Surrounds merges landscape architecture with skilled construction to create outdoor spaces tailored to each property. The team manages the full process—planning, materials, and site logistics—so the final environment performs well and endures.
Design-first approach grounded in listening and feasibility. Cohesive in-house coordination from drawings to build. Clear scheduling and site oversight to keep projects on track. Emphasis on craftsmanship, materials longevity, and maintenance-conscious details.
Based in Sterling, VA and working across Northern Virginia and the Washington DC metro.
Landscape master planning; hardscape design and construction; patios and walkways; outdoor kitchens and fireplaces; pool and spa design-build; retaining walls and grading; planting design and installation; landscape lighting and irrigation; garden and site enhancements.
Reviews consistently highlight thoughtful design that balances aesthetics with how families use their spaces. Homeowners mention smooth project coordination, frequent follow-ups, and work finishing on or ahead of schedule. Many note the quality of hardscapes, planting selections, and the accuracy of design renderings compared to the finished result. Several projects reference pool areas and full yard transformations.
My wife and I are delighted by our home's landscape transformation led ably and passionately by Surrounds Landscape Architect, Howard Cohen. The hardscape and plantings organically flow before and around us, enveloping our home in a sanctuary of peaceful contemplation and visual delight. The landscape plan balances artistic vision and innovation with highly functional space utilization, integrated with existing trees, plantings and unlevel land surfaces. We are grateful for Howard's vision, talents and dedication, and deeply appreciative of the Surrounds team that has brought us this wonderful environment.
Love the hard and land scaping this company completed for our family. Cannot get any more joy out of their project than we have as a family of 4.I looked back at their 3D photos they showed me before the project started and it's amazing how close to realistic they turned out to be. I'm attaching the finished project photos! While I'm not showcasing the before and after, imagine the before pictures to be a large tree in the middle of the yard and nothing else appealing present.I spent zero time in the backyard before the renovation. Now I spend every morning in my garden with coffee and many evenings for dinner and weekend get togethers.
Surrounds brought our living space to the outdoors. Like many, the pandemic prompted new investment in our home. We knew we were unhappy with our previous landscaping but didn't know exactly what we wanted. Enter Howard and the Surrounds team! They listened to our interests, learned about our family and how we might use the space and put together a full design for both the front and back yards. We love our local wildlife and Howard designed a space that embraces native plants and helps our neighborhood birds and pollinators feel right at home. The work was completed on schedule with a very professional team that kept us in the loop every step of the way. The results have completely changed the way we interact with our house. We spend less time sitting on the sofa and more being outside, socializing with neighbors and friends, roasting marshmallows by the fire pit, and enjoying our backyard wildlife. Thank you Surrounds!
We just had a pool put in and hired Surrounds to upgrade the entryway and design our backyard pool area. Couldn’t be happier and everyone compliments this space! We didn’t know exactly what we wanted done initially but the sales and design team got our vision and provided options to work within our budget. I appreciate their follow up during the build to make sure everything was to plan. The project went very smoothly, finished before they said they would, and we were able to get a hold of them anytime we had a question. We will absolutely be using them again for our future landscaping projects.
We hired Surrounds to build our outdoor space in our backyard and they did a fantastic job! The entire Surrounds team was great to work with and we were very impressed with their attention to detail. It was a substantial project consisting of a covered structure, fire pit area, patio, lighting, and landscaping. Whenever we had a question or concern they were extremely accommodating. For example, the staircase they started to build out of our family room didn't look the way we had hoped and they immediately redesigned it and redid it with no questions asked and no additional cost. Our project manager, Dave, was great at keeping us updated on the progress and was always available via email and text throughout the project. Thank you Surrounds for an amazing experience!
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