PROFILE

Foras Studio LLC was formed in 2008 by Susan Welti and Paige Keck out of the relationship they built over three years at Susan Welti Landscape Design. Now partners, they have created a small Brooklyn-based firm that focuses on a detailed, thorough approach to landscape design, implementation and horticultural care. Their projects are residential, institutional and commercial and range from tiny urban gardens and rooftops to cemetery plots and street medians throughout New York City, Long Island and New Jersey.

PHILOSOPHY

Working closely with our clients, we aim to create simple, striking landscapes rooted in the architecture and existing tenor of the site. It is our belief that subtlety and simplicity of approach generate power and nuance in a space, and result in spaces that will remain compelling as they change over time. 

We recognize that is only by paying great attention to detail and thoroughly researching all aspects of a project that it is possible to create truly sustainable, low-maintenance landscapes. We seek inventive ways to use or repurpose the existing features of a site and scale our gestures for strength, simplicity and a light touch. Material and plant choices are made according to what is appropriate for the site, what might occur together in nature, and what will evoke the sense of serenity and emotional context we aim for in the landscape.

We are intrigued and excited by the contrasting qualities around us—the historic and the modern, the simple and the detailed, the wild and the civilized—and in each new project, enjoy the challenge of playing with them in a unique way to reach a solution that resonates with the client.