Ground Reconsidered is a landscape architecture studio dedicated to realizing engaging, beautiful and memorable places.

The firm has successfully designed and executed projects that range in scope from comprehensive master plans to the creation of intimate landscapes and the detail design of site elements. By responding to site context and client input our work transforms landscapes, enhancing the built projects within them and ensuring continuity with the existing environment. We take a holistic view of the site and context our projects inhabit and work to understand geological, hydrological and vegetative conditions as well as the human needs of each location. Our designs respond to visual and physical cues from the environment as well as to the meaning and purpose a place has to its users.

Ground Reconsidered is Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).

Firm chronology:

Lager Raabe Landscape Architects 1991 - 2000

Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects 2000 - 2011

LRSLA Studio 2011 - 2015

Ground Reconsidered 2016 - present

  • On-call contracts

  • Visualization Graphics

    • 3D Modeling

    • Photo realistic and stylized 3D images

    • Fly-throughs / walk-throughs

  • Master planning

  • Community Engagement and Outreach

  • Sustainable design strategies for site design and planning

  • LEED, WELL, and SITES documentation related to site & landscape

  • Arborist services, including tree inventories and evaluations

  • Site analysis

  • Site design

    • Concept design

    • Schematic Design

    • Design Development

    • Construction documentation

    • Construction observation

    • Playground planning & design

    • Landscape architectural permitting preparation

  • Design and documentation of landscapes on structure, including green roofs and amenity terraces

OUR SERVICES.

SELECT AWARDS.

Russell Byers Schoolyard Play Deck
2025 ASLA PA/DE Honor Award: General Design

Phoenixville Square: Planning for Community
2025 ASLA PA/DE Honor Award: Analysis and Planning

SORA West
2024 ASLA PA/DE Merit Award: General Design
2023 Montgomery Award

Engine 37 Firehouse
2024 Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia Grand Jury Award

First Avenue Linear Park & Road Diet
2024 Montgomery Award

St. Rita Place & Cascia Center
ULI Philadelphia 2023 Awards for Excellence: Small Scale Category Winner

Iovance Biotherapeutics at 300 Rouse Boulevard
Sustainable Business Network GSI 2022 Award Finalist

The Discovery Center
2020 ASLA PA/DE Honor Award: General Design

Penn Alexander School: Re-Imagining the Schoolyard
2020 ASLA PA/DE Honor Award: Analysis & Planning

The Restoration and Enhancement of the Historic Ann Bartam Carr Garden at Bartram’s Garden
2018 ASLA PA/DE Merit Award: General Design

Verdant Temple
2016 ASLA PA/DE Honor Award: Analysis and Planning

Learning Landscapes: Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Branch
2016 Community Design Collaborative; Play Structure | Story Structure: Play Space Design Awards

Outstanding Interdisciplinary Team: Viaduct
2016 Community Design Collaborative

The Porch at 30th Street Station
2013 ASLA PA/DE Merit Award: General Design

Hawthorne Park
2013 Brick Industry Association Silver Award

Lehigh University STEPS Building
2011 Brick Industry Association Gold Award

Lehigh University Asa-Packer Campus New Walkways
2010 ASLA PA/DE Merit Award: General Design

Outstanding Landscape Firm
2007 Community Design Collaborative

Merion Elementary School
2006 Historical Preservation Award

Education

Bucknell University
Cheyney University
Cornell University
Drexel University
East Stroudsburg University
Friends School Haverford
Girard College
Kutztown University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Lower Merion School District
Montclair State University
Muhlenberg College
Parent Infant Center
Pennsylvania State University
Rowan University
Rutgers University
School District of Philadelphia
Stockton University
Temple University
The Catholic University of America
The Lawrenceville School
The Shipley School
University of Delaware
University of Pennsylvania
Villanova University
West Chester University
Woodlynde School

CLIENTS AND COLLABORATORS.

Design Firms

Annum Architects (fka Ann Beha Architects)
Atkin Olshin Shade Architects
Ballinger
BEAM Illuminating Architecture
Becker & Frondorf
BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group
Bloomfield & Associates
BLTa
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Cannon Design
Cecil Baker + Partners Architects
Cloud Gehshan Associates
CO Architects
Cooper Robertson 
Cope Linder
Coscia Moos
DIGSAU
EM Architecture
Ennead Architects
EwingCole
ex;it
EYP Architecture & Engineering
Ford3
Foster + Partners
FXFOWLE Architects
Gensler
HDR
ICI
ikon5
ISA
JJA Sports
JVM Studio
Kelly/Maiello Architects
KSS Architects
Maki and Associates
Materials Conservation
MGA Partners Architects
NBBJ
Olaya Studio
OOMBRA Architects
Payette
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Perkins + Will
PZS Architects
RLPS Architects
Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Safdie Architects
Saylor Gregg Architects
SMP Architects
Snøhetta
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
The Lighting Practice
TRA Studio
Vitetta Architects & Engineers
Voith & Mactavish Architects
VSBA Architects & Planners
Wallace Roberts & Todd
Zimmerman Studio

Artists

Amber Art & Design
Andrea Blum
Jennie Shanker
Kate Kaman
John Kindness
Karyn Olivier
Tom Otterness
Warren Holzman

Engineering Groups

AKRF
Ammann & Whitney
AMT
Arcadis
Arora Engineers
Boles, Smyth Associates
Burdette, Koehler, Murphy & Associates
CVM
Duffield Associates
Gannett Fleming
Gilmore & Associates
Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.
HNTB 
Hunt Engineering
Jacobs
Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson
KS Engineers
Langan
Meliora Design
Michael Baker International
Nelson\Nygaard
NV5
Parsons Brinkerhoff
Pennoni Associates
Remington & Vernick Engineers
Rodriguez
Stantec
STV
The Burns Group
Urban Engineers
Van Cleef Engineering Associates
Whitman, Requart & Associates

Public Agencies and Authorities

Avenue of the Arts, Inc.
Borough of Phoenixville
Center City District
Delaware River and Bay Authority
Delaware River City Coporation 
King of Prussia Business Improvement District 
Mt. Airy USA
National Park Service 
Neighbohood Gardens Trust
New Jersey Transit
Old City District
PennDOT
Pennsylvania Department of General Services 
Philadelphia City Planning Commission 
Philadelphia Commerce Department
Philadelphia Department of Public Property
Philadelphia Housing Authority
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation 
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority  
Philadelphia Streets Department
Philadelphia Water Department 
Schuylkill River Development Corporation
SEPTA
The Reinvestment Fund
University City District
Wilmington Parks and Recreation

Development Groups & Corporations

AIMCO
American Campus Communities
Atochem North America
Ben & Jerry's Homemade
Brandywine Realty Trust
Dranoff Properties
Ensemble Real Estate Investments
Grasso Holdings
Liberty Property Trust
Midwood Investment & Development
Mosaic Development Partners
Parkway Corporation
Teva Pharmaceutical

Healthcare & Institutions

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
Free Library of Philadelphia 
John Bartram Association
Memorial Sloan-Kettering / Mercy Hospital
National Museum of American Jewish History 
New Bolton Large Animal Veterinary Hospital
St. David's Episcopal Church
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Temple Beth Shalom
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Wellness Community of Philadelphia
Tyler Arboretum
Unitarian Society of Germantown
University of Pennsylvania Health System  
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Wistar Institute
Women's Humane Society
Zoological Society of Philadelphia

Nonprofits and Community Groups

Association for Public Art
Audubon Society
Community Ventures
Community Design Collaborative
Fairmount Park Conservancy 
Friends of Coxe Park
Friends of Dickinson Square Park
Friends of Julian Abele Park
Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition
HECTOR
Impact Services Corporation
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society