Form & Function in the Landscape Photography by Sarah Cosca The designed landscape is a balance between beauty and necessity, form and function. Any architect will tell you that beauty is not enough—structure and practicality are also needed. At the same time, design without attention to beauty is, well, never a [...]
Structures in the Landscape In nearly every garden style, constructed elements play a role in defining space for an inviting outdoor experience. Gates and trellises, pergolas, and cabanas—landscape structures have the power to transform a garden. The variety of styles gives infinite possibility to these elements, allowing a landscape’s unique character [...]
The Night Garden It’s easy to imagine a landscape only by the light of the sun. After all, that’s when we can best see it! But what about the experience of the landscape at night and the many experiences that are unique to those special hours after the sun has set? We believe [...]
On Decks A Montgomery Robbins, Inc. deck on the cover of Sunset's 'Complete Deck Book' For a moment here in California, it seemed like decks were going out of style. Wood was being replaced with stone and concrete terraces, as homeowners began to work with the contours of their land and [...]
Landscape Topography Topography is the science of mapping land formations - determining the depth of valleys, steepness of hills, and where the flattest areas of ground lie. As Landscape Architects, the first step to any design is understanding the site, which includes the way the land is naturally shaped. Therefore, topography [...]
Making An Entrance The holidays are here, and what better way to start thinking about the new year than by updating the entry to your home? While there are many ways to enhance “curb appeal,” the keys to a successful entrance are actually quite simple. Feng Shui teaches the importance of the entry [...]
FEATURING FIRE There is something instinctively wonderful about relaxing around a fire, and as a result, we find ourselves incorporating fire into most of our outdoor living spaces. Fire features, as we call them, can take on infinite forms and aesthetic styles to fit seamlessly into a designed space. Here are a few [...]
Feng Shui for the Landscape Feng Shui is often discussed in relation to Interior Design, and whether or not you believe in the life-enhancing powers of orienting elements, there are many Feng Shui principles that may surprise you with their ability to enhance your landscape as well as your interior. It’s [...]
Transitional & Timeless “The only constant in life is change.” – Heraclitus (circa 500 BCE) The nature of change is something that has been on our minds lately, and we’ve been applying an idea that is central to our design philosophy to our everyday life. The balance of things that change [...]
Ground Work Landscape Architecture is the design of space on every level—at our eye level, above our heads, and on the ground plane beneath our feet. The ground is an often-overlooked aspect of design, but it has the ability to define space and create interest within the landscape. Here we focus on a [...]
