Jon Gross Building Arts - Champaign, Illinois

Robert M.

Jon was great at providing the perfect balance of his own design ideas with our requirements and budget. He encouraged us to visit nurseries to find inspiration as well as look at what he envisioned for our yard. He was able to landscape our front yard so that it was in keeping with the aesthetic of the neighborhood, used existing plantings when he could, and even buried our downspouts. The backyard is where Jon really excelled. He performed some excavation work around an existing concrete slab to regrade the slope and placed a new stone border around it, which finished the overall look of the hardscape. He also planted screening trees and shrubs around the perimeter of our yard that worked with existing sight lines and provided quite a bit of privacy.

Bob D.

Sunken Garden/Patio Remodel

Years of overgrowth and a few missed opportunities left us scratching our heads after moving into a house with a sunken garden / walkout basement patio. Good referrals for Jon sparked an on-site ideation session and it was clear he had both the vision and the skillsets to transform our space. The project was massive and ended up being multiple phases; which Jon did forecast in those initial meetings. We began talking at the height of the pandemic, so flexibility and patience was key to mutual success. We're glad we collaborated so heavily through all the phases! It's now a super special, unique space that seems like it's always been there!

List of projects embedded in the phases: new retention wall, excavation behind existing walls, excavation of bottom level and regrade, brick + flagstone patio, custom pergola, stone and walkway lighting, new patio on upper level, serving table, additional staircase, fire pit, planters with topsoil and mushroom compost, trees and shrubs, downspout extensions, regraded and relaid flagstone walkway from drive/lane.

Ashley M.

5 stars: creativity, design, quality, communication
4 stars: project length, “on the fly” decisions

This is going to be a lengthy review.

My husband and I have wanted an outdoor space and outdoor kitchen for years. Early in the year, we reached out to four landscape architects and met with three. We had a strong vision of what we wanted when we met with each. Jon was the only one who seemed to listen, understand the design, flow, function, and budget we were seeking, and not push us in a different direction. He took the time to look at our home and our furnishings, to get to know our tastes, and to design with that in mind.

We went through multiple design drafts until we settled on the perfect look and design we wanted. He was up front with us about how decisions we made would affect our budget, while being extremely conscious to stay within the number we gave him. There were many instances where it seemed as though we both compromised with the end result being the best result. And that, coupled with his creativity and knowledge produced an unbelievable outdoor space.

While his creativity and architectural design is phenomenal, Jon’s workmanship is the most impressive. From start to finish, his work was top notch. Jon was present, on site, every day. He cut every board, placed and mortared each stone, and put time and thought into each detail. As our project dragged on, his quality never compromised. I had a list of details for Jon to address toward the end and before I even mentioned them to him, he took care of them because he had a list too.

The biggest drawback to Jon’s meticulous nature is that it added a significant amount of time to the project. Fortunately we were not in a hurry, as we wanted something that would last for many years, but I am giving him four stars for project length, as it took quite a bit longer to complete.

Jon communicated well throughout the whole project. My husband and I joked about our weekly meetings, but they were crucial. As more of a planner type person, there were a few “on the fly” decisions we had to make than I personally wanted, but the integrity and design were never compromised. Jon communicated well through each one, listened to our ideas and concerns. We often had to go back and forth to land where we wanted, and sometimes Jon needed the night to think about it, but only once did a portion of the project move forward without everyone being aligned.

When we selected Jon as our landscape architect, we knew the design would morph as he went along. He was always thinking of small improvements or new ways to tackle the issue of the day. He also experimented with us, doing his first ever stainless steel and cedar pergola.

For us, it all paid off as we now have a unique, functional, and gorgeous outdoor space that is the envy of all of our family and friends.

Carrie V.

Jon did an amazing job of replacing our front porch and reworking our landscaping. His design really brightened up and beautified our front yard. He took out the old front porch and created a much more functional and beautiful area. The curb appeal on our house has gone up 100%. He added a few fun extras such as lighting and a river of rocks to redirect my water flow. He redid the beds in the front and part of the backyard and everything flows so much better.

Douglas A.

Jon has done a magnificent job with various projects on our property. He is very proactive and motivated. He has a good artistic vision to come up with designs that pay attention to practical functionality. He then implements them quickly with good attention to quality. These are attributes that can be hard to find with contractors. He is pleasant and easy to communicate with. His work so far has exceeded my expectations.

Derrick R.

Jon has an unbelievable eye for transforming outdoor living. He completed a space definition around my hot tub spa with a brick patio, privacy custom cedar trellis, up-lighting, custom powder coated steel bench, and landscaping to all encompass an appropriate fit to my mid-century historic home. In my small community, his project is the talk of the town. I will be hiring him again for any future landscape renovations.

autumn T.

I bought a house in the fall that had a beautiful yard but was overgrown due to lack of occupancy. Jon came and helped me with my back and side yards. What used to be a dirt and gravel yard now has grass. Jon beautifully highlighted what was already in my yard and even transplanted a lot to various areas to pop up the color and again to give room to add grass for my dog. He moved a brick path that ran through the yard to an area that made more sense and sured up all the other flagstone. In addition to all of that, he also helped facilitate better drainage from my roof since before it was just pooling up in the yard. Jon was great and professional and gave me several options so we could work within my budget. We have already talked about changing my front fence so it has more curb appeal and easier access from my car. Would definitely recommend!

Anna L.

I spoke with Jon about designing a patio area for our backyard. I sent him pictures to follow up our conversation as well. He told me he would try to get out to our house in the next couple of days to measure. He never came out and I never heard from him again. I realize that our project was going to be more challenging than just pouring a simple patio. If he wasn’t interested, I would’ve preferred he just say so.