In an effort to achieve our vision that every one in Des Moines is equipped to be sustainable, we promote and spotlight organizations once a month that are making our city more sustainable. If you have an inspiring sustainability story and want to share it, email us!
Landmatters
For this month’s spotlight, we reached out to former UA board member Drew Maifeld for a quick overview of his company Landmatters. Below you’ll find information about the group and what he’s excited about for the future.
If you only take three things from this, here’s what I want you to know:
1. I strive for exceptional landscapes that artfully integrate people and the environment.
2. When you work with Landmatters you're not only talking to a "landscaper" but someone whose work is their passion.
3. Yesterday was best but now is still a great time for you to take a look and start thinking. How do you and your landscape work together? What statement does it or could it make about your impact on the planet?
My absolute favorite thing in the world is to show up and get a sense of what a client wants or needs and be able to point out areas where we could artistically highlight the relationship between people and land. The goal is to start a conversation about the environment. Sometimes its small, like highlighting the outflow of a gutter and how that drainage could lead to a planting area rather than directly to a storm sewer. Other times it’s making huge moves and entirely re-thinking what the owner had in mind for the project.
For example, one client had spent a few years going to home shows and getting quotes from many landscapers, asking "What would it cost to rebuild this old railroad tie wall?” We were the only ones who asked, "Why do you need the wall?”, and instead suggested creating a more natural transition from the backyard to the woodland.
Another couple who lacked inspiration for the backyard of their new home. Working together we were able to transform it into a beautiful outdoor living space with a mix of natural and local materials.
I suppose what I'd most want people to really know is, when you work with me you're not getting the average landscaper. Although there's always a place and a need for average, I strive to offer something meaningful, inspiring, or educational. I want to expand the relationship between the client and the environment whenever possible. The sky is the limit on how much I feel I could really help someone one fall in love with the immense amount of detail and complexity in the living systems around them.
Perhaps with the recent changes to our time at home, some folks will be able to take a moment to pause and simply take note of the relationship between people and the land. How it often gets overlooked or pushed around and just how beautiful it can be to work closely with the landscape. Maybe the first step for someone is to simply sit by a tree, to grow a tiny portion of food on their porch or to go out of your way to offer special habitat to animal or insect species. Anything that takes the environment into account, in addition to our own needs.
It gets complex and perhaps a bit scary once we start to take that true analysis, but I'm happy to help guide people the best I can and stay focused on what they could do with their project, big or small. I personally get extremely excited about helping people transform their bland, outdated (or non-existent) outdoor living spaces into artistic patios and meditative gardens.
What I'm most looking forward to is working on bigger scale projects in the future with mindful owners and developers to create highly responsible suburban developments and neighborhoods – or better yet, areas like "agri-hoods" and eco-villages.
Whatever comes my way, Landmatters exists to create exceptional landscapes that will accomplish what people are looking for but always go above and beyond. To exceed their baseline and to highlight some small part of the bigger ecological picture. Projects designed or completed by me will always stand out and give people an incredible story to tell about what is possible within or beyond the typical conversations about curb appeal.
To work with me, simply reach out to chat about your project. People can email me a quick snapshot of what they have in mind to drew@whylandmatters.com to see if we’re a good fit. And phone consultations are always free, simply text or call 515.661.4595.
Of course, anyone who mentions Urban Ambassadors will always have my heart and I'd waive the typical "Site Visit Fee" mentioned in the new client introduction letter. It'd be a dream for us to work with an environmentally responsible earth hero like you :)
Spotlight on Sustainability: Landmatters