Meet Marc Delouvrier | Landscape Architect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marc Delouvrier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marc, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Being raised in New Jersey, my mother would often take us into New York City. One time I noticed kids not much older than me hanging out and playing on the street. At which point, I told my mother that I wanted design parks for kids to hangout in. I was 13 years old at the time and had no idea what landscape architecture was, 25 years later I started LANDmarc, a landscape architecture design studio that focus on creating outdoor spaces using research, ecological analysis, and site context to inform design.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I love what I do, and I always strive to push harder and to keep on learning. I worked for 15 years in landscape architecture prior to starting my own studio. I worked with some of the best designers and companies in the business. When I first entered my career, I always knew I wanted to start my own practice. So, I focused on learning as much as I could about landscape architecture but also the business portion as well. How to get work, how to price out jobs, how to manage projects, how to manage budgets, people, and clients. I would reflect on past projects that I worked on, did the design meet the clients’ expectations, what could we have done better, was the project successful from a design and budgetary standpoint. I learned that you can be a great designer but unless you understand all the other pieces that go into it, you will never be able run a successful business.

I would never consider starting your own business easy, because if it was, I think a lot of people would do it. In the beginning, I would have good hours and bad hours. The morning could start off great, but by 10am my entire day would be in turmoil and then by 2 pm in the afternoon I would get a call with a new job. Starting your own business is not for everyone. But once you get past the initial hurtles and start seeing the fruits of your own labor pay off it is totally worth it.

The lessons I have learned along the way would be, 1. Know what you want out of your business and be honest with yourself about your goals. 2. Have a big picture in mind so you can always work toward whatever that is. 3. Get as much work as possible, don’t turn down work unless you are certain that it will not help you get to where you want to be. 4. NEVER GIVE UP. I know that sounds cheesy but when you are down, that is when you must push harder. When you are down, get out of bed and just do something on the business and work through it.

LANDmarc focuses on using research, ecological analysis, and site context to inform design. Nowadays, landscape architecture needs to play double duty. Landscape designs need to look beautiful and function for the end user, but also be designed to help improve the environment in which we live. Such as harvesting and storing rainwater, using native drought tolerant plant material, creating urban ecologies that help re-establish our cities and design bio-diversity landscapes throughout Los Angeles where both people and nature can co-exist. Our brand focuses on doing just that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Los Angeles as you know has great sites the unfortunate part is that everything is so spread out. I typically like to work my way from the westside inland.

The Westside: I find myself taking friends to the Santa Monica Pier and Venice Boardwalk for a great people watching and great drinks. Dinner, you must go to Jones Beach in Venice for the fish Tacos. In Santa Monica, if want a nice Saturday afternoon, I would go to bungalow

For beers I like going to Three Weevers Brewing Company as well as Bar called the Daily Pint.

Hollywood: Hike the Hollywood Hills, Runyon Canyon, Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory

Must hit the museums. LACMA, Broad, The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Getty Museum.

Downtown: A Great Whisky Bar called Seven Grand

You can never go wrong with food trucks late night. Like Leo’s Taco Truck on La Brea and Venice.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents, who encouraged me not to give up and pursue my dream of becoming a Landscape Architect. Ms. DePalma my elementary school teacher who never gave up on me and of course my wife Melissa who has supported me every step of the way.

Website: land-marc.com

Image Credits
Holland Partner Group AC Martin Here.LA