Ward Design Group

Landscape Design Build -also known as “design-construct” or “single responsibility”, is a system of contracting in which one entity manages the design, engineering and construction under one contract. In our Landscape Design-Build System, the design and construction contractor are one in the same. There is no information loss because every aspect of the process is controlled under one roof.

The traditional process to landscaping can often leave you to make important decisions on your own. You are responsible for finding a landscape architect/designer to design your project and then finding a contractor to build it once it has been designed. It is then your job to ensure that they communicate and work together within your budget and vision. Many times you will not discover what your design is going to cost until much too late in the process. Our Landscape Design-Build System is different – it’s a one-stop-shop for all your design and construction needs. Many times a budget is established at the beginning of design; and then you and the landscape architect/designer work together as a team to design towards your budget.

What distinguishes the Landscape Design-Build process is the source of responsibility, combining both architect/designer and contractor into one entity. This allows the home or commercial property owner to assign actual numbers to the drawings throughout the design process and provides the owner with a more accurate “picture” of realistic project costs.

One option for a design-build system is to identify a company that offers both design and construction services. Another option is to find a company which is willing to work with another company to provide the design-build concept. Regardless, design-build is a very attractive option for the owner as it allows the team to value engineer the project throughout the design phase. This ultimately saves the owner both time and money.

The Benefits of Our Landscape Design Build Process:

• Single source of responsibility eliminates finger-pointing
• Higher quality end results due to streamlined communication
• Proven to be most cost-effective way to build
• Eliminates costly waste of time from duplicate communication between landscape design and construction
• Reduces owner administrative burn-out due to elimination of need for mediation between designer and contractor
• More up-front knowledge of the actual cost of the project for the owner
• Coordinated review by architect/designer and contractor throughout design process minimizes mistakes and subsequent costly change orders
• Corrections are facilitated by the team maintaining a common level of knowledge and understanding throughout the entire project
• Overall decreased cost

Potential Limitations to the Build Design Process

In addition to all of the benefits of the landscape design-build system, it is important to mention one possible weakness. In the design-build system, no third-party is involved to act as the balancing agent. If the owner is careful to choose a trusted well qualified company, a third-party may not be needed. Regardless, it is vital to choose trusted team players who have your best interests at heart. This will greatly enhance your project, and ultimately, make the part you play in the project a much more rewarding one.

Landscape Design

…is the profession which applies artistic and scientific principles to the 
research, planning, design, and management of both natural and built 
environments. Practitioners of this profession apply creative and technical 
skill and scientific, cultural and political knowledge in the planned 
arrangement of natural and constructed elements on the land with a 
concern for the stewardship and conservation of natural, constructed and 
human resources. The resulting environments shall serve useful, aesthetic, 
safe and enjoyable purposes.

All our projects are custom e.g. pricing is based on the materials and parameters of the project. 

Ward Design Group and WDG Design Studio is the culmination of 3+ decades in the landscape industry for Mr. Jerry Ward. It all started when 36 cents would by a gallon of gas and that one gallon could be translated into freshly cut lawns in his neighborhood. It was all uphill from there. In the early 80’s, after his  studies at SWOSU, UCO, and OSU, Jerry started and built a successful enterprise known as Genesis Landscapes. Even at that time he was interested in using the most cutting edge techniques and materials, a passion he carries with him to this day.

While other landscape companies work to develop a signature look, Jerry’s passion for new and exciting innovations keeps him digging for something just a little different in every project. “The only signature I really want left behind is the ideas of my client. The projects I get really excited about are those that combine my professional expertise with the client’s vision of how they want to use that space.” Ward says. Ultimately it comes down to adding value to a family’s life.

“I get the most satisfaction out of creating a haven for my client. Where they can come home, kick off their shoes, walk out into the backyard and breathe a sigh of relief. They don’t need to go anywhere else, because we have created that shelter, that sense of solitude right there.”

From his days cutting grass during Jr High Summer breaks to his years developing water garden technologies, as a consultant for Little Giant Pump Company, Jerry has found landscaping, and shaping the environment around him  both exciting and fulfilling.

So, now that you’ve met Jerry, come on and give him a call at 405.615.0939 and see if you don’t agree that Ward Design Group is truly “Reinventing Paradise”.