Q and A: Clete Benken
Private Development Studio Leader
Q. What makes this firm different from other professional landscape architecture and planning firms?
"It’s really a combination of three important principles. We’re committed to providing personal attention and senior-level involvement thought our project work. We think strategically and remain guided by the need to focus on the client’s most important measures of success. Lastly, because we are a mixed-use, multi-disciplinary practice (servicing both private developers and public clients) - we look for opportunities to leverage “win-win” scenarios that achieve the commons goals of developer and project’s public constituents. As a result we’re able to create projects that build value for their companies and for the community that the projects are built in. It’s a formula that really does set us apart in the marketplace."
Q. Specifically, what philosophy does you implement to make that happen?
"Our projects build value. And value has many forms. It’s economic. It’s aesthetic. It’s social. It’s cultural. We approach every project with the goal of delivering something that is socially and culturally meaningful. Our client wouldn’t build a project if it did not satisfy the baseline financial pro-forma. We want to help them build something that creates a buzz and leads to greater opportunities and “return on their investment”. That’s what resonates with our clients."
Q. How does your approach create that ROI?
"First and most importantly it is the quality of the work. But to our firm, the design and the drawings are the given. For our clients, time is money. They’re bottom-line oriented and want to minimize expense. We’re proud of our political astuteness. Because we understand the nuances of the public arena, we’re better prepared to get projects approved. We prepare for a council or zoning committee presentation with an understanding of the public’s goals and objectives. We make a point to acknowledge legitimate public concerns and explain how the design can respond to critical issues.
The bottom line is that we help our clients manage and contain risk. We strive to facilitate a partnership between developers, and the communities they work in so that approvals happen more easily and endless cycles of design study are eliminated. A significant part of the financial risk is minimized and projects generate revenue more quickly. We help clients get more out of a project. By limiting risk, brokering community support, and locating economic incentives for the commercial property development, we help them transform their projects into better investments. "
Q. What else makes this firm the best choice for landscape design projects?
"Not only do clients get the benefit of our broad experience in various disciplines, but also our clients get personal, open access to our senior partners. You just can’t do that with a large, multinational firm."