Dogged pursuit of evidence, rigorous completion of work, courage to take on any challenge, and endurance training might describe a CSI professional but lucky for us it perfectly describes Elise. This Colorado native grew up in Denver and thankfully her love of the natural world drove her to apply her analytical mind and creative optimism to our landscapes. Her background in research and documenting performance outcomes began in the big city of Manhattan (Manhattan, Kansas, that is) at Kansas State University where she was an active leader in the ASLA student chapter, a research assistant for Landscape Architecture Foundation’s Case Study Investigations, an awardee of two ASLA Central States student merit awards, and studied (mostly wine) while abroad in Italy. Elise’s Master’s thesis focused on the ways in which leading landscape architecture firms formally integrate evidence-based design into the design process.

Unable to resist training for marathons at altitude, Elise left the prairie and returned to Colorado where her professional practice and pursuit of evidence-based design evolved at a multi-disciplinary firm in Denver where she led an Evidence-Based Design focus group, seeking to understand and share how designers substantiate their decisions. At C1D her evolution as a landscape architecture professional and project manager includes extensive experience in commercial, single-family residential, multi-family residential, and healthcare design. Her attention to detail and growing strength in project management ensure quality completion of projects for her clients; while her search for evidence and innovation provides value to the entire profession.

“We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and be willing to take care of it, we have to love it.”
– Wendell Berry