Stack Rock Group - Landscape Architecture

Stack Rock did an excellent job drafting up my landscape plans. Have really appreciated working with Will. I look forward to continue our landscaping plans.

Resolved concerns related to pool design to my satisfaction. They were willing to listen and help. Thanks for your time.

We contacted Will Howard at Stack Rock last summer when we decided to remove the landscape provisions from the builder's contract for our custom home in Eagle and hire a landscape architect to do the work right. At that point we were behind the 8-ball for time frames with only three months to home occupancy and so it put Will, Krisjan and Jesse, the three people we worked with at Stack Rock, in that same position. We were grateful to all of them for the top notch design that addressed challenges due to lot arrangement and also that my husband and I, having had three custom homes and landscape designs done in the past in other states, had specific preferences for plant materials but also needed expert input from the Stack Rock folks on what works here. We also needed to achieve privacy on sides as the lot is narrow and our home was right at setbacks, but also to keep open outlooks to the Greenbelt behind our home and Bogus to the east as the lot is deep. Since I have MS and need to have accessible surfaces and minimal slopes and cross slopes on pathways, those all had to be factored into the design as well; my husband and I had absolute confidence in the Stack Rock team to get that right and they did. Within a couple of weeks of our first meeting Stack Rock delivered three or four creative conceptual plans for the landscape design, all organically related to the house and setting and yet all unique from each other. We choose the plan we liked best and they worked to bring it from concept to a biddable design in the next six weeks. (As aside I'll note that the general contractor said when he submits landscape plans to this HOA for approval, as required, he receives feedback that is "change this" or a simple "OK" in response. He went out of his way to say that for the Stack Rock plan the HOA feedback was "This is great!" with exclamation included.) Stack Rock also did an excellent job of managing the bidding process with three quality landscape construction firms they recommended, new to the area we would have been lost without their direction on this, and we were absolutely delighted with the landscape company we choose, Sterling (see separate review), as a result of Will's recommendation to have them on the bid list. As part of the contract with Stack Rock we also chose project coordination services and in that piece they also did a great job of working with Sterling when needed during the construction. There are key learnings in every project and so I'll offer those here as well. As it relates to the design for plant expertise, that went swimmingly well and was uber-easy at points where Will was personally involved. It took perhaps more time than it might have when a more junior member of the team was on his own given the breadth of plant materials my husband and I were interested in using. Also, we set what we all thought was a reasonable budget in our first meeting with Will and Krisjan. During the design process, at each step and meeting my husband asked the Stack Rock contact doing the design "how is this working with our budget" and assured all was well. Right before the design was to be packaged for bid, when Will was able to review it in detail, we found we were in fact a good amount over budget and needed to make a few key revisions. Thanks to Will's expertise the revisions were able to be made in short order, although it would have been ideal to have the budget factored in at each step of the design's evolution. This was likely just a function of the member assigned to our project being in learning mode, everyone is at some point in our careers, and Stack Rock being so busy that Will's focus was elsewhere. The important outcome was we were delivered a great design that did come in on budget when all was complete. This is a young firm with the energy, creativity and unflappable "can do" spirit that comes with that. We anticipate Will and his team are going to be major players in landscape architecture in the Treasure Valley for many years to come. We would definitely work with Stack Rock again. As final note; Houzz asks for an approximate project cost as part of review format. The cost noted is for the total landscape project, factoring in both Stack Rock's design work and Sterling's construction work. This was one great team!

I purchased a new home that had a unique and challenging backyard. After living there a few months, I decided that I wanted to make the worst part of my home the best. After meeting Will, Krisjan, and their team, I knew they could take on this tiny space and make it awesome. This past weekend, the project was finished and I am “crazy” thankful to Stack Rock Group and their ability to make a dream a reality. The space is better than I could have imagined and can’t wait to share this space with my friends and family. Thank you!!

Stack Rock Group Will Howard and the Stack Rock team made multiple trips to our site to measure, photograph, but most importantly, talk with us about what we wanted to achieve. Will wanted to know here we sat, where we looked, what materials we liked and what features were important to us. The full size plans were impressive but the 3D modeling and fly-through closed the deal. Since sun exposures were important to us, they analyzed sun and shadow motions and positioned things accordingly. Will solicited bids on our behalf, introduced us to our chosen landscaping firm and assisted along the way. We purchased construction management services and he helped us through several tricky decisions and issues. We enjoyed the process and highly recommend the Stack Rock Group and Will Howard, PLA, ASLA.

Will Howard, our Stack Rock Group representative, was wonderful to work with. He provided design, development and production planning for our back yard project. His professional drawings enabled us to received HOA approval on our project without any issues. When requested, he offered creative input while adhering to the requirements we put forth. His professional manner, prompt responses to questions and his desire to please his clients were refreshing and appreciated. Even though his task was completed, he checked in with us periodically to make certain that the contractors and subcontractors were meeting expectations.

I learned of Stack Rock Group from some friends, they had their yard done this spring and it turned out gorgeous! We met with Will and discussed what we were hoping to achieve, he seemed to have a good understanding from the get go. Will also gave us several really great ideas that we didn't think of, many we ended incorporating into the project. I like that he was able to take all this information and worked two very different design plans for us to choose. (that was hard they were both amazing) Our backyard is now done, and it is beautiful!!! It's exactly as I had hoped for and much more. I would highly recommend these guys, they are very professional and extremely talented.

Stack Rock was great to work with. They really understood our desires and budget. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Our experience with Stack Rock Group was excellent! They were very attentive to our requests/desires for our back yard retreat. They designed an amazing landscape plan for our entire yard. Now that we have it completed, we think it is perfect. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a landscape architect!

I found Stack Rock Group on Houzz.com and hired them because I had a great first meeting with Will Howard. I also really liked what they had done on some other contemporary home projects. We didn't have a large yard to work with but we wanted to separate it into as many 'spaces' as possible. Will and Krisjan did an excellent job of taking our ideas and turning them into something very livable. Specifically, they solved a couple of our design problems concerning the placement of our backyard grill and our desire for some garden space. The plans and renderings they provided gave us an excellent idea of what the finished project would look like. We continue to receive many compliments on the way our whole yard is laid out and on the great variety of plants. Stack Rock Group was great to work with throughout the process and was always responsive and easy to get in touch with - even though we called frequently with questions. They provided all of the drawings and plans in a timely manner and for a reasonable, fixed price that was agreed upon before work began. I highly recommend them!

I hired Krisjan Hiner at Stack Rock Group to create a professional landscape design for my new home in Nov. 2013. We had a sudden (almost unrealistic) time frame for completion, along with needing an unorthodox approach to designing it, but they were more than willing to accommodate our needs and the design was completed on time. Krisjan was very friendly, professional, and eager to help us. We look forward to working with them with future design projects.

Stack Rock Group provided several landscape design options for our mountain cabin. We then worked with them to combine elements to create the perfect design for our lifestyle. The owners of Stack Rock were knowledgeable, professional, conscientious, thorough, and respectful of our time and budget. I recommend that anyone with a mountain home contact Stack Rock Group for design and project management assistance. Your experience will be enjoyable and the results will be amazing.