Government Agency Design Solutions
- Resources
- Federal Capabilities Statement
- Office Locations
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Headquarters
40 Long Alley
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866Ithaca Branch
950 Danby Road, Suite 201L
Ithaca, NY 14850
Government Agency Experience
From honoring those who have served in the armed forces, to designing places of prestige at state parks, The LA Group is a preeminent firm in the government agency domain. The LA Group has decades of experience providing landscape architecture, civil engineering, and environmental services for federal, state, and municipal governments. As a Small Business Enterprise (SBE), The LA Group serves as both prime and subconsultant in providing services to government clients, often helping large businesses meet small business plan requirements.
Government Agency Clients & Collaborators
Federal:
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- National Park Service
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Forest Service
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Department of Labor
- National Institutes of Health
State:
- New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
- Virginia Department of Veterans Services
- Texas Veterans Land Board
- Vermont Office of Veteran Affairs
- New Hampshire State Office of Veterans Services
- Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs
- South Dakota Departments of Veterans Affairs
- Arizona Department of Veterans Services
- West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance
- Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs
- Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services
New York State and Municipal:
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- State University of New York
- Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- New York State Thruway Authority
- New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority
- NYS Office of General Services
- Various Counties
- Various Municipalities
“The professionalism and creativity demonstrated on the performance of their contract has exceeded all expectations… This firm has a profound understanding of the design and function of a National Cemetery.”
David Martino, VA
Federal Government Expertise
The LA Group has a studio of multi-disciplinary professionals committed full-time to federal clients nationwide. Staff includes some of the country’s preeminent experts in federal design guidelines, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, CFM and NCA requirements, Department of Interior and US Army Corps of Engineers guidelines, and other industry standards.
Professional staff proficient in federal design and construction work include landscape architects, civil engineers, planners, and environmental specialists. With a multi-disciplinary structure, the firm brings a comprehensive approach and expertise to the following NAICS codes:
NAICS code: #541320 Landscape Architecture
- Site Analysis and Feasibility Studies
- Program Development
- Facility Master Planning
- National Cemetery Design
- Healthcare Facility Design
- National Park Design
- National Forest Facility Design
- National Wildlife Refuge Facilities Design
- Signage Systems and Wayfinding
- Schematic Design Through Construction Documents
- Construction Phase Services
- Design-Build Services
- Sustainability, Green Infrastructure, LEED and SITES
- Peer Reviews
- ADA and ABA Compliance
- Public Outreach
NAICS code: #541330 Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Roadway Design
- Grading and Stormwater Management
- Utility Design
- Low Impact Design
- Peer Reviews
- Code Review
- Permitting
NAICS code: #541620 Environmental Consulting
- NEPA Environmental Assessments
- NEPA Environmental Impact Statements
- Permitting
- Wetlands (Sections 10, 104)
Project Locations
Park Planning and Design Expertise
The LA Group’s extensive park planning and design experience includes projects for NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service, and municipalities.
The LA Group is particularly familiar with NYSOPRHP and its system of parks and historic sites having been prime consultant or sub-consultant on 15 term contracts for professional A/E design services and having worked at over 25 state park facilities and completing over 75 project assignments.
For NPS, The LA Group has been part of 10 AE IDIQ contracts and completed more than 20 projects, including supporting the Denver Service Center in providing over 200 QA reviews for landscape architecture and accessibility for A/E design submittals nationwide. The LA Group currently holds a USFWS A/E MATOC providing services in 10 states throughout the northeast.
Professional Registrations and Licensure
The LA Group’s Registered Landscape Architects (RLA’s) are licensed in 22 states throughout the U.S. The LA Group’s licensed Professional Engineers (PE’s) are licensed in 16 states throughout the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions
The quality control (QC) process includes ensuring that adequate time for the process is built into the design schedule, identifying QC personnel at project kickoff, requiring all design team members perform their own QC prior to the planned QC process, carefully documenting and coordinating the QC comments between all disciplines, and enforcing all team members are addressing the comments through a rigorous backcheck process. The LA Group is committed to performing services and delivering work products in accordance with the highest standards of quality for its industry.
Ensuring the longevity of furnishings, materials, utilities, and general site installations and protecting them from the harsh winter weather requires experience and knowledge of regional conditions. The LA Group’s project experience in seasonal cold weather areas of the country has yielded familiarity with current factors, codes, and conditions affecting government engineering and construction projects.
Conditions such as snow and ice, salting of pavements, freeze/thaw, stormwater, and frost depth are carefully evaluated for the proper application of codes and design requirements. For example, when designing concrete pavement installations, the correct sealer must be specified to help prevent moisture from penetrating into the concrete and causing damage during freezing conditions. These types of considerations, along with proper maintenance practices will help ensure long term durability of installations in cold weather areas.
Often, the highest quality materials are the costliest. Evaluation of alternatives or differing approaches is a key step in ensuring the best installation while staying within realistic budgetary limits. The LA Group strives to work with all clients to understand their goals and budget limitations. During the design process, a continuous value engineering program ensures that cost effective designs are developed and that project budgets are achieved. The LA Group conducts value engineering on all its federal design projects and provides recommendations for providing the needed functions safely, reliably, efficiently, and at the lowest overall cost possible and improving the value and quality of the project.
Integrating sustainability into a project site means balancing environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, user comfort and well-being and community sensitivity. Understanding a client’s goals and needs and bringing sustainable concepts into the design process at an early stage ensures that sustainable components are included holistically.
An example of a sustainable site design component that successfully provides benefits on multiple levels is stormwater assessment and design. Integrating stormwater management practices into the overall project in innovative and sustainable ways not only meets regulatory requirements but brings long term value by reducing maintenance efforts and replacement costs, enhancing aesthetics and providing opportunities for varied ecosystems.
Universal design is intended to go above and beyond established accessibility standards. The National Park Service, for instance, defines Universal Design as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” Each project type, be it historic preservation, renovation or new facility design presents unique challenges in providing accessibility to meet governing standards and universal design.
Through creative and thoughtful design The LA Group designers and accessibility experts are able to apply the appropriate accessibility standards, including consideration of universal design for various project types to meet each project’s unique goals and challenges. The LA Group is deeply experienced in the application of ABA, ADA and Universal Design standards and principles.
As a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) The LA Group routinely helps large businesses meet small business plan requirements for large federal government construction contracts. As a small business the firm is also able to pursue various project types, both large and small, and with a multi-disciplinary structure able to provide a variety of planning and design services to many client types. The LA Group provides both prime and subconsultant services to its clients.
Recent Government Agency News
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Olana State Historic Site and The LA Group Receive Honor Award of Excellence from ASLA New York Upstate Chapter
The LA Group is pleased to announce their work at the Olana State Historic Site, House Environs is the recipient…
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Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site – Pathway and Site Improvement Project
The LA Group is honored to have been a part of this project of national historic significance and recently…
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Grant Cottage Improvements
The LA Group is pleased to have worked with NYS Parks, the Friends and other stakeholders in creating a vision…