DG2 Design — Landscape Architecture

DG2 Design was founded in 2011.

DG2 Design’s mission is to nourish, restore, and connect people and our planet. The goal with every project is to efficiently use the space to help nature and architecture exist as counterparts to a whole, functioning space that provides peace, play, and perspective.

By nourishing the land, restoring the habitat, and connecting people to nature, we are, in turn, nourishing people. It’s a cycle.”
—Kristy DeGuire, PLA, CPSI
President of DG2 Design

The team at DG2 Design is committed to honoring the symbiotic relationship that exists between nature and people. To accomplish that, the team designs outdoor spaces to invite people in. To welcome and encourage a relationship between people and nature that is positive and mutually beneficial.

DG2 Design is known for landscape architecture that thoughtfully utilizes space to grant access and enjoyment for all.

Kristy DeGuire, PLA, CPSI, and President of DG2 Design

Kristy DeGuire is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in landscape architecture and is a registered landscape architect in Missouri and Illinois. She has completed the course as a certified playground safety inspector which aids her in designing safe playgrounds. Prior to founding DG2 Design, she worked for almost a decade with a multidisciplinary design firm where she led the planning and landscape architecture team. While there, Kristy received multiple awards and honorable mentions for her work.

Her educational background, professional experience, and history of creating award-winning outdoor spaces are the tip of the iceberg that comprises Kristy DeGuire’s qualifications as a planning and landscape architect. Kristy’s view of any outdoor space is through the lens of her personal experience.

Kristy’s personal experiences have shaped her perspective on landscape architecture.

Kristy married her husband Jeremiah in 2005 just after he was medically discharged from the United States Marine Corps.

Shortly after their first wedding anniversary, a building collapsed during a storm in St. Louis. Jeremiah suffered injuries in the collapse when a wall fell onto him. He was left paralyzed.

Kristy and Jeremiah are parents to three exceptional children. Their path to parenthood was not smooth. Their twin children born in 2013 were born prematurely at 24 weeks. Their babies spent five months in the neonatal intensive care unit, which meant Kristy, Jeremiah, and their older son all spent a great deal of time on campus at the hospital as well.

One of the twins, their son Jude, had a brain bleed at two days old. He has cerebral palsy as a result and walks with a cane. Like any other child, he often enjoys a mixture of quiet and adventure play.

There is no doubt Kristy and her family have faced many difficult circumstances. Those circumstances have made Kristy a better landscape architect.

Accessibility and purpose are never an afterthought.

We draw from our life experiences to help us understand our clients’ needs in a greater way. There are some things you can’t comprehend fully through learning in a school setting. You have to learn through life experiences.”
—Kristy DeGuire, President

 
At DG2 Design, accessibility is never an afterthought that is clumsily added to a design. It is an integrative principle that guides and informs landscape architecture. The impact of an outdoor space that brings peace and healing for those who are facing a life-changing event is something that Kristy deeply understands.

Kristy and her family believe in the healing principles of connecting and restoring people and the land so much that they began Wheels 2 Fields Flower Farm. Wheels 2 Fields Farm is the modern homestead of Kristy and Jeremiah DeGuire and a pesticide free cut flower farm. The working farm has slowly become a hands-on site for the DG2 Design practice. Plant walks, soil experiments, and studio retreats are being integrated into the culture of DG2 Design. A Master Plan for Wheels 2 Fields Farm has been in process since 2018. You can learn more about the flower farm by following their journey.

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The DG2 Team

Stephanie Hornickel
Marketing Coordinator & Designer

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University. Stephanie loves to educate others about landscape architecture and designing everything from landscape to quilts and more. At DG2 Design, Stephanie specializes in RFP coordination, public outreach and interaction, and landscape design for smaller projects.

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Mimi Lo
ASLA Landscape Architect 1 (in training)

Mimi chose DG2 Design because she appreciates the effort the team puts into local communities through ecological and educational landscape design. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is accredited with the American Society of Landscape Architects. Her favorite part of every project is seeing the team’s ideas become real-life renderings or construction drawings and seeing the project at completion. When not working, Mimi enjoys baking with her two cats Mao and Chopchop, hiking, and crocheting.

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Derek Don
ASLA Landscape Designer

Derek has a passion rooted in his deep appreciation for thorough analysis, resulting in creating spaces that enrich peoples’ lives. His project experience includes streetscapes, parks, healthcare, and education campuses, along with dynamic urban spaces. I love thinking about the ‘big picture,’ even on projects that are only several thousand square feet. Regardless of scale, every thought and articulated detail has an impact on a larger system. Derek’s experience includes collaborating with multidisciplinary design teams and providing project management. He has been instrumental in his various projects, recognized with several design awards throughout his career.

Derek has a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University and is active within the St. Louis chapter of ASLA, having served as Chapter President 2017-2020. When out of the office, Derek enjoys spending time with his wife and family (including his dog Bella), relaxing outdoors, and coaching his son’s various sports teams.

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