Italian

Teamwork is about different things on different projects, say Martha and Randy Beard. As contractors specializing in the construction of watershapes conceived by top-flight architects, landscape architects and designers, they sometimes simply follow a plan. In the project covered here, however, their involvement was much broader – and reflects their increasing ability to step up and participate as valued members of the design team.

Continental Class

When we first began collaborating on projects with top-flight architects, landscape architects and landscape designers several years ago, for the most part our role in terms of design was fairly limited: We'd receive requests for bids and proposals based on plans of varying detail, and our role was that of faithful installers of the design. On occasions, of course, we'd also refer our own prospective clients to those same designers, who would generate plans that we would in turn estimate and very often install. We still work that way, but as we've built our ties to these accomplished artists, we've become aware that our role in their projects has been growing, even to the point where we are now being asked in many situations to offer our own design ideas. We're also seeing that, when on-site decisions must be made, these designers are