— TIMELESS LANDSCAPES —

When I think of landscapes I love, I think of the natural and the man made, the special landscapes I grew up in, and the landscapes that set the backdrop for the most meaningful scenes of my life. I am profoundly grateful to live in a world of beautiful landscapes.
— Dan Gordon —

— Profile —

DAN GORDON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS is an award-winning landscape architecture firm known for beautiful outdoor spaces that humanize and inspire. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, DGLA was founded by Dan Gordon in 1996. His admiration and knowledge of American Renaissance landscape design served as a blueprint for the firm’s evolution. Today, regarded equally for traditional and contemporary designs, the firm has developed a reputation in the greater New England region for thoroughly understanding the natural context of the land, the cultural and built architectural connections, and the specific needs and stylistic preferences of each client. DGLA fully explores these factors and studies the potential of every property to prepare unique, custom designs with a clear connection to place.

The close-knit team at DGLA upholds this ideology with a hands-on approach whether studying precedent and proportion in the studio, while out in the field, or during construction and installation. Stewardship of the environment is a vital responsibility, as is the use of traditional materials. The collective care and attention during the entire process results in defining landscapes—which heighten appreciation for natural abundance and growth—valued by clients over the course of their lives. DGLA’s collaborations are underscored by a shared love of the natural world, evidenced further in partnership with other design professionals, to achieve sustainable and enduring landscapes.

— People —

DAN K. GORDON

Founding Principal

DAN K. GORDON
Founding Principal

Dan K. Gordon is the founder & principal of Dan Gordon Landscape Architects (DGLA). He grew up in Brookline, MA, a turn of the century streetcar suburb of Boston, where his formative years were spent in the neighborhoods, parks, and estates designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles Platt, and others associated with the “American Renaissance” movement. These landscapes, rich in architectural and horticultural interest, have been the basis for the firm’s philosophy and evolution.

Prior to establishing DGLA in 1996, Dan’s professional career began with a west coast-based international land-planning firm. While in California, Dan worked primarily as the project manager for a 5,000-acre planned new town. He also developed a working knowledge of sub-tropical and Mediterranean flora, earned licensure, and prepared an award-winning submission for the UC Davis Arboretum design competition.

After three years on the west coast, Dan returned to Boston to assume responsibilities as the Lead Designer for the Central Artery Tunnel Project – Central Area. Dan’s role included developing the preliminary design for eight miles of streetscapes in downtown Boston, a design for which he received a 1995 Design Achievement Award from Move Massachusetts 2000.

Dan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design, and received his Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1986. During the fall semester of 2020, Dan was selected as a guest professor to teach the residential design studio at UMass Amherst.

Currently professionally licensed in many states throughout New England and the country, DGLA and its colleagues have created a body of work that has achieved sustained recognition, including numerous awards from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. In 2017, Dan Gordon was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame for the recognition of an outstanding body of work spanning more than two decades.

Dan’s landscapes have been widely published in Design New England, New England Home Magazine, Period Homes and Wellesley Weston Magazine. Dan currently serves on the board of the New England Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.

Peter Stephens

Principal

Peter Stephens
Principal

Peter has had an extensive career in the green industries, which started two decades ago working at his family nursery in the mountains of West Virginia. From his family’s business, he gained a strong base of horticultural knowledge, and in the late 1990s Peter moved to Cape Cod, where he continued to expand his expertise by working with the region’s leading nurseries and landscape contractors. From the rural farms of West Virginia and western Massachusetts, the coastal communities and islands of the Cape, and the historic neighborhoods of greater Boston, Peter draws inspiration from the many places he has lived, each having a unique landscape character and architectural vernacular.

Prior to joining DGLA in 2010, Peter worked for several years as a construction foreman and project manager for one of Cape Cod’s premier residential landscape contractors. Subsequently, while working for a Ft. Lauderdale-based landscape architecture firm, Peter contributed to resort and planned community projects throughout the world. Peter holds degrees in Landscape Contracting and Landscape Architecture from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst respectively, graduating with honors in 2010.

At DGLA Peter excels at all facets of project management, including schematic design development, creation of custom construction detailing, planting design, and on-site construction administration. As a project manager, Peter has had the opportunity to collaborate on some of New England’s premier properties, and has been fortunate to work with many of the region’s finest architects and craftspeople.

Patrick Taylor

Principal

Patrick Taylor
Principal

Born and raised on a working vegetable farm in rural Vermont, Patrick holds close an appreciation for the New England agrarian landscape, its beautiful stone walls, and natural simplicity.  While very different in character and heritage, it was while attending school at a golf academy in Hilton Head, SC, that he developed a passion for the built environment and a respect for its role in creating a sense of place. In the search for enduring, contextually sensitive landscapes, Patrick embraces the use of regional materials.  Collaborating with architects, artisans and fabricators alike, he has great appreciation for what each brings to the project from their respective fields

Prior to joining DGLA in 2011, Patrick fine-tuned his diverse skillset while working at renowned offices in Aspen, CO and Naples, FL. During this time he gained extensive experience collaborating on award-winning projects in the United States and Caribbean, ranging in scale from large master planned communities to boutique resorts and custom residential properties. Patrick holds a landscape architecture degree from the University of Georgia, graduating with honors in 2006.

At DGLA, Patrick specializes in conveying innovative design ideas through process graphics, illustrative schematic drawings, and detailed construction documentation. As a project manager he is responsible for working closely with clients, project consultants, and contractors on site. During the design process Patrick contributes an experienced voice to all phases, offering a balance of creativity and pragmatism throughout.

Dan Dobra

Senior Associate

Dan Dobra
Senior Associate

Dan grew up in a suburb of Boston on a generous property where he enjoyed the outdoors, acquired a strong work ethic, and learned the role of gardening at a residential scale. During excursions throughout New England and beyond, he developed an appreciation for natural conservation and preservation of the built landscape. While embracing DGLA’s underlying design philosophies, Dan seeks to create landscapes as a series of spaces from which you can enjoy the natural world with limited intrusion.

Dan’s interest in art, science, and the exploration of the rural landscape led him to Vermont where he studied at the University of Vermont’s School of Natural Resources.  It was here that he first worked in landscape construction, which drew him closer to the profession of landscape architecture. Upon return to Massachusetts, Dan worked for an award-winning landscape construction firm, honing his skills in landscape estimating and project management.  Prior to joining DGLA in 2000, Dan earned his Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, graduating with honors.

Dan is a licensed Landscape Architect in the state of Massachusetts, bringing over 15 years of experience to DGLA. As a senior project manager, he oversees all facets of the design process from schematic design to construction detailing. During implementation, Dan provides a dependable presence for any project team and works effectively with clients, project consultants, and contractors alike. Excelling at both interpreting technical information and tactfully navigating the regulatory commissions, Dan is an integral part of the office.

Joseph LaRico

Associate

Joseph LaRico
Associate

Joseph is from a coastal community in southern Rhode Island where, since childhood, he has fostered a love of the ocean and appreciation for the dynamic and unique landscapes of New England. That affinity became a vocation when he chose to take a summer job with a stone mason in the prestigious Watch Hill area of Rhode Island, initiating a career that lasted over a decade. As a Site Manager/ Stone and Brick Mason, Joseph developed his expertise in landscape construction, creating and designing custom stonework for exclusive properties across New England.

With a passion for design, Joseph parlayed his construction experience into landscape architecture, joining DGLA in 2015. He received his Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he was a member of the Sigma Lambda Alpha Landscape Architecture Honor Fraternity. He graduated with honors, and was awarded a Boston Society of Landscape Architecture’s Merit Award as a team member of his Urban Design studio.

At DGLA, Joseph is a senior landscape designer who specializes in the design and development of construction documents and details, presentation graphics, as well as the creation and rendering of 3D models. Using his experience in construction, Joseph has become a vital asset to the team, offering a practical perspective when molding innovative ideas into a reality.

Jordan Marett

Senior Designer

Jordan Marett
Senior Designer

Jordan grew up in southern New Hampshire, where she started a small vegetable farm with her family and hosted a farm stand for their community. Between working with the land on her family farm and exploring New England landscapes, she developed a passion and appreciation for the outdoors.

Before becoming a member of the DGLA team, Jordan earned a Bachelor of Architecture from The Pennsylvania State University, supplementing her studies with a semester abroad based in Rome. Although she practiced architecture in school, she had continued to gain interest in the landscape while working at a local nursery and maintaining residential gardens.

Now at DGLA, Jordan brings an interesting perspective to the firm by combining her architectural studies with a passion for the landscape. Her work in the studio ranges from schematic hand drawing and rendering, to developing construction documents from project onset through completion.

Shangyuan Li

Senior Designer

Shangyuan Li
Senior Designer

Shangyuan grew up in a mountainous suburb in Tianjin, China, where she spent her childhood exploring farmlands, reservoirs and forests. The appreciation for plants and natural landscapes led her way to be a landscape designer. She loves to experience landscapes all over the world, she has traveled Japan, Spain, Italy and lived in France for a year. She is fascinated by the beauty and delicacy of traditional gardens, in which she developed a passion for carefully managed environment and fine crafted design work that speaks to its natural and cultural surroundings.

Prior to joining DGLA in 2018, Shangyuan has worked at municipal institute and international landscape design firm where she gained valuable experience in concept design, planting design and construction documentation. She earned her Master of Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design where she was experienced in designing natural dynamics with artistic interventions. Prior to obtaining her Master’s Degree Shangyuan obtained a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Landscape Architecture from Tongji University in China.

At DGLA Shangyuan is a designer who contributes to the preparation of schematic package, site plans and construction details. Her skillsets in landscape design and representation software make her resourceful in solving design problems and making graphic representations.

Stephen Rezendes

Senior Designer

Stephen Rezendes
Senior Designer

Stephen grew up in the city of Boston, spending much of his youth in the backdrop of urban parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Combined with summers spent maintaining historical landscape sites in and around the Boston area as well as frequent trips to Cape Cod, Stephen developed a great interest and appreciation for a wide variety of the design styles of the built landscape, with a particular interest in the landscape’s connection to history.  

Prior to joining the DGLA team, Stephen earned his Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While studying landscape architecture, Stephen gained experience as a landscape designer in residential gardens of Boston’s historic South End, and further supplemented this experience by working with landscape contractors on high-end residential gardens around Massachusetts 

At DGLA, Stephen aids in the creation of construction documents and details, as well as rendering and digital graphics. By combining his practical field knowledge with his software skill set, Stephen offers a grounded perspective in garden design to the team. 

Caroline Horgan

Designer

Caroline Horgan
Designer

Caroline grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY where she spent much of her childhood exploring and appreciating the adjacent Adirondack Park. This necessarily shaped her view of the landscape and inspired a passion for horticulture and preservation. Throughout her upbringing in Saratoga Springs, a small historic town in upstate New York, Caroline developed an appreciation for historic homes and residential design.

Caroline earned her master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2020 and soon after joined the team at DGLA. Prior to her studies, Caroline worked as a fine gardener and at a nursery in the Boston area, increasing her knowledge in plant maintenance, species, and health. Throughout her time at school, she interned at both residential and commercial firms, becoming apt at both small and large-scale design. Before completing her degree, Caroline earned the American Society of Landscape Architects Student Honor Award which recognizes academic achievement and design competence.

Caroline’s background in environmental science and ecological preservation brings a unique skillset to DGLA, where her work includes the development of construction documents, schematic designs, and digital renderings.

Maureen Gordon

Executive Assistant

Maureen Gordon
Executive Assistant

Maureen grew up in coastal New England, spending summers sailing Boston Harbor and Buzzards Bay. Her love of the outdoors inspired study in Environmental Science at UMASS Amherst and she worked as a Marine and Environmental Chemist in California and in Massachusetts for many years.

While her husband Dan was establishing his practice, Maureen’s career led her to the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) where she was hired to establish its Central Laboratory, which entailed everything from hiring staff to outfitting the lab. Maureen enjoyed watching DGLA evolve as Dan’s passion for thoughtful design and commitment to meeting client needs became increasingly well known in New England. Subsequently, Maureen’s dedication to the environment and hands-on management skills merged naturally to administering DGLA on a regular basis.

At DGLA, Maureen brings multi-faceted experience and grace to the day-to-day business operation and the firm’s public relations. Connecting all the dots, she provides administrative support to Dan and the DGLA team.

— Recognition —

Awards

  • Boston Magazine: 2022 Best of Boston Award, for Best Landscape Architect
  • 2020 Bulfinch Award, Landscape Architecture award from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art New England, for the Pond's Edge Estate view more
  • 2019 BSLA Merit Award, for the Pond's Edge Estate view more
  • 2019 Bulfinch Award, Landscape Architecture award from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art New England, for the Charles River Estate view more
  • 2017 Design Hall of Fame, Dan Gordon inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame
  • 2017 PRISM Award, Best Historical Renovation Silver Winner for The Harvard Club Residences
  • Boston Magazine: 2017 Best of Boston Award, for Best West Landscape Architect
  • 2017 Best of Houzz, Voted a favorite portfolio of work by users of Houzz.com
  • 2017 Top 50 Coastal Landscape Architects, Awarded by Ocean Home, a luxury coastal lifestyle magazine
  • Boston Home: 2017 Best of Boston Home Award, for Best Landscape Architect – West
  • 2016 BSLA Merit Award, for the Cliff Ridge Estate view more
  • 2016 National Association of Landscape Professionals Award of Excellence, Grand Prize, for Cliff Ridge Estate view more
  • 2016 PRISM Awards, Architecture award for two of our properties, including Cliff's Ridge Estate. view more
  • 2016 Top 50 Coastal Landscape Architects, Awarded by Ocean Home magazine, showcasing the finest in coastal landscape architecture
  • 2016 Best of Houzz, Voted a favorite portfolio of work by users of Houzz.com for the second year in a row
  • 2015 Best of Houzz, Voted a favorite portfolio of work by users of Houzz.com
  • 2014 PRISM Award, Best Design for Outdoor Living Gold Winner for Katama Plains. view more
  • 2014 Bulfinch Award, Landscape Architecture award from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art New England view more
  • 2014 BSLA Merit Award, for the Earl Major Estate, Design Excellence from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects view more
  • 2011 BSLA Merit Award, for Sanderson Lane, Design Excellence from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects view more
  • 2007 PRISM Award, Design excellence from the Builders Association of Greater Boston
  • 2002 Tucker Award, Design excellence through the incorporation of natural stone from the Building Stone Institute

Publications

  • Traditional Building, Quiet & Grace, featuring Charles River Estate, June 2019 view pdf
  • New England Home, Outside Interest: Sleeping Beauty, featuring Charles River Estate, May/June 2019 view pdf
  • Modern Luxury Interiors: Boston, Life Alfresco: Natural Selection, Spring 2019 view pdf
  • Boston Home, Poolside Pleasure, featuring Hundreds Woods, Spring 2019 view pdf
  • Boston Design Guide, Comfort & Joy, Winter 2019 view pdf
  • Boston Design Guide, One with Nature, featuring Cypress Court, 22nd Edition view pdf
  • Boston Design Guide: Cape & Islands, Elemental Style, 2017 view pdf
  • New England Home, Sketch Pad - Design Ideas in the Making, featuring Pond's Edge Estate, August 2017 view pdf
  • Boston Design Guide, Mad for Modern, 2017 view pdf
  • Wellesley Weston Magazine, Bringing the Indoors Outdoors, featuring Stonewood Garden & Sanderson Lane, Summer 2017 view pdf
  • Design New England, Public View Private Setting, featuring Ponds Edge Estate, May/June 2017 view pdf
  • Ocean Home, Outdoor Living, April/May 2017 view pdf
  • Landscape Architect & Specifier News, Shining a Light on a New England Masterpiece, featuring Cliff Ridge Estate, April 2017 view pdf
  • Boston Home Magazine, Best of Boston, Winter 2017 view pdf
  • 2016 BSLA Fieldbook, featuring Cliff Ridge Estate view pdf
  • New England Home, ‘A New Age of Enlightenment’, December 2016 view pdf
  • Ocean Home, The Fab Five: The Garden Path, October/November 2016 view pdf
  • New England Home Cape & Islands, ‘Gardens of Delight’, Summer 2016 view pdf
  • Period Homes, Landscape Study, Cover Feature, May 2016 view pdf
  • New England Home, Great Landscapes, May/June 2016 view pdf
  • Ocean Outdoor Living, April/May 2016 view pdf
  • The Luxury of Home, 2016 view pdf
  • New England Home, Stylish Selection, September-October 2015 view pdf
  • Custom Builder, Crafting a Coastal Beauty, 2015 view pdf
  • Boston Design Guide, Reinvigorating a Tudor Revival, Fifteenth Anniversary Edition view pdf

— Affiliations —

We collaborate with leading architects and interior designers, and rely on the finest builders and craftspeople to help make our designs become a reality.

Architects

Interior Designers

General Contractors

Landscape Contractors

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— Employment —

DGLA is always looking for talented, passionate individuals who have an eye for details and a willingness to collaborate. DGLA offers a creative, friendly, dynamic work environment with opportunities to become an integral part of a growing team. At DGLA, you can expect to work on inspiring landscapes, while partnering with respected design professionals and skilled craftsman in the pursuit of a shared vision. Within the studio we utilize a variety of tools to convey design concepts to clients, including AutoCad, SketchUp, digital media, and hand drawing. Those that excel at these skills, possess the ability to communicate clearly, and have a desire to continue to learn are encouraged to submit a single file containing their resume, portfolio, and cover letter.

send résumé

DAN GORDON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
WELLESLEY ~ EDGARTOWN

267 WASHINGTON STREET
SUITE 6
WELLESLEY MA 02481
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NEVIN SQUARE
17 WINTER STREET
EDGARTOWN MA 02539
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INFO@DANGORDON.COM
781 237 5751

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