Randy Royer

Columbus North High School has undergone many changes in the past several years and our Alma Mater is as beautiful as ever. There is one Bull Dog graduate, landscape architect Randy Royer (CNHS ’88), who has been directly involved in keeping the school beautiful through designing and complementing the wondrous architecture in Columbus.

Randy has been a landscape architect for thirty years, but his career choice wasn’t established when he graduated from high school. His teachers at Biology and Chemistry at North made those subjects his favorites but he knew he didn’t want to enter the medical field. He went to Purdue University undecided on his field of study and after joining a fraternity there, he became interested in landscaping. A couple of his fraternity brothers were pursuing their degrees in landscape architecture, and he found he was not only interested, but a natural talent as well. He graduated from Purdue in 1994 with a degree in the field. Since then, he has designed museum grounds in Japan, estates in South Florida and streetscapes, parks, and corporate campuses throughout the Midwest.

While in high school, Randy met Shannon Armstrong, a student at Columbus East High School.  He dated one of her friends and got to know Shannon, suddenly realizing his interest was in her. They both chose to go to Purdue, where they always attended events together, referring to each other as a mercy date. It didn’t take long for both of them to realize their relationship went beyond mercy dating and the rest of the story is history. They were married and have one daughter, Josie, who is now 25.

Being a landscape architect in Columbus brings about some additional pressures and Randy has been very successful in responding. The unique architecture here adds to the challenge of designing landscaping that is not only beautiful, but complimentary to the makeup of the city. He has been very successful and if you live in Columbus or have visited, you have likely seen his work around town.

As the leader of Hitchcock Design Group’s Indianapolis office, he seeks to develop strong client relationships, combine aesthetics, functionality, and maintainability in all of his projects. One of his most visible projects includes the riverfront development as you enter the city from the west side. Designed to be an extension of Mill Race Park, it is the final section of the People Trail Loop. The project includes removal of the dam, stabilizing the riverbanks and restoring natural wildlife habitat. All permits and approvals have been secured, and construction is scheduled to start next month. When the project is completed, it will be another shining example of Randy’s contributions to the Columbus community.

Randy calls Columbus, Indiana home and is very active in the community. He has served on the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives Board, as a past member of the Purdue Agriculture Alumni Association Board, and as past president of the Columbus Area Visitor’s Center Board. He maintains his passion for collaboration between the community, clients, and the design profession.