WhatIfstudio is a landscape architecture practice — and a process.
Reimagining Landscapes, Reshaping Futures.
Brooklyn | International | Interconnected
Design for the in-between
At WhatIfstudio, we don’t just design spaces. We cultivate relationships — between land, people, and possibility.
A creative project and practice founded by Blair Guppy, WhatIfstudio brings design and systems thinking to landscapes of every kind — urban, cultural, and working — helping clients reimagine what’s possible on their land.
We are technical generalists and general specialists: curious problem-seekers who reconcile form and function into beautifully practical, buildable, and meaningful solutions.
Curiosity is our method. Empathy is our metric.
Restraint as Design
Good design requires restraint — knowing when absence serves better than addition. Sometimes the most powerful move is not what you place, but what you remove.
We draw from wabi-sabi’s embrace of imperfection, Pacific Northwest coastal modernism, indigenous and feng shui principles of balance, and the lived insights of environmental sociology and psychology.
The result: landscapes that balance resilience and resonance, policy and poetry, form and function — spaces that breathe, adapt, and endure.
“We design not just for compliance, but for belonging.”
A good question…
A good question…
is not concerned with a correct answer.
It cannot be answered immediately.
It challenges existing answers.
It is one you badly want answered once you hear it,
but had no inkling you could before it was asked.
It creates new territory of thinking.
It reframes its own answers.
It is the seed of innovation in science, technology, art, politics, and business.
It skirts on the edge of what is known and not known, neither silly nor obvious.
It cannot be predicted.
It generates many other questions.
It may be the last job a machine will ever learn to do.
A good question…
is what humans are for.
“It is a probe — a what if scenario.”
What we do
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Mixed-Use / Commercial / MF Residential: Creating bespoke and enduring outdoor live/work/play spaces with expertise in rooftop construction.
Park & Public Space Design: Designing vibrant and engaging parks, plazas, and public realms that enhance community life.
Waterfront Development & Design: Expertise in creating resilient and accessible waterfronts, including parks, promenades, and infrastructure integration.
Master Planning & Site Development: Developing strategic frameworks and comprehensive plans for large-scale projects, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments.
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Description text Strategic Design Leadership: Providing expert guidance and vision to complex projects, ensuring design excellence and successful outcomes.
Collaborative Design & Coordination: Seamlessly integrating landscape architecture with architectural, engineering, and construction disciplines.
Sustainable Landscape Solutions: Implementing environmentally responsible design practices and materials for long-term ecological and aesthetic value.
Project Management & Implementation: Guiding projects from concept through construction, ensuring efficient execution and attention to detail.
Peer Review and Technical Consultation: Offer expert, objective evaluation of landscape plans and technical documents to ensure design excellence and constructability.
Process Optimization and Workflow Improvement: Analyze and refine design and project management processes for enhanced efficiency and streamlined delivery.goes here
Let’s Build Something That Matters.
WhatIfstudio designs landscapes that shape better futures.
We’re social by nature. If you’d prefer to connect through media, that is ok too.