Surroundings Studio

Surroundings Studio Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Surroundings Studio, 1611 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM.

Surroundings is a multidisciplinary design studio focused on transforming the built environment through innovative landscape architecture, urban design and planning. We are a highly experienced, collaborative team of landscape architects, architects, and planners who create engaging, sustainable, operationally smart, and efficient designs for projects throughout New Mexico, Texas, and North America.

Our Surroundings Studio holiday party marked a big celebration of our best year yet! And it was beautifully catered with...
12/17/2025

Our Surroundings Studio holiday party marked a big celebration of our best year yet! And it was beautifully catered with a massive paella cookout by our studio+finance manager, Suzanne and her husband Mark .

We have been a little quiet here lately, not from lack of momentum, but because we have been digging deep in the work. This year has brought some of our most meaningful projects to date, including a full campus re-envisioning of a 95 year old private high school in Colorado, new residential landscapes in Telluride, the restart of Murchison Rogers Overlook Park in El Paso, our first green burial cemetery in Galisteo, and most recently the kickoff of design renovations for El Paso’s largest regional park.

Behind all of that is growth is the team that makes it happen. We became a ten-person studio for the first time, greatly expanded our regional footprint from our 'remote' Santa Fe studio, and continued to build our practice. We will be sharing more about each new member of this team soon, because they and our existing team are the reason this year rocked. And we will get back to sharing the new work we have been making for our wonderful clients, too.

Quiet growth, ambitious landscapes, and a lot to look forward to in 2026. Happy holidays and New Year to all of you, our followers.

Surroundings is on the lookout for an exceptional landscape architect/ designer and a part time office manager to become...
06/21/2025

Surroundings is on the lookout for an exceptional landscape architect/ designer and a part time office manager to become a pivotal part of our creative team, nestled in the breathtaking high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Embark on the journey with us, collaborating on diverse, award winning projects across New Mexico, West Texas, and Colorado.⁠

Despite our small, closely-knit studio, we’re venturing into a multitude of important projects spanning the Southwestern United States. In our practice, we foster an environment for our employees to learn, grow, and expand their skills and talent. And because of our scale, our team works on every facet of landscape architecture and planning. We also offer competitive salaries and extensive benefits to our team.⁠
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PS did you know we give ski passes (or equivalent bonus for non-skiers) every year to our team? And that we give “powder days” off as well? We live in one of the most beautiful recreational paradises in the world, and we take advantage of it. We strive to give our team a strong work-life balance in our practice, while creating regionally recognized and inspiring landscape architecture.⁠

Ready to embark on this adventure with us? Come be a part of our journey in redefining landscape architecture across the region.⁠
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Check the link in our bio or visit:⁠
surroundings.studio/careers⁠

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photo credit:

We are excited to share our landscape vision for Roan Steamboat, a new high-end residential development at the base of t...
03/14/2025

We are excited to share our landscape vision for Roan Steamboat, a new high-end residential development at the base of the Steamboat Springs Ski Resort in Colorado.⁠
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Nestled in the breathtaking Yampa Valley, our landscape honors the region’s alpine beauty with a palette of resilient, high-altitude plantings, native meadows, and carefully curated outdoor spaces. We crafted our palettes to complement the surrounding ecology through swaths of native grasslands, clusters of trees that soften the architecture, and meandering pathways that invite residents to connect with nature year-round. A welcoming community space at the heart of the development will bring people together with small central lawn, outdoor grilling/dining areas, fire pits, and relaxed gathering spaces, all designed for four-season enjoyment.⁠
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Our approach prioritizes water-efficient plantings, smart irrigation strategies, and the preservation of existing vegetation to seamlessly blend the built environment with Steamboat’s iconic mountain landscape.⁠
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Visit www.roansteamboat.com to see the beautiful new website designed by . And follow to see more as they launch soon on IG.⁠
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We are proud to be collaborating with our incredible team:⁠
Development: RAL Companies (www.ralcompanies.com)⁠
Architecture: + OPI Architects⁠
Landscape Architecture: ⁠
PIC: Kenneth Francis⁠
PLA/PM: Joseph Charles⁠
PA: Whitney Couchoud + Erin Kim⁠
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We are elated to announce another recent promotion at Surroundings: Abby Feldman is now Senior Associate at Surroundings...
03/06/2025

We are elated to announce another recent promotion at Surroundings: Abby Feldman is now Senior Associate at Surroundings! Abby's dedication and expertise have been instrumental in shaping our innovative landscape architecture projects across the region.⁠
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As a Senior Associate, Abby moves into a stronger leadership role, guiding project teams from concept to completion. She is also focusing on new business development and current clients love the experience of working with her because she is so attentive to them throughout the project. Abby's commitment to our projects and our clients make her an invaluable asset to our team.⁠
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Beyond her professional achievements, Abby recently celebrated a joyous milestone: her big wedding in the picturesque setting of the Pecos Mountains here in New Mexico, as seen here with a colorful b***o! The eclectic and fun-filled celebration was a true reflection of her vibrant personality and creative flair. (Hint: she REALLY loves color...just look at her work at our International District Library project in Albuquerque!)⁠
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Please join us in congratulating Abby on her promotion and wishing her continued success in her new role.⁠
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A city’s resilience is written in its landscapes. The El Paso Downtown Tree Plan will transform streets into a living ur...
02/27/2025

A city’s resilience is written in its landscapes. The El Paso Downtown Tree Plan will transform streets into a living urban forest, offering shade, cooling, and biodiversity in one of Texas' most sun/heat-intense downtowns. This master plan prioritizes native species, green infrastructure, and long-term care, designed to combat climate change while creating a walkable, beautiful, and livable city.⁠
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This plan integrates a regional approach to green infrastructure, capturing stormwater to reduce downstream runoff, recharge soils, and support healthier trees. Thoughtful strategies like permeable paving, efficient deep root watering systems, and expanded planting areas ensure that each tree will thrive while helping the city adapt to a hotter, drier future.⁠
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We recently had the opportunity to test the plan’s guidelines in the first streetscape project in front of , El Paso's amazing, new children’s museum designed by . We utilized recycled concrete from the old streetscape and created large stormwater gardens to benefit the trees.⁠
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We’re honored that the Downtown Tree Plan was recognized with a Texas ASLA Honor Award—a testament to the power of well-planned green spaces to shape a thriving community. A huge thank you to the City of El Paso, the El Paso Community Foundation and our collaborators who made this vision possible.⁠
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Client: City of El Paso and El Paso Community Foundation: ⁠
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Surroundings Team:⁠
Kenneth Francis, Principal-In-Charge⁠
Madeleine Aguilar, Project Manager⁠
Julia Cheung, Project Assistant⁠
Valeria Lopez, Project Assistant⁠
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Surroundings is on the lookout for an exceptional landscape architect/ designer to become a pivotal part of our creative...
02/21/2025

Surroundings is on the lookout for an exceptional landscape architect/ designer to become a pivotal part of our creative team, nestled in the breathtaking high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Embark on the journey with us, collaborating on diverse, award winning projects across New Mexico, West Texas, and Colorado.⁠
⁠
Despite our small, closely-knit studio, we're venturing into a multitude of important projects spanning the Southwestern United States. In our practice, we foster an environment for our employees to learn, grow, and expand their skills and talent. And because of our scale, our team works on every facet of landscape architecture and planning. We also offer competitive salaries and extensive benefits to our team.⁠
⁠
PS did you know we give ski passes (or equivalent bonus for non-skiers) every year to our team? And that we give "powder days" off as well? We live in one of the most beautiful recreational paradises in the world, and we take advantage of it. We strive to give our team a strong work-life balance in our practice, while creating regionally recognized and inspiring landscape architecture.⁠
⁠
Ready to embark on this adventure with us? Come be a part of our journey in redefining landscape architecture across the region.⁠
⁠
Check the link in our bio or visit:⁠
surroundings.studio/careers⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
photo credit:

Steamboat Mountain School, nestled in the stunning Rocky Mountains of Colorado, is embarking on a transformative journey...
02/19/2025

Steamboat Mountain School, nestled in the stunning Rocky Mountains of Colorado, is embarking on a transformative journey to reimagine its two campuses. In collaboration with , Surroundings lead the landscape master planning effort, where we created a regionally inspired campus that elevates the student experience with outdoor learning and sports.⁠
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Drawing inspiration from the natural streams and aspens running through the campus, we’ve designed a circulation network that better flows between buildings and dorms, with the goal to have as much accessibility (with over 70 feet of grade change!) as possible for the students. At the heart of the campus, students will enjoy a new level playing field due to proposed amphitheater seating and a boulder wall that retain the hillside. Around Lake Flato's proposed multi-use building, which houses a gym, fitness center, ski-tuning room, and cafeteria, a bar-top study/dining area provides an active view to the field beyond. New bioswales, mimicking the streams that run through campus, were designed to efficiently move snowmelt and stormwater, while also provide support for the subalpine landscape.⁠
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Client: Steamboat Mountain School⁠
PIC: Kenneth Francis ⁠
PM: Joseph Charles ⁠
PA: Whitney Couchoud ⁠
Architects: ⁠
Civil: ⁠
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We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Joseph Charles, ASLA, to Principal at Surroundings. With decades of experie...
02/07/2025

We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Joseph Charles, ASLA, to Principal at Surroundings. With decades of experience in landscape architecture, master planning, and design guidelines, Joseph has been instrumental in shaping our studio's success. ⁠
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Joseph is a true leader that brings trust and consistency to our project processes, earning the admiration of clients and colleagues alike. His exceptional mentorship has fostered remarkable growth within our team, and his unparalleled ability to anticipate project needs ensures seamless processes. Joseph's strong design sensibility continues to flourish, reflecting our commitment to creating engaging, sustainable, and beautiful work across our region.⁠
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As Principal, Joseph exemplifies the qualities essential for leading a design studio: visionary leadership, strategic insight, and a dedication to nurturing both client relationships and team development. And as seen in the photo of our team "working" on our Telluride projects , he knows how to work hard and play hard!⁠
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His promotion marks an exciting next chapter for Surroundings. Please join us in congratulating Joseph on this well-deserved achievement!⁠
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So proud of this long overdue recognition of Faith Okuma who obtained the distinguished honor of becoming a Fellow in ou...
10/09/2024

So proud of this long overdue recognition of Faith Okuma who obtained the distinguished honor of becoming a Fellow in our national organization, the ASLA. If anyone has ever met or worked with her, you know she is brilliant and talented at what she creates through landscape architecture and strategic planning across the region. Or perhaps you know her passion for climate issues and her fierceness for talking the hard talks about it. Or you might know her as a wise mentor who has gone through much and selflessly shares it (aka hammers into our staff regularly ha!). We are just so elated to share this celebratory moment of her career and we love you Faith! Congratulations!


We are elated to share that Landscape Architecture Magazine’s October 2024 issue features our residential Haciendas Para...
10/05/2024

We are elated to share that Landscape Architecture Magazine’s October 2024 issue features our residential Haciendas Parade of Homes winning project. It details our unique water feature design that collects rainwater from the roof which channels into a gentle rain curtain that’s falls into a collector, and releases the additional stormwater into a scoria wick that banks water in the soils for surrounding plantings. Thank you to for including us in your October issue and hope to see you all at in DC this week!⁠
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Surroundings has been working closely with The Santa Fe Children’s Museum over the past couple of years to help create a...
08/29/2024

Surroundings has been working closely with The Santa Fe Children’s Museum over the past couple of years to help create a master plan and realize the first phase renovation of the Children's Backyard. It has finally reopened to the public this summer and has been a huge success.

The first phase of the project includes a new music / pollinator garden, a loose parts play area, a new accessible primary loop path, new bathrooms, a new amphitheater, and our favorite part… a sand and water play area that reuses salvaged runnels from the original site. The overall design reflects the mission of the Museum to foster learning, creativity, and a sense of wonder through unstructured play.

Client: Santa Fe Children’s Museum

Design Team:
PIC: Kenneth Francis
PM: Abby Feldman
Landscape contractor:
Contractor:

Photographer:


Our collaboration with Lake Flato on the Trinity School of Midland project is focused on designing innovative outdoor le...
08/22/2024

Our collaboration with Lake Flato on the Trinity School of Midland project is focused on designing innovative outdoor learning environments for a new lower school facility that celebrates its West Texas native ecology from the point of arrival to deep within the campus. Surroundings has been developing a new kinder play and outdoor imagination courtyard, along with more formal outdoor learning spaces that connect students directly outside their classrooms. We are also creating expanded play for the older students and an outdoor science garden to study soils and grow plants/food.⁠
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Research has shown that outdoor learning environments can have significant benefits for children's health, including reducing anxiety, improving attention, and enhancing cognitive function. Studies have also found that students who spend time outdoors tend to perform better on standardized tests. We are inspired to be creating spaces that promote exploration, creativity, and a sense of wonder, and hope to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and lifelong learners.⁠
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Client: Trinity School of Midland ⁠
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Design Team:⁠
PIC: Kenneth Francis ⁠
PM: Joseph Charles ⁠
Architect: Lake Flato ⁠
Civil: ⁠
SE: ⁠
NEPT: ⁠
Acoustical Consultant: ⁠
Higher protection life safety: ⁠
Environmental graphic design: MN Design⁠
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Address

1611 Paseo De Peralta
Santa Fe, NM
87501

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15059823454

Website

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