Richard A. Vignolo began studying landscape architecture in 1946 at the University of California, Berkeley graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture in 1950. In the fall of 1950, he enrolled at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (GSD) earning his Master of Landscape Architecture degree in 1953. While in graduate school, he worked for Chamber & Moriece in Cambridge, Massachusetts and did occasional work forLawrence Halprin & Associates. Following graduation from the GSD, Vignolo was employed by the United States Army, 30th Engineers, Topographical Group in California and Alaska until 1955, when he became a full-time employee of Halprin’s firm. While there, Vignolo was integral to many projects, including the detailing for Oakbrook, Illinois’ Old Orchard Shopping Center; Akron, Ohio’s Cascade Plaza; and Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Nicollett Mall. Vignolo became as associate at the firm in 1957, and Design Principal and Vice President in 1964.

In October of 1972, Vignolo established his own practice Richard A. Vignolo, Landscape Architect. A registered landscape architect in California, Washington, and Texas, Vignolo provided a complete range of design services throughout the United States, including residential, commercial, governmental, educational, recreational, religious, and even funerary designs. His more notable projects include the Loggia of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; North Park Shopping Center Expansion, Office Park, and National Bank in Dallas, TX; the Broadway Mall in Fargo, ND; San Francisco Zoo’s Primate, Elk, and Wolf Exhibits; and Weyerhaeuser Headquarters’ Executive Roof Garden in Tacoma, Washington. He built strong relationships with his architects and clients, often doing work for their personal homes in addition to their large commercial projects. In addition to working with them professionally, Vignolo acted as a design consultant for the residential landscapes of architects Edward Charles Bassett, Walter Wisznia, and John Vrtiak.