For Architects & Design Teams

Technical capability.

CAD. DWG. PDF. We read sites; we don't replace your architect.

Noon is not a landscape architecture firm. We read the site before the program is set.

Site-reading. Hydrologic analysis. Ecological infrastructure design. The signature work — aqueducts, fountains, bioswales — we build ourselves.

§ I

Reading the site.

Field walks paired with desk research. Everything we collect on a property goes into the project file as a permanent record. You receive a comprehensive site reading before a single line is drawn.

i.
LIDAR & topography
TNRIS LIDAR analysis, USGS contour interpretation, slope & aspect maps, watershed delineation at parcel scale.
TNRISUSGSQGIS
ii.
Hydrology
EAA J-17 aquifer reading, recharge zone status, drought-stage protocol, on-site infiltration testing, rainfall capture modeling.
EAASARATWDB
iii.
Soil & substrate
USDA Web Soil Survey, on-site probes, caliche depth mapping, infiltration rates, jar tests, OM measurement.
USDA NRCSField testing
iv.
Vegetation & canopy
Inventory of existing trees with DBH + condition, invasive ID, native plant census, canopy gap analysis, future habitat scoring.
iNaturalistLBJ Plant DB
v.
Sun, wind, microclimate
Solar pathing across seasons, prevailing wind, surface temp measurements (we routinely document 50°F+ differentials within a single property).
NOAAField instruments
vi.
Drone & orthomosaic
DJI Mini 4 Pro mapping, georeferenced orthomosaics, photogrammetric 3D reconstruction (Polycam, RealityCapture). High-resolution as-builts for sites < 5 acres.
DJIPolycam
§ II

Deliverables your team can open.

We work in formats compatible with the standard architecture and landscape architecture stack. Site readings, hydrology reports, planting schedules, and materials specs come out as PDFs, DWGs, and structured data.

i.
Site Reading Report
25–60 page bound PDF: maps, hydrology, soil, vegetation inventory, microclimate, sequencing recommendations, photo plates, references.
PDF
ii.
Site plans
CAD-compatible site plans with watershed overlays, planting zones, infrastructure callouts, and phasing diagrams. Layers organized for ingestion into the AEC team's working file.
DWGPDFGeoJSON
iii.
Hydrology report
Watershed delineation, rainfall capture sizing, infiltration analysis, drought-stage protocol, code references (SAWS rebate eligibility, EAA recharge-zone rules).
PDFXLSX
iv.
Planting schedule
Species list with botanical + common names, source nurseries, sizing, spacing, expected mature canopy, water requirement, exposure tolerance, native vs. cultivar status.
XLSXCSV
v.
Materials spec
Sourced from local Hill Country suppliers wherever possible. Spec sheets with origin, embodied energy notes, and substitution guidance.
PDF
vi.
As-built archive
For built work: drone-survey as-builts, photographic record, maintenance schedule, plant survival tracking. Lives in the project's Atlas entry.
PDFPNG
§ III

The collaboration model.

Three common engagements with design teams. Sequencing and scope are flexible.

Engagement A
Site Reading only
We read the property and deliver the full report. Your team owns the design from there. Useful when the client engaged you and the property is poorly understood.
→
Engagement B
Reading + ecological infrastructure
We read the site, design the ecological infrastructure (water systems, native habitat, drainage), and hand it off. You design the architectural program, hardscape, and the rest. Tightest integration.
→
Engagement C
Reading + design + build
Full delivery. We read, design, and build the ecological + signature work. Your team handles the parts of the property requiring an architect of record.

Let's see if it's a fit.

A 30-minute conversation, no agenda. Tell us the property and the team. We'll tell you whether one of the three engagements applies, and if not, where we'd point you instead.

Start a conversation→ Read the Field Manual TOC→