Hey there, I’m Doug, one of the Associate Principals here at EDGE.

With over a decade of experience under my belt, I’ve had the pleasure of working on a diverse range of parks, streetscapes, civic, and education projects. From therapeutic gardens to corporate headquarters, my approach has always been intentional, cost-conscious, and sustainable.

My role is not just about drawing sketches of parks and building sites—although, I do plenty of that too. I love working directly with clients to translate their goals into built environments that meet their needs and reflect their communities. I also enjoy collaborating and leading the members of our EDGE team to create compelling, cost-effective, and thought-provoking designs. Nothing beats a team celebration after a successful project.

It is important to me that every space we design is not just aesthetically-pleasing, but functional and maintainable. It’s also about creating spaces that tell a story, capture a sense of place, make visitors feel more present, and make you want to stop and smell the flowers. I personally have a soft spot for the Oakleaf Hydrangea. Not only does it bring year-round beauty to any landscape, but it’s also a real crowd-pleaser for the pollinators.

One of my favorite projects to date has been Black Fork Commons, because it exemplifies what I love about working closely with communities. The folks in Shelby are incredibly passionate. Their team’s enthusiasm for the commons was contagious, and seeing the community rally around the project made every moment of hard work worth it. There’s something special about knowing that your project is going to be enjoyed and cherished by generations to come.

I love to work hard but when I’m not knee-deep in construction documents and sample catalogs, there are a couple of places you can usually find me. My two kiddos keep me on my toes, and watching their faces light up as we explore new playgrounds is a source of inspiration for me.

My other happy place is on the water, racing sailboats all over the Midwest and East coast. There’s nothing quite like a fresh breeze on a beautiful sunny day. Although a little further from Lake Michigan now, I am a proud Spartan and I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to Paul Nieratko and Joanne Westphal, two of my professors and some of the biggest influences on my work. Their inspiration and guidance inspired and challenged me as a student and has left a lasting impact on me to this day.

As a designer, I am passionate about sustainable, maintainable, and bio-diverse design. I am deeply devoted to environmental protection and increased access to green spaces. The benefits are immeasurable—psychological well-being, health, air and water quality, to name a few. This beautiful blue planet of ours is the only one we have. Let’s do our best to protect it for future generations and make the most of the time we have on it!

But enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Got any big ideas for your next project? Need some inspiration? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re dreaming of your next community park, campus centerpiece, or a safe, enlivened downtown, we’ve got the expertise and the passion to make it happen. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work—together, we’ll make the world a little greener, one project at a time.

Drop me an email at dboyer@edgela.com, and let’s keep the conversation going.