Get to Know our Landscape Architect

Nicholas Betts, PLA, ASLA, SITES AP

Registered Landscape Architect

As part of Meridian’s approach that appreciates our client’s values and vision, we offer creative landscape design as a stand-alone and civil-site-survey integrated services. Our clients often value sustainable site design, ecological restoration, and coastal resiliency, and a need to explore innovative design solutions to solve their unique complex site challenges.

Meridian’s Nicholas Betts, RLA, ASLA, SITES AP, brings over ten years of landscape architecture experience to the Meridian team. Nick strives to bring a creative energy to each of his projects and continues to provide personalized project management from conceptual design through construction, educating his clients on the benefits of native plant selection, green infrastructure solutions, and Low Impact Development (LID) strategies. He also provides construction oversight, leads community design charrettes, and facilitates state and local permitting.

Nick is also a licensed drone pilot in support of our 3D Aerial LiDAR modeling services.

Q&A with Nick Betts

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Q: How did you decide to become a Landscape Architect?

A: I was at Umass Amherst, about to sign up for a degree in Environmental Sciences when I happened to walk into a room where students were building models of their landscape visions. I’ve always enjoyed nature and any opportunity to work with my hands, so I knew right away that it would be a good fit.

Q: What are your favorite types of projects to work on?

A: Any type of ecological restoration or site sensitive design project that has an opportunity to explore alternative design options such as green infrastructure.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of being a landscape architect?

A: We all tend to be hyper-detail oriented. It sounds like a good thing, but it’s to the point where we can get stuck on the smallest of details that in reality, only we will ever notice.

Q: How has technology helped the Landscape Architecture industry?

A: Nature has been perfectly designed for us for billions of years. Technology has really allowed us to study the incredible natural systems around us, and hopefully replicate them as accurately as possible.

Q: Where do you see the industry going in the next 10 years?

A: Everything is pointing to climate change and ways to make the planet more sustainable. I think landscape architects will continue to have an increased role and responsibility to drive future development in the most sustainable ways.

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Q: You’re also pursuing your PE license – What made you interested in this?

A: Engineers and landscape architects are both problem solvers. I think it’s important to have an understanding of all the available design tools in order to produce the best solutions and present them to our clients.

Q: What advice would you give someone looking to start a landscape project?

A: Don’t settle for your first design. It is a process that requires you to constantly reimagine your vision. Approach every design as an opportunity to better then environment - the end users are more than just the people.

Q: What are some of the most common landscape problems you see?

A: An obsession with a perfectly green lawn, completely devoid of any ecological benefits.

Q: What are the solutions?

A: Read “Bringing Nature Home” and “Natures Best Hope” by Douglas Tallamy.

Q: How much time do you spend on your own yard?

A: Not enough. I think all landscape architects probably have some version of a design for their property in their heads (or maybe in CAD already), but never have enough time to install it.

Nick can be reached at 978-361-3328 and nbetts@meridianassoc.com.