We specialize in designing creative & sustainable landscapes for farms, ranches, & select residential projects.

Our design practice is rooted in listening — to stakeholders, collaborators, and the land itself. We begin every project with thoughtful observation, research, and a rich creative process.

We approach each site by first understanding how it will be used, how people will move through it, and how it is shaped by environmental and cultural forces. These insights guide every design decision — from the layout of spaces and circulation to the sensory experience of the place.

We choose materials with intention — hardscape elements that are reclaimed, locally sourced, and meaningfully connected to the site. Our planting palettes are diverse and largely native. They’re selected for ecological function, seasonal interest, fragrance, wildlife value, long-term resilience, and other project-specific requirements. We know that materials and craftsmanship can define a project, so we take the time to find unique materials specific to the project and are selective about the contractors we work with.

We’re committed to making an ecological difference and treading lightly.

We hold ourselves to high aesthetic and environmental standards, and the framework we establish for each project allows the design to emerge as distinct and specific to its place.

Perhaps most importantly, we place enormous value on our relationships with our clients, designers, contractors, and consultants. We're committed to hiring talented designers and structuring a studio that fosters their creativity, growth, and well-being.

Samantha Dabney

Founder & Lead Designer

Sam Dabney has spent 20 years in the design industry and is also an accomplished artist — two pursuits that continually inspire and reinforce each other.

She has studied under and worked with many innovative designers and artists including Thomas Woltz of NBW, Mikyoung Kim, Michael Blier, Patricia Algara of BASE Landscape Architects, and John Carney and the partners of CLB Architects. She’s contributed in key roles to multiple award-winning projects including Houston’s 1,500-acre Memorial Park and the Tower of Voices at the 9/11 Flight 93 National Memorial while at NBW. (See awards section for a complete list.)

Collaborating with other artists and designers is one of Sam’s passions. She got her first taste at RISD when she landed a job in the art department of Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom”, working with some of the most creative people she’s ever met. Soon after, she joined fellow RISD alumni to design a landscape on the Amalfi Coast for Carol and Sol Lewitt — a leader of conceptual art movement. She enjoys bringing writers, sculptors, and other designers into the creative design process.

Sam was raised in the vast landscapes of Colorado, Texas, and Montana. As an adult with a sense of adventure and curiosity, she has lived in Switzerland, Vermont, Madagascar, Jackson Hole WY, NYC, Dubai, Qatar, Rhode Island, and California. Sam now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her daughter and their animals. When not in Virginia, they can often be found hiking and skiing in the mountains around Bozeman, Montana.

EDUCATION:

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), MLA
Middlebury College, BA
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Design Discovery program


To view her artwork, visit www.samanthadabney.com

Piper Guiffre

Designer

Piper Guiffre is a landscape designer with a background in architecture and sculpture, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia School of Architecture.

Her experience spans landscape design, architecture, fabrication, and woodworking, with a particular interest in the relationship between material, craft, and place. Her work at the University of Virginia Fabrication Laboratory and Sawmilling Crew developed a hands-on approach to design, while her studies in Vicenza, Italy, deepened her interest in drawing, materiality, and the history of architecture and landscape.

Collaborators

JW Townsend Landscapes; Charlottesville, Virginia

Grelen Nursery Landscape Installation; Somerset, Virginia

Watkins & Co. Landscapes; Charlottesville, Virginia

Bushman Dreyfus Architects; Charlottesville, Virginia

Sunbiosis Architects; Charlottesville, Virginia

Element Construction; Charlottesville, Virginia

Peter Johnson Builders; Charlottesville, Virginia

Nathan Foley of Make Good Space; Charlottesville, Virginia

Lindsay Burn Landscape Design; Greenwich, Connecticut

Gentry Landscapes; San Francisco, California

First Impressions Landscape Contractors; Camino, California

Mundt Construction; Bozeman, Montana

Cornerstone Construction; Bozeman, Montana

Webby Landscaping; Bozeman, Montana