Brad Hill
ELEVATING OUTDOOR SPACES
story by MICAH PEPPERS photos by PAUL NURNBERG
Who knew that a couple of courses in drafting and forestry in high school would lead Brad Hill to one day own a successful landscape design and build business, Beaufort Planning Group, in the Lowcountry?
Brad graduated from The Ohio State University in 1985 with a degree in landscape architecture (RLA), one of the top five programs in the nation. Soon after, he received his first position in Charleston. Brad explains, “I worked in engineering and landscape architecture for five years. It was a grind, but a lot of fun. Then I moved to Atlanta to continue my career with a bigger engineering firm.”
Throughout Brad’s life, his family visited the Lowcountry area. “My father was originally from Augusta, GA, and we would vacation on the coast as children. When I was in college, my parents retired and moved to Beaufort. My father loved to fish and garden, and in 1995, I moved here as well and started Beaufort Planning Group,” he states. “I had to start small; it was a struggle at the beginning. It was actually one of three jobs I held until the business got on its feet. I designed and constructed mostly residential landscapes, some commercial. Over the years, it has turned into about 85% residential and 15% commercial work.”
Brad was passionate about this career and didn’t falter. He pressed on, and now his work is seen throughout all of the Lowcountry. He explains the process of attaining clients, “When a potential client contacts me, I chat with them and learn about what design they want to do, specifically. There’s no charge for this. They give me a problem they are trying to solve, and if it’s a fit for both of us, I take a retainer for the design. If necessary, I get the Architectural Review Board’s approval, depending on the location of their home. Once that process is over, my client will get a proposed design, and we move forward. The entire design process is like a three-legged stool. The first leg is what the client wants and desires. The second leg is how I would personally set it up if it were my property, and the third is often dictated by site constraints. Is there a lot of shade or drainage issues? What about deer?”
Residential landscaping is especially enjoyable for Brad. “I have worked in every gated community in the County. I really love working on residential landscapes, especially with those clients that truly care about their property. It’s wonderful to complete a project and then come back in five years, and it still looks great. I love to collaborate with people and make them excited with the designs.”
There are always challenges when designing residential or commercial projects. “The biggest challenge is deer. Unless a client’s yard is entirely fenced in, the number of plants we can utilize shrinks incredibly. The goal is to achieve the design they want with a select group of vegetation that the deer won’t eat; but it gets strange, because the deer won’t eat a certain plant in one part of the County, but will in another, so we focus on mixtures of colors, scents, and textures. We are fortunate to have a long growing season, so we can work throughout the year.”
You can see Brad’s commercial work throughout Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head, including recent projects, Beaufort Plaza and the Witness Tree project, one of his proudest achievements. Marley Rusoff, the founding director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, reached out to Brad with a project she had in mind: “Marley called me and asked if I would consider a pro bono design project for the Conroy Literary Center. I am a huge fan of Pat Conroy and have read everything about and by him, so it took me about four seconds to say, ‘Yes! I would be honored!’” The two began to put together a design that worked around the historic live oak tree. “The tree is beautiful, and there’s a lot of lore around it. We wanted a simple design since the surrounding landscape is very small. The County graciously donated the land and the money to do the construction. We created four tabby walls to represent a classroom design, and envisioned a space where students of all ages could come and listen to lectures in front of the tree. This was a project where less really is more, and that’s the approach I took. Once the design was together, I worked with local architect, Mark Sutton, who became our liaison with the County so that everything ran smoothly.”
There was a great win-win for the Literary Center and Habitat for Humanity. “It was a really cool story,” Brad explains. “People donated money for the benches, and Habitat for Humanity built them. So not only does the Conway Center benefit by the donations, but so does Habitat for Humanity.”
“I designed and built a brick promenade to the tree, so now, with the benches, the park can even be used as a wedding venue or for other events. In addition, the Garden Club got involved. l installed the larger trees and irrigation, and the Garden Club planted the smaller plants.”
Outside of making breathtaking landscapes, Brad has served on a myriad of community boards, including as vice chair of the City of Beaufort Design & Review Board, the Park & Tree Advisory Commission, and for six years, the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals, retiring as chairman. Brad also consulted to several Beaufort County Architectural Review boards.
Brad has dedicated his career to ensuring that the Lowcountry retains its natural beauty and history. There is a depth of knowledge that he has acquired over the years. “When a tree is over a certain caliper per inch, such as eight inches for Magnolias or twenty-four inches for Live Oaks, a person has to get permission to take it down. If you cut a tree down without knowing this, you could be in big trouble with the City and County. We love our trees, and we need them, but certain ones can be dangerous and should be cut down. It’s important to identify what you have on your property, assess it, and approach with caution.” For those interested in utilizing Brad’s and Beaufort Planning Group’s services, visit his website at www.bpglandscape.com or give him a call at 843-524-1141.
