Blake Dunlevy, landscape architect and principal of D. A. Dunlevy, is the son of a horticulturalist and landscape designer. “My training began before I can remember,” he says. “Evaluating designs and creating solutions has been a way of life.” His second-generation, family-owned and -operated design/build firm celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. Its staff of 45 endeavors to provide creative and efficient design work, world-class construction and installation and a seamless transition to pain-free aftercare on every project.
Dunlevy embraces a design approach “rooted in a belief that architecture, the land and a client’s style must be brought into harmony,” he explains. “When as a young person I witnessed the power of good design and the satisfaction that comes through the skillful application of one’s craft, I was hooked. Standing at the intersection of creative vision, technical problem-solving and quality-of-life enhancement for real people, I understood what landscape architecture truly means.”
Each project starts with a questionnaire and an interview to discover clients’ needs and desires, and to help them think into the future so their spaces will endure in usefulness and functionality. Once a grand vision is established, needs, scope and timelines are refined. Design and construction are overseen by the design team to ensure all goals are met.
Dunlevy especially enjoys projects with a hidden solution to discover. “Hidden solutions can create unimagined beauty, functionality and synergy between architectural and landscaped spaces,” he observes. “We believe good design solves problems clients did not even realize were there.”