As a State of Colorado licensed landscape architect with nineteen years of diverse professional experience, Pedro was drawn to landscape architecture based on a desire to help humans co-exist with their natural environment. He is committed to work that applies the principles of sustainability to innovate beyond conventional development and land use planning. Pedro is Portuguese and a transplant from Europe, who speaks Portuguese fluently and enough Spanish to get him into trouble. He has a Bachelor of Integrative Arts from Pennsylvania State University and Master's of Landscape Architecture from California State Polytechnic University where he received the ASLA Honor Award for Excellence in Landscape Architecture study. Pedro has since focused his professional experiences in regional landscape architecture and land planning in the intermountain west of the United States with specific focus in the western slope of Colorado and its surrounding communities, as well as international work. His professional focus is on resort and community planning and design with emphasis on projects involving public spaces, recreation, parks, and open space.
Pedro’s professional experience has been extremely diverse and spans several aspects of design and planning practice. He is a well-rounded and seasoned professional with direct work experience in large scale community planning, site specific detail design, and project implementation. He has particular professional strengths in project management, master planning and visioning, site specific planning, landscape design, public speaking, community facilitation, communication, and consensus building. He has specialized in public sector work, where he has worked closely with local municipalities.
Some of Pedro’s most notable projects with Zehren & Associates include the master plan for Town Farm in Todos Santos, Mexico, the design of the Gerald R. Amphitheater new lobby and social courtyard, and the design of the Town of Avon’s new pedestrian Main Street Mall and Avon Road landscape. Pedro is particularly passionate about the visioning and conceptual stages of work that set the big picture, intent and framework for planning and design efforts. He often leads the public presentation, approvals and community facilitation aspects of Zehren’s projects, and works closely with clients, stakeholders and consultants to arrive at creative solutions to complex and multi-faceted challenges. Pedro is a strong proponent of professional practice in an interdisciplinary format. He thrives on working collaboratively in team formats and brings a healthy dose of positive attitude, optimism and enthusiasm to each professional opportunity.
Pedro is proud to call Colorado his home, and regards his position as a landscape architect and planner as an opportunity to be a leader in the design, planning and development of the region. He has made several important contributions toward improving the quality of the surrounding human and natural environment with projects that emphasize water conservation, regional appropriateness, driven by a sustainable design approach and underlying ecological principles. Pedro has served as a member of the Eagle County Planning Commission, and in that position, he has elevated the role of landscape architecture and land planning in local development and long range planning. He has been a strong advocate for the use of drought tolerant, indigenous and adaptable plant materials in landscape design of private and public spaces as a basis for place-making and creating a regional identity.
Pedro resides in Eagle-Vail, Colorado with his wife and their two children. He is an active and involved community member. In 2011 he was a founding member, and the planner and designer of the Eagle-Vail Community Garden, and also has served on several volunteer committees including the Parks and Recreation Design and Aesthetics and Development Committees. Pedro’s passions are recreation, culture, art, history, music, and entertainment. He is an avid cyclist, snowboarder, and Nordic skier, and merges his passion for mountain sports with his professional focus and work. He is always looking for the next opportunity to get out and play, during which he says he gets his best ideas, inspiration, and respect for nature.