Our Practice
Crowley Cottrell is a Boston-based landscape architecture practice founded by Michelle Crowley and Naomi Cottrell. Since 2011, the studio has built a body of work grounded in collaboration, clear thinking, and a strong commitment to design.
The work spans campuses, public parks, housing, civic spaces, and residential landscapes—often on sites that are constrained, complex, or layered over time. Each project begins with understanding what is already there: the land, the systems that shape it, and the people who use it.
The goal is to make sense of those conditions and shape landscapes that feel intuitive, durable, and meant to be lived in.
We bring clarity to complex sites to create beautiful, approachable, landscapes for living.
How We Work
Our process is deeply collaborative, with listening at the foundation—expanding what’s possible while keeping the work grounded in how places are actually used.
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Listen and Understand
Every project begins with listening. We pay close attention—to clients, stakeholders, and the site itself. Through conversation and observation, we begin to understand not just what is needed, but what is valued, what is working, and what could be different.
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Reflect and Refine
We bring ideas back, listen again, and adjust. This cycle—listen, test, reflect, refine—continues as the design becomes more specific. Each round builds clarity, aligning vision with practical realities like access, grading, and use.
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Imagine and Test
From that understanding, we start to open things up. We look for opportunities people may not have considered—testing ideas through drawings and options that reframe how a place could function. These studies are meant to provoke discussion, reveal tradeoffs, and expand the conversation.
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Make it Real
As the work moves toward construction, we stay closely involved—ensuring that the intent carries through and that decisions made in the field support the larger vision. The goal is a landscape that feels clear, cohesive, and well-made.
We nurture our relationships with clients and collaborators.
We build consensus to create landscapes that respond to the needs of all users.
Clients and Collaborators
We value relationships with clients and collaborators that are built on trust, understanding, and shared values. Our passion for collaboration makes us an excellent addition to any team and centers the design process on expanding our clients visions. We collaborate with professionals across disciplines who each bring unique expertise to the table.
+
Listen and Understand
Every project begins with listening. We pay close attention—to clients, stakeholders, and the site itself. Through conversation and observation, we begin to understand not just what is needed, but what is valued, what is working, and what could be different.
+
Reflect and Refine
We bring ideas back, listen again, and adjust. This cycle—listen, test, reflect, refine—continues as the design becomes more specific. Each round builds clarity, aligning vision with practical realities like access, grading, and use.
+
Imagine and Test
From that understanding, we start to open things up. We look for opportunities people may not have considered—testing ideas through drawings and options that reframe how a place could function. These studies are meant to provoke discussion, reveal tradeoffs, and expand the conversation.
+
Make it Real
As the work moves toward construction, we stay closely involved—ensuring that the intent carries through and that decisions made in the field support the larger vision. The goal is a landscape that feels clear, cohesive, and well-made.
We know all people deserve the dignity of having access to beautiful, functional spaces.
We believe well designed landscapes have the ability to positively affect the lives of the people who live, work, and play in them.
Clarity. Intention. Connection.
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Driven by collaboration, not ego
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Nurturing, and unapologetic about it
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Symbiotic relationships with clients, partners and the environment
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Professionally licensed in MA, CT, NH, NY, RI, ME, and VT.
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100% female owned and a certified Women-owned Business Enterprise
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LEED Accredited Professional Firm
Experience
Our portfolio covers a variety of project types, each demanding unique skills and expertise. From small urban parks to large conservation projects, rooftop playgrounds to campus master plans, our work ranges in scale and complexity.
K-12 Education Environments
We believe landscapes shape the daily experiences of students, teachers, and communities. Our work with independent and public schools is built on collaboration, respect for each campus’s identity, and a commitment to designing outdoor spaces that foster learning, play, and connection.
University Campuses
We design landscapes that strengthen academic identity, support daily campus life, and adapt to long-term institutional growth. Our work with public and private universities demonstrates how thoughtful landscape architecture can unify complex sites, improve accessibility, and create places where students, faculty, and communities thrive.
Collaborators
We value relationships with clients and collaborators that are built on trust, understanding, and shared values. Our passion for collaboration makes us an excellent addition to any team and centers the design process on expanding our clients visions. We collaborate with professionals across disciplines who each bring unique expertise to the table. We value our sustained relationships with our peers and are happy to highlight their contributions to our work.
Architects
Albert, Righter & Tittmann Architects
ART Architects
DiMella Shaffer
DSK Architects + Planners
East Side Studio Architects
From in Form
Jones Architecture
LDa Architecture & Interiors
McGinley Kalsow & Associates
Mount Vernon Group
Neubauer Ennis Architects
Noury-Ello Architects
Olson Lewis + Architects
Pamela Sandler
Perkins Eastman
Perry Dean
Consultants
Allied Consulting Engineering Services
Aqueous Consultants
Barlett Tree Experts
Brennan Consulting, Inc.
Dubois & King
Foresight Land Services
GZA Engineering
Horsley Witten Group
Kaaterskill Associates
Lim Consultants, Inc.
Maltby Tree
New England Civil Engineering
Nitsch Engineering
Oak Consulting Group
Rico Associates
RFS Engineering
RSE Associates
Samiotes Consultants, Inc.
Stantec
Sullivan Engineering
Tighe & Bond
Van Zelm Heywood & Shadford, Inc.
VHB
ZED x Zero Energy Design
Schools & Private Institutions
Austen Riggs Center
Boston Latin School
Cape Cod Community College
Concord Academy
Edgewood Retirement Community
Governors Academy
Hebrew Senior Life
Lincoln Library
MIT
Nashoba Brooks School
New Hampshire Institute of Art
New Hampton School
Northeastern University
Norwich University
Salem State University
St. Catherine Greek Church
Tufts University
University of Cincinnati
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Public Agencies
Arlington Housing Authority
Arlington Planning and Community Development
Boston Housing Authority
City of Boston, Parks and Recreation
City of Lowell
City of Peabody
City of Salem
City of Somerville
City of Taunton
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts DCAMM
Massachusetts DCR
National Park Service
Town of Arlington
Town of Cohassett
Town of Newton
Town of Topsfield
Town of Weston
Consultants
A. Bonadio & Sons
Anderson Landscape Construction
ANJ Construction
CAFCO Construction
Cambridgeport Construction
Cataldo Landscape
CE Floyd
Commodore Builders
Denali Construction
Empire Design and Construction
Engelberth Construction
FE French Construction
Gardenform
Harvey Construction
Hawthorn Builders
Hobbs
J&J Contractor, Inc.
JW Adams Inc.
Kais Custom Builders, LLC
LaBarge Homes
Nartin Lucyk
Merz Construction
M. Neves
NELM Corp
Paragon Landscapes
Parterre Garden Services
Pimental
Pinacle Landscape
Phil Mastroianni Corp
Quirk Construction
ReCover Green Roofs
Robert Hanss Inc.
R.P. Marzilli & Company
Suffolk Construction
Tamarro Landscape
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Thoughtforms
UEL Contractors, Inc.
V-Tech Construction
Wellen Construction
Williams Building Company
Non-Profit Organizations
Arts Arlington
Colin's Joy Project
Friends of Peach Hill
Greater Ashmont Main Street
Island Housing Trust
Minuteman Library Network
North Shore CDC
Opportunity Peabody
Pathway to Possible
Share Our Strength
Trustees of the Reservation
Wayfinders
Westport Land Conservation Trust
Youth Build Salem