In 1935 he graduated with a B.S. in Landscape Architecture from
Michigan State University. He went on to receive a Master's from
Harvard Graduate School of Design. After finishing school, Simonds and his brother Phil established their company, Simonds and Simonds, later known as Environmental Planning and Development Partnership. While continuing his company he published his first book, ''Landscape Architecture: The Shaping of Man's Natural Environment''. The basis of Simonds' firm was centered on parks, recreational facilities, playgrounds, urban area and space, and many large gardens.
Mellon Square, in
Pittsburgh, was built in 1951 and is one of Simonds major designs. The garden was one of the first and few placed on top a parking garage. "Mellon Square was intended by Simonds to be an oasis, a civic movement, and a gathering space in the midst of downtown office towers." The social movement of
World War II and the Pittsburgh
Renaissance both greatly influenced Simonds' work. During this time Pittsburgh was in the need of deep restoration. The Simonds and Simonds Company became very popular, taking in many new commissions, the Mellon Square being one of the first and most important reconstructions of civic space. In 1960 the company, now the Environmental Planning and Design Partnership, expanded their work away from Pittsburgh. The
Chicago Botanic Garden became well known for its impact on landscape architecture. The botanic garden was built from an unpleasant source of land in
Glencoe, Illinois. "The site covers over 300 acres, featuring a series of island gardens with an administration and visitor education center on the largest island." Simonds created a garden that incorporated an area for education of plants and actual touchable exhibits. Like the Mellon Square, the focus of creating relationships between human and plant can be seen within this design. Simonds was awarded a Doctorate in Science from
Michigan State University, in 1968. In the 1970s,
Florida was in the process of creating new communities. During this time, Simonds changed his focus to large scale developments, allowing Florida's new communities to be options of work.
Pelican Bay, located in
Naples, Florida, became one of Simonds' great large-scale projects. He also established and developed the term PUD,
Planned Unit Development, within the bay community. The greatness of this design was the combination of nature and community with nothing overpowering the scene. The design involved the use of nature features, which enabled the area to preserve the
ecology of the region. •
Interstate 66 in Virginia • Allegheny Commons == Influences ==