Topo d'Oro Landscape Design
(847) 387-9509
Landscape Design

Landscape Design in Evanston & Chicago's North Shore

Call (847) 387-9509Request a Design Consultation
Landscape Design project by Topo d'Oro Landscape Design in Evanston and Chicago's North Shore

Topo d'Oro is a landscape design and build studio in Evanston, Illinois, serving Chicago's North Shore and the greater Chicagoland area. Our design work starts with a full site analysis and ends with a buildable set of drawings — AutoCAD site plans, 3D renderings, planting plans, material specifications and the documentation your village needs for permits. Because we build what we draw, the design you approve is the design that gets installed, at the budget you agreed to.

What's included

Landscape Design scope of work

  • Site analysis & measurement

    Grades, drainage, sun and shade study, utility and easement locates.

  • Concept layout

    Space planning, circulation, sight lines and program for how you actually use the yard.

  • AutoCAD 2D plans

    Dimensioned, buildable construction drawings with elevations and details.

  • 3D renderings & visualization

    Walk the finished space before anything is excavated.

  • Planting design

    Zone 5b–6a plant palette, seasonal interest, native and pollinator options.

  • Material selection

    Stone, paver, decking, metal and lighting specified by name and finish.

  • Grading & drainage plan

    Water routed away from the foundation and off the usable space.

  • Permit & HOA documentation

    Drawing sets prepared for village review and board approval.

  • Phased build plan

    A master plan sequenced into seasons that fit the budget.

What a Topo d'Oro design includes

Most homeowners come to us with a yard that has three or four unrelated problems: a patio that is too small, drainage that pushes water toward the foundation, a side yard nobody uses, and a front entry that does not match the house. A master plan solves those together instead of one at a time. We measure the property, map grades and drainage, note sun and shade through the day, and locate utilities and easements before a single line is drawn.

From there we develop a concept layout, then a dimensioned AutoCAD plan, then 3D renderings so you can walk the space before it exists. Material samples come to the table with the drawings — the actual stone, the actual decking, the actual paver — so approvals happen with your eyes, not your imagination.

Designing for Chicago's climate and soil

North Shore properties present a specific set of conditions. Heavy clay soil drains slowly and heaves in freeze-thaw cycles. Lots closer to the lake take wind and salt spray. Mature parkway trees restrict where you can excavate. USDA Zone 5b–6a limits the plant palette to material that can hold up through a Chicago winter.

Design that ignores those conditions fails within two or three seasons — settled pavers, standing water, plants that never establish. Our plans specify base depths, drainage runs and plant material chosen to perform here, not in a catalog photograph.

Permits, HOAs and village review

Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Northbrook, Skokie and Highland Park each have their own requirements for impervious surface coverage, setbacks, fence heights, retaining wall engineering and tree protection. We prepare the drawing sets these reviews require and handle the submission, so the project does not stall at village hall.

Where an HOA or historic district is involved, we prepare the elevation and material documentation those boards ask for as part of the design package.

Designed to be built in phases

Not every project has to happen in one season. We regularly design a full master plan and then build it in stages — hardscape and grading in year one, planting and lighting in year two, the pergola or outdoor kitchen in year three. Phasing the work this way protects the budget without producing a yard that looks like it was assembled from unrelated pieces, because every phase was drawn against the same plan.

Materials

Specified by name and finish

Natural stone
Bluestone, limestone, granite and fieldstone specified for freeze-thaw durability.
Native & adapted plantings
Zone 5b–6a material selected for four-season structure and low input.
Engineered pavers
Full-depth base and permeable options where coverage limits apply.
Cedar, ipe & mahogany
Structural timber specified for exposure and expected service life.
Powder-coated steel & wrought iron
Custom fabricated railings, screens and structures.
Process

Design · Build · Enhance

  1. 01

    Design

    Site analysis, concept layout, AutoCAD plans, 3D renderings, material selection.

  2. 02

    Build

    Permits, excavation, structure and in-house craft — we build what we drew.

  3. 03

    Enhance

    Plantings, lighting, furnishings and the finishing details that make it feel finished.

Questions

Frequently asked

How much does landscape design cost in the Chicago area?

Design fees scale with the size and complexity of the property and whether you need a full master plan or a single-area concept. A focused design for one outdoor room is a smaller engagement than a whole-property master plan with grading, drainage and permit drawings. We quote the design scope in writing before any work begins, and for clients who move forward into construction with us, the design investment is credited against the build. Call (847) 387-9509 for a scoped estimate on your property.

Do I have to build the design with you?

No. You own the drawings. That said, most of our clients build with us, because the person who drew the plan is the person standing on the site during installation — which removes the gap between what was designed and what gets built.

How long does the design process take?

A typical residential design runs four to eight weeks from site analysis to approved plan, depending on how many revision rounds you want and whether village review is involved. Larger properties and permit-heavy scopes take longer.

When is the best time to start a landscape project in Chicago?

Winter and early spring are the ideal time to design, because it puts you in the construction queue for the same season. Design work continues year-round; excavation and hardscape installation run roughly March through November depending on the ground.

Can you work with my existing landscaping?

Frequently, yes. Mature trees, established beds and hardscape in sound condition are assets. Part of site analysis is deciding what stays, what gets restored and what has to go.

Do you handle drainage problems?

Yes. Drainage is designed into the plan rather than patched later — grading, French drains, dry wells, permeable surfaces and downspout routing, chosen for the clay soil conditions common across the North Shore.

Serving Chicagoland

Landscape Design across the North Shore

  • Evanston
  • Wilmette
  • Winnetka
  • Glencoe
  • Northbrook
  • Skokie
  • Highland Park
  • Kenilworth
  • Glenview
  • Lake Forest
  • Deerfield
  • Lincolnwood
  • Chicago
Related services

Continue exploring

  • Hardscaping

    Natural stone patios, walkways, driveways, retaining walls and stone fireplaces built for Chicago freeze-thaw. Serving Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicagoland.

  • Outdoor Living

    Custom outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits and rooftop terraces designed and built for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore.

  • Lighting & Water

    Low-voltage LED landscape lighting, color-changing systems, fountains and ponds designed and installed for Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and Chicago's North Shore.

Begin your golden sanctuary.

Tell us about the property and how you want to use it. We will walk the site, scope the work and put it in writing.

Call (847) 387-9509Request a Design Consultation