Frequently Asked Questions

DRT Landscape Design LLC is a landscape design firm focused on designing spaces where you can interact with and enjoy the outdoors. Read on the get to know more about DRT Landscape Design.

Who is the Designer at DRT Landscape Design? 

Hello! My name is Doreen R. Topielec and I am the designer behind DRT Landscape Design in Corning, NY. I grew up in Pennsylvania where I spent my childhood days playing in the fields of my family’s farm – identifying flowers and butterflies and pressing leaves in books.  It was this love of nature and spending time outdoors that led me to pursue a career in landscape design. After attaining my bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from Penn State University in 2005, I moved to the suburbs of Chicago. There, I spent years designing high-end residential landscapes both as a staff designer at a high-end design firm and as a freelance designer. This work gave me the opportunity to, and the satisfaction of, shaping environments where people can interact with and enjoy the outdoors. Now living in Corning, NY, I find myself very inspired by the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes Region. By combining that inspiration with my experience designing high-end residential projects, I create very special designs that meet the needs of clients and where you can interact with and enjoy the outdoors.

Where are you located and what areas do you serve?

The design office is located on Market St. in Corning, NY. I serve Corning, the surrounding areas, and the Finger Lakes Region.

What type of work do you do?

DRT Landscape Design provides the following types of design plans:

  • residential landscape master plans (full property)
  • front yard plans
  • backyard plans
  • planting bed plans

Functional spaces are designed and features like decks, patios, fire pits and any other structural elements are incorporated into the plans. 

DRT Landscape Design installs small scale projects on a per project basis. For larger projects you will need to hire an installation contractor (or contractors depending on the complexity of the project.) When you have selected the contractors that you would like to work with, I can also provide help with contractor communication and collaboration to see the vision come to life.

Where can I see some examples of your work?

You can view my portfolio to see examples of my work and perhaps get some inspiration for what you would like your design to be.

How much does a design cost? What about installation?

The cost of a design depends upon many variables, such as the size of the project, complexity of the design elements, and whether structural elements and grading is involved.  Designs typically start at $800 and can range up to $5,000 or more for complex projects. 

The final design informs the cost of the installation. This is per the contractors you choose to work with. 

To help manage the cost of installation and to make sure that what is designed gets installed per the vision, I can help guide you through the phases of the plan including coordinating with contractors. Communicating the vision to contractors is vital to the success of the project. Questions always come up and changes and adjustments to the design may need to be made.  I can help guide changes made during installation to ensure that the vision of the design is preserved. As this coordination can be very time consuming depending on the number of installation phases and contractors hired, an additional fee for this service is charged on a per project per phase basis.

I have a project in mind and want help creating a design. How do I get started?

For more information or to set up an initial consultation you can contact me.