We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Noah Bernstein a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Noah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I may have not known it from the beginning, but my mission was to make the world a better place, one garden at a time.. it began in graduate school where I studied through a wide lens, the comprehensive process behind great cities and regional plans. I was fascinated by the complex web of connections between built, natural, social, and economic systems. Seeing the world through a design eye, I gravitated toward a career path in architecture.
With two masters degrees in my back pocket, and no real world experience, I found myself in an entry level position at a large corporate firm in NYC. Playing in the big leagues was a rush, but white collar culture didn’t suit me for very long. Within less than a year, I handed in my formal letter of resignation and set sails again to find my calling. It was no easy task getting a second shot in 2008 during the collapse of Wall Street and the great recession. I hit the pavement, relentlessly looking for work, but kept coming up empty handed. I was disheartened by the cold reality of my situation, and after a valiant effort, I surrendered to circumstances, making peace with the fact that I would have to move back home and reassess my career options. As soon as I found trust in the uncertainty, the universe seemed to conspire, aligning the stars I needed to reconnect with an old friend and join her team at a boutique roof garden studio. It was the perfect fit that brought me zinging back into the game! Working in a space that valued my creative expression was unbelievably meaningful, and being a part of a mission to greenify one of the densest urban environments on the planet was larger than life! It was the most exciting chapters of my career and will always hold that memory close to heart.
After the better part of six years hustling and growing in NYC, something inside me began to shift. The glamour and glitz of the city was wearing off. I loved the job, but wanted to have an even greater impact. I wanted to reach people on a deeper level, and to give back.. to inspire new ways of reconnecting with the land. That was where my NYC journey came to a close, and I set out to overseas to explore the world of regenerative agriculture and organic food. I traveled through South America, SE Asia, and Indonesia in need of a rebirth. Immersing in new places and cultures awakened parts of me that I didn’t even know existed. With a full heart and thirst to share more, I returned to my hometown of Denver CO, and began sowing the seeds for what would become Skyscape Gardens. It was a humble beginning, as I set forth with newfound purpose and intention; passionately creating beautiful green spaces on the foundation of responsible design practices that would give back and foster stronger connections with nature! Today we’re blazing trails on the cutting edge of community food and sensory learning gardens, native pollinator and urban wildlife corridors, sensory greenhouse spas, regenerative micro farms, green roofs, vertical gardens, and more! I am so grateful for this work, forever exploring the bounds of what’s possible.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Since the beginning, my imagination always came alive when I was finding my way through new spaces and flowing with the elements of what I discovered around me. rolling, digging, climbing, and splashing through the world as I knew it. From sandcastles to skateboards, I learned to play and learn with the spaces around me. Listening closely, I could hear the unique voice of each space, inviting me to converse. Intuitively this helped me process life inside and out.
Carrying this way of thinking into my adult life, I was drawn to study and learn more about the dynamic interconnectedness of our human experience in relation to natural and built environments. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology & Communications; and then went for a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning, and a Masters in Urban Design.
As I shared, my professional career began in corporate architecture, designing large scale master planned communities around the country. This experience served in more ways than I knew at time. I learned to observe and organize large scopes of moving parts, arranging the details into sets of concise plans. Determining how spaces could form and function became my daily practice and mantra. From this position, I saw the design process through a macro lens at a bird’s eye view. It was challenging work that taught me a lot. Realizing that corporate culture wasn’t for me, I transitioned and worked for a smaller studio, learning to apply my experience to a new (micro) lens, working more intimately with the technical details on high end custom roof gardens and urban landscapes. I loved it! The eclectic team vibe, the diverse mix of project tasks, and the glamour of working on NYC’s finest roof tops! I took every opportunity available to learn more and grow! Starting in the design department, then working hands-on with the construction team, moving into upper-level management, and finishing my tenure as their operations officer.
As my 20’s were coming to an end, looking ahead toward the next chapter of life, I decided it was time to create something new. My academic and professional journey had brought me to a point where I had reached a ceiling and needed to spread my wings for flight into the wide open skies. Traveling the world for a year reignited my passion for sustainablility, community gardens, and organic food. Returning home, I knew it was my calling to offer a service that would not just improve landscapes for aesthetic purposes, but would really inspire people to reconnnect with land. This is how Skyscape Gardens was born.
Skyscape Gardens provides specialized design-build-management services focused on high end custom landscape, hardscape, permaculture, community food projects, regenerative agriculture, habitat restoration, wellness spaces, and more.
We help guide clients toward a vision that will meet their project needs and honor the land,
Most recently, I am super proud of a community food and sensory learning garden we designed and built for a special needs school.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
About 3 years ago, during COVID, I felt that the creative pulse in my work was weak and needed to be realigned with my inner compass and purpose. I felt that the projects were becoming to generic and there needed to be greater intention and impact in the work. So, I took some time off in the winter and completed a Permaculture Design Certification. Since then we’ve done some exciting regenerative work in the foothills, rehabilitating an organic lavender and wildflower farm, and integrating a new food forest, market garden, small animal farm, and sensory greenhouse spa!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
This past summer, my business partner of 9 years, died suddenly. In the middle of a huge project, I did my best to grieve his loss and take on his role in addition to my own, It was one of the hardest times I’ve faced in work and life. We came together as a team and made it through to the other side. It taught me the power of trust, commitment, support, teamwork, and most importantly to appreciate the moments of time we share with the ones we care about in life. To give and receive as much kindness and care as we can to the world around us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.skyscapegardens.com
- Instagram: @skyscape_gardens
- Facebook: Skyscape Gardens