Aerial view of a courtyard with radiating paths between a historic brick building and new residential wings
Adaptive reuse campus at blue hour with a planted seat wall
Interior with a two-storey planted wall and an oak-lined corridor
Reflecting pool and flagstone terrace opening to aspens at dusk
Roof terrace with sedum in bloom above Chicago streets
Circle of Remembrance with concentric granite paving, the Washington Monument on axis
Rooftop terrace with timber pergolas framing the Capitol dome
Pool edged by backlit ornamental grasses at golden hour
Perennial planting and stone terrace in summer
Pool terrace seen past the rear vitrine of the house
stelfoxdesign studio
Stelfox Design Studio
approach
environments designed to perform celebrating human and ecological communities with a bit of flair
landscape architecture  ·  urban design
Stelfox monogram filled with a garden illustration
Stelfox Design Studio
stelfox design studio
work research studio team up contact
Stelfox monogram filled with a garden illustration
we are
process of place
Places that perform through the process of creating place over time.
selected work
all work
gallery 64
gallery 64
225 w wacker
225 w wacker
888 douglas
888 douglas
north point
north point
mclean residence
mclean residence
wwii memorial
wwii memorial
pier 97, hudson river park
pier 97, hudson river park
the lodge at perry cabin
the lodge at perry cabin
the links at perry cabin
the links at perry cabin
lansdowne resort
lansdowne resort
225 west wacker, interior
225 west wacker, interior
westview farm
westview farm
park city mountain residence
park city mountain residence
wainscott residence
wainscott residence
shell road
shell road
society hill residence
society hill residence
growing east
growing east
bow creek
bow creek
chattahoochee water trail
chattahoochee water trail
shaw ecodistrict
shaw ecodistrict
capitol south
capitol south
The place record: never replaced, only thickened.
research
urban ecology
rewilding the district
housing
citizen construction
urban design
growing in place: capitol south
resilience
emerald and sapphire city
our practice
We work at three scales: 1:100,000, 1:1,000, and 1:1.
We ignite the process and continue to form it by maintaining and studying it over time.
01
reveal
02
interpret
03
inspire
04
shape
05
inhabit
06
test
Stelfox Design Studio
stelfox design studio
studiowork
research
practicestudio
team up
contact
washington, dcinfo@stelfox.design
dc  ·  md  ·  va
CBE LSZR58118072029  ·  DC firm permit PDF40000349  ·  UEI TKM3RN2K67D5  ·  CAGE 227J0
landscape architecture  ·  urban design
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contact
Book a consultation.
We would love to get the conversation started with you about your project.
If you would like to schedule our first consultation, find a time below. Otherwise, send us a message through the form.
schedule
location
Washington, DC 20003
contact
info@stelfox.design
410-991-0411
hours
mon to fri
9:00 am to 6:00 pm
saturday
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
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team up
Where we may be of use.
A Washington, DC practice designing places that earn their keep: beautiful for the client, useful for the block, resilient for the climate. Projects performed before 2024 were carried out at a prior firm, as attributed on each entry.
qualifications package, pdf
a focus on the dmv
  • Licensed landscape architect in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia
  • DC Professional Design Firm registration PDF40000349, which the District requires before a practice may offer landscape architecture services
  • New York application filed with NYSED; issuance not yet confirmed
preference points on district work
  • DC Certified Business Enterprise: Local Business Enterprise, Small Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Zone, and Resident-Owned Business
  • Up to 12 preference points on an evaluated District solicitation, or a 12 percent price reduction on a bid
  • Frequently the margin on a competitive DC pursuit
federal eligibility
  • SAM registration active, with a Unique Entity ID and a CAGE code assigned
  • Eligible to receive a federal award
  • Principal has carried a project through National Park Service, Commission of Fine Arts, and National Capital Planning Commission review
construction feasibility
  • Construction documents, bid support, and construction administration in the DC region
  • A local footing for a team whose design leadership sits elsewhere
  • Holds a design position through successive review bodies without losing the idea
capability and credentials
services offered as prime
  • Landscape architecture, concept through construction documents
  • Construction administration and site observation
  • Site planning, land use, and entitlements support
  • Public realm and streetscape design
  • Park, trail, and greenway design
  • Master planning and corridor planning
  • Community and stakeholder engagement
  • Opinions of probable construction cost
  • Planting design and ecological restoration planting
  • Green roof and structural landscape design
  • Grading, drainage, and stormwater concept design
  • GIS mapping and spatial analysis
  • Grant narrative and funding strategy support
  • Design guidelines and pattern books
brought in by teaming
Stamped architecture, civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering; environmental and NEPA documentation; traffic and transportation engineering; and surveying are carried by partners rather than in-house. Named subconsultant relationships are in place for civil engineering, arboriculture and urban forestry, and playground safety certification.
geography
Licensed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Pending license in New York. Project experience in California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia.
firm data
legal name
Stelfox Design Studio LLC
structure
Single-member LLC, District of Columbia
established
14 August 2024
office
Washington, DC 20003
principal
Michael Stelfox, PLA, ASLA
uei
TKM3RN2K67D5
cage
227J0
sam.gov
Active, renewal due 7 July 2027
certifications and registrations
dc cbe
LSZR58118072029 · LBE, SBE, DZE, ROB · expires 14 July 2029
dc design firm
PDF40000349
la license, dc
LAR40000071
la license, md
4352
la license, va
04060002352
new york
NYSED application filed
insurance
professional liability
$1,000,000 per claim / $1,000,000 aggregate, claims-made
general liability
$1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
automobile
$1,000,000 combined single limit, hired and non-owned
period
19 June 2026 to 19 June 2027
broker
Ames & Gough, McLean, VA
Additional insured, primary and non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation endorsements are available where required by written contract.
selected work
memorial
FDR D-Day Prayer Addition and Circle of Remembrance
National Mall, Washington, DC
Oehme, van Sweden
waterfront and parks
Pier 97, Hudson River Park
New York, NY
!melk Urban Design
commercial
The Lodge at Perry Cabin
St. Michaels, MD
Oehme, van Sweden
The Links at Perry Cabin
St. Michaels, MD
Oehme, van Sweden
Lansdowne Resort
Leesburg, VA
Complete Industries
888 North Douglas
El Segundo, CA
!melk Urban Design
225 West Wacker, rooftop garden
Chicago, IL
Oehme, van Sweden
225 West Wacker, interior planting
Chicago, IL
Oehme, van Sweden
residential
Westview Farm
Leesburg, VA
Oehme, van Sweden
Basil Green
McLean, VA
Oehme, van Sweden
Park City Mountain Residence
Park City, UT
Oehme, van Sweden
North Point River Garden
Easton, MD
Loch Collective
Society Hill Residence
Philadelphia, PA
Oehme, van Sweden
urban mixed-use
Gallery 64 at the Randall School
Washington, DC
Oehme, van Sweden
urban design
Growing East
Mumbai, India
Stelfox Design Studio
Bow Creek
Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Tech, with Clark Nexsen and Virginia Sea Grant
Chattahoochee Water Trail
Metropolitan Atlanta, GA
Virginia Tech
Shaw EcoDistrict
Washington, DC
Virginia Tech, WAAC
Capitol South
Washington, DC
Virginia Tech, WAAC
as prime
Adirondack Rail Trail
Adirondack Park, NY
Stelfox Design Studio
Rewild the District
Shaw, Washington, DC
Stelfox Design Studio
principal
Michael Stelfox, PLA, ASLA
experience
2024 to present
Founder + Principal Landscape Architect, Stelfox Design Studio, Washington, DC
2023 to 2024
Senior Landscape Architect, Complete Industries, Bowie, MD and Sterling, VA
2022 to 2023
Landscape Architect, !melk Urban Design, New York, NY
2020 to 2022
Senior Designer and Project Manager, Oehme, van Sweden, Washington, DC
2017 to 2019
Project Manager, Loch Collective, Annapolis, MD
education
2025
Master of Science, Architecture, Urban Design concentration. Virginia Tech, Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center
2018
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Virginia Tech
awards
  • Potomac ASLA Merit Award, 2024, Basil Green, McLean VA
  • Potomac ASLA Honor Award, 2021, 26 East Street, Annapolis MD
  • Potomac ASLA Design Award, 2021, 26 East Street, Annapolis MD
  • Potomac ASLA Merit Award, 2021, North Point River Garden, Easton MD
  • Maryland ASLA Merit Award, 2020, East Street Urban Garden, Annapolis MD
service and affiliations
  • ULI Washington, Future Forum Committee; Chair, Technology Integration Subcommittee
  • ULI Washington, Technical Assistance Panel Committee
  • ULI Washington, Membership Committee, 2025 to present
  • ASLA New York Chapter, Advocacy Committee, 2023 to present
  • ASLA Potomac Chapter, Nominating Committee, 2022
  • ASLA Potomac Chapter, Executive Committee, Member-at-Large, 2019 to 2021
selected publications
  • Speculative Designs: Rethinking Mumbai Flooding, Growing East. School of Collectively Building and Thinking Hand NGO, 2025
  • Beyond Bold: Inspiration, Collaboration, Evolution. Oehme, van Sweden, for McLean Garden, 2022
  • Home & Design, Chesapeake Views: Tranquil Oasis. Loch Collective, for North Point Residence, 2021
  • Growing in Place: Capitol South. Master’s thesis, Virginia Tech, 2025
  • Emerald and Sapphire City: A Resiliency Design. Clark Nexsen and Virginia Sea Grant, 2016
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studio
landscapes of performance
We’re a Washington, DC landscape architecture practice designing places that earn their keep. For developers, nonprofits, and public partners, we build landscapes that perform on every front: beautiful for the client, useful for the block, resilient for the climate, and built to return immediate and enduring value.
Mike Stelfox presenting the Virginia Beach resiliency study to a community workshop
our story
Mike Stelfox
Mike Stelfox is a Washington, DC landscape architect with a soft spot for resilient cities and a hard line on bad asphalt. After cutting his teeth at Loch Collective (four ASLA awards in three years), Oehme, van Sweden (stewarding design on the National Mall’s WWII Memorial), and !melk (Pier 97 on the Hudson), he launched Stelfox Design Studio in 2024 to design-build landscapes that pull double duty: beautiful for the client, useful for the block.
His work has tackled coastal flooding in Virginia Beach, monsoon resilience in Mumbai (an internationally awarded competition entry), and a show garden in Seoul. He chairs the Tech Integration Subcommittee at ULI Washington’s Future Forum, holds licenses in DC, MD, and VA, and is fluent in both the business and ecological cases for urban design that weaves cities back into their natural infrastructure.
reach out
We’ve enjoyed helping organizations obtain the funding, approvals, and partnerships that move projects forward. If your team is working toward a similar goal, let’s talk. This is the work we’re here for.
info@stelfox.design
410-991-0411
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