
Waterfront Alliance
(WEDG® and the related logo are trademarks owned by the Waterfront Alliance and are used with permission.)
