From idyllic home gardens to charming city parks, the field of landscape architecture is vast and impactful. So whether you’re a homeowner looking to beautify your front yard or a business owner wanting to enhance your curb appeal – you can call Molly Maguire Landscape Architecture to get started.
Molly Maguire’s interest in landscape architecture sprouted in her late 20s when she decided to major in it – blending her love of horticulture and fine art to create a perfect balance she could use to impact the community.
After 15 years of working for other landscape architects, Maguire ventured out on her own – opening a private office in Bellingham in 2012. A decade later, the business is still going strong, seeing a recent increase in demand and recognition for the field.
“It has been a very long path to get to this point, but I was confident that Bellingham needed a good landscape architecture firm,” she says. “There’s been a greater recognition of what our practice brings, and along with that – increased awareness and connections.”
When it comes to clientele, Molly Maguire Landscape Architecture oversees many different projects ranging from commercial and residential projects like yards and gardens to institutional and public projects like universities, health care facilities, parks, and street design.
Regardless of the type of work, virtually all projects start with a phone call. Maguire refers to this initial conversation as a pre-qualification, where she can analyze the project’s needs, the timeline, and whether or not she is a good fit for that project and individual.
After selecting a project, Maguire dives into master planning for property owners. This process can involve an entire property or a small portion and is often very collaborative with the client – examining the opportunities, constraints, and determining how the existing or planned architecture can be drawn out into that newly landscaped space.
Some additions she’s made include custom bocce ball courts, fire pits, water features, decks, edible gardens, natural swimming pools, patios, and more.
When it comes to selecting projects to work on, Maguire places value on high quality projects that lead to beautiful and sustainable results. Some of her favorite projects in the past have been in conjunction with non-profit low-income housing developers like Kulshan Community Land Trust, Habitat for Humanity, the Bellingham Housing Authority, and Mercy Housing.
“What’s most rewarding for me is working with a good client and a good team where we’re building something special and valuable that has strong environmental value, aesthetic value, and use value,” she says. “… Projects that are trying to create beneficial habitats for both humans and the natural world.”
With the recent boom in business over the last two years, Maguire hopes to get more involved in community-focused work, as well as to expand her team from a one-woman-show (with one subcontractor) to a business that includes multiple employees.
“The way that our organization is structured, there’s a tremendous amount of importance placed on training and apprenticeship opportunities,” she says. “The mentorship role is really important in this profession, and it’s one that I’d really like to step into.”
119 N. Commercial St., Bellingham, 360.542.4052
