Conway School of Landscape Design-Link to home map of Conway, MA Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning and Design
 "The technical help you provide was just what we needed. You were able to change an unmanageable problem into an interesting project that has many Sherborn residents thinking seriously about flexible zoning, land trusts, grants, and even land banking. Your report presented a huge amount of information with the perfect combination of text and maps to make the report a pleasure to read…In fact, information in the Resource Analysis helped us prepare a presentation asking residents at Town Meeting to approve $100,000 for a land acquisition fund, and they did! …Everyone on our Open Space Committee…has been thrilled!"

—Barbara Kantorski, Open Space Planning Committee, Sherborn, MA 

Non-Profit and Community Projects

If your community or non-profit agency needs design or planning assistance, perhaps a team of graduate students from the school can help.  Download brochure (pdf)

CSLD provides community design and planning services under contract and at cost, primarily for municipal and non-profit organizations. Our guidelines preclude unfair competition with professional landscape architects.

Community Benefit

A thorough study by CSLD students, under the direct supervision of professional staff, will help the client/community identify and articulate problems, analyze and assess basic resources, organize and present relevant data, clarify and prioritize goals, improve communication among community groups and boards, provide access to new resources, and provide models of successful design or planning projects; and as a result, raise citizen and community awareness about important environmental and planning issues.

Types of Services Offered

  • Site design: analysis and assessment of physical features, context, client needs, regulatory restrictions; provision of design alternatives, phased development, cost estimates, and timelines; plans for building location, parking and circulation, grading and planting plans, management plans, conservation restrictions.

  • Open space planning: natural resource mapping, open space and recreation plans, conservation planning and protection, agricultural preservation plans, greenway studies, reclamation projects, town common and park design.

  • Town master planning: historic district studies, streetscape design, village center revitalization, limited and/or cluster development plans, affordable housing, growth management, zoning revision, design review, regulatory evaluation.

Types of Products

  • Maps: existing conditions, natural resources, site context, assets and constraints

  • Plans: conceptual, schematic and design alternatives; perspectives and cross-sections

  • Action plans: recommended phasing, management plans, cost estimates

  • Public meetings: facilitation of public input, community and board meetings, formal presentation of design

  • Final report: written documentation of project process and recommendations, with reductions of maps

  • CD-ROM: of winter project report and spring design plans

Typical Projects

Since 1972, students at the Conway School of Landscape Design have provided design and planning services to more than 350 community clients. Some recent projects include:

  • Open space and recreation plans, resource analyses: Sherborn, Billerica, and Bernardston, MA

  • Watershed resource inventory and growth management plans: Bennett Brook, W. Northfield, MA; Poor Brook, Chicopee and Springfield, MA

  • Site plans for affordable housing projects: Franklin County Community Development Corporation, Greenfield, MA; Northampton Area Community Land Trust; South County Community Action, Richmond, RI; Habitat for Humanity, North Adams, MA

  • Reclamation guidelines and schematic park design: Quabbin Fishing Area, Belchertown, MA; Blackstone River Park, Grafton, MA

  • Open space residential development alternatives: Brunelle Farm, Rutland, MA; properties in Northborough, Sudbury, and S. Dartmouth, MA

  • Playground designs: Ohio Avenue, West Springfield, MA; Crocker Farm School, Amherst, MA; Lawrence School, Holyoke, MA

  • Wildlife sanctuary master plans: Connecticut Audubon Society, Pomfret, CT; Hoar Sanctuary, Brookline, MA; MA Audubon Society, Attleboro, MA

  • Camp master plans: 4-H Camp Center, Spencer, MA; Camp Howe, Goshen, MA; Roaring Brook Camp, Conway, MA

  • Rail-trail feasibility studies: Taunton-to-Somerset, Belchertown, and East Longmeadow, MA

  • Greenway design and riverway access: Westfield River; Merrimack River; Connecticut Riverwalk; Middle River, Worcester

  • Main Street and town common designs: South Deerfield, MA; Groton, MA; Salem, NH; Wendell, MA Central campus design, Greenfield Community College; Eaglebrook School, Deerfield, MA; Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

Project Costs

The school keeps client costs as low as possible by billing only for reimbursement of expenses directly related to the project, such as travel, postage, drafting and other materials, printing, copying and telephone, and a portion of overhead determined on a per student, per project basis. If consultants are used, their time is billed to clients at costs established in advance. A budget is developed at the beginning of each project and is part of the contract between client and school. No project fees are paid to students or staff.

While the cost varies according to the scope and location of the project, most fall in the range of $6,000- $7,000. If a project offers exceptional or unique educational opportunities, we may be able to negotiate costs.

Timeline

Winter projects: Larger land use planning projects are scheduled January through March; a comprehensive written report, with related maps and plans, and a CD-ROM are the products.

Spring projects: Projects smaller in scale and more detailed in design are scheduled April through June. A set of design plans and a CD-ROM are the products

Contact: David Nordstrom, Associate Director. Tel. 413-369-4044  ext. 6