CJM::LA

SBCA’S WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION 2026

Last week CJM::LA attended the Women in Construction Celebration hosted by the Santa Barbara Contractors Association (SBCA), an annual event that brings professionals together from Santa Barbara’s architecture, engineering, and construction community.

Held at the Cabrillo Pavilion, the evening featured networking, a keynote presentation, and a panel discussion highlighting the experiences and perspectives of women working across the industry.

Events like this create valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues and strengthen the relationships that support thoughtful project delivery for our office. As a landscape architecture firm working on all ranges of projects throughout the region, CJM::LA values the collaboration between designers, builders, and consultants that brings great spaces to life!

CJM::LA was pleased to sponsor this year’s event and the continued growth of the Santa Barbara construction community. Cheers!

LUXE Readers’ Choice Awards 2026

We’ve been invited to enter our Via Tranquila Residence in the 2026 LUXE Interior + Design RED Readers’ Choice Awards! We would be so grateful for your support in helping us win in the Landscape Architecture category.

Click HERE to vote for CJM::LA!

Located on the central coast of California, this steeply sloped property was transformed from obsolete ranch to modern refuge. Floating above restored Oak grasslands, a new midcentury-inspired home is oriented to capture stunning mountain views to the east and peek-a-boo ocean views to the west. Existing majestic Deodar Cedars define the driveway approach, guiding visitors on a winding uphill climb to the main residence. Living areas are organized around a central pool and courtyard planted with old growth Olive trees. Large stacking glass doors fully open to engage the adjacent landscape, seamlessly integrating interior and exterior spaces. The planting design is refined and curated with distinct gardens, each with its own character: native Oak woodland, native Oak grassland, Australian Zen garden, Mediterranean courtyard, and South African succulent collection. Existing hazardous eucalyptus trees and high water-use lawn have been removed, making way for new drought-tolerant and fire-resistant Coast Live Oak plant communities. The resulting landscape is ecologically functional, resilient, and vibrant. The restrained architectural form of the building is softened by the myriad textures and soft blue greens in the landscape, conveying an enduring sense of tranquility and effortless beauty.

Our project is entitled ‘Tranquility and Resilience’.
Voting closes on Friday, January 23.

Click HERE to vote for CJM::LA!

Thank you for your support!

JACARANDA COURT GROUNDBREAKING

Last week our team celebrated the groundbreaking of our latest project with the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) – Jacaranda Court!

This project will provide 63 apartments, addressing the housing needs of the “missing-middle” (Moderate Income level, AMI 80-120, and Middle Income level, AMI 120-160) income group. We are thrilled to be collaborating with the Cearnal Collective on another project that helps address the ever-present need of affordable housing in Santa Barbara, and with a client that never gives up!

VIA TRANQUILA RESIDENCE RECOGNIZED BY SOCAL ASLA

Our Via Tranquila Residence was recently honored by the Southern California Chapter of ASLA at the bi-annual Quality of Life Awards! This stunning property was recognized with one of the few Merit awards in the residential garden design category. Winning projects are awarded for ‘outstanding works of landscape architecture and environmental planning that promote an enhanced quality of life in Southern California and beyond,’ and are judged on the following criteria: quality of design; functionalism and artistic merit; relationship to context; overall relevance to the profession, the public and the environment; promotion of environmental responsibility and sustainability; demonstration of new technologies and approaches; and social function and benefits to the local community.

Led by Nicole Greer, the landscape design conveys simplicity and restraint through a limited palette of warm hues and breezy textures. She began by designing around the existing mature trees, including a row of magnificent deodar cedars that line the entry drive as well as a single stately canary palm located off the primary bedroom. Mature oak trees and native species were planted along the front slope, emulating native California oak grasslands. Around the main house, a series of smaller gardens and courtyards extend seamlessly into the surrounding views – introducing visual continuity and an overall sense of expansiveness. Using borrowed views and inspiration from our natural regional landscape, the end result is a quiet, subtle series of gardens that celebrate the beauty of the natural landscape.

800 SANTA BARBARA RECOGNIZED BY SANTA BARBARA BEAUTIFUL

Our 800 Santa Barbara project was recently recognized by Santa Barbara Beautiful at the 60th Annual Awards celebration! This infill housing project was completed in 2022 and is a beautiful addition to the Presidio neighborhood.

Santa Barbara Humane’s 2025 Glitter Paw Disco Gala

This month our team had a blast celebrating the work of our incredible client, Santa Barbara Humane, at their annual gala. This year’s theme, Glitter Paw Disco, resulted in some incredible costumes and dance floor shenanigans!

The event raised over $300,000 to provide shelter, veterinary care, training, and resources for animals—and the people who love them—across Santa Barbara County.

POST MODERN

Our charming renovation of the Las Aves Complex in Montecito was recently covered in Santa Barbara Magazine’s Home & Garden Special Issue. The Post is a new retail and dining experience, envisioned by our incredible clients and carefully restored by a stellar team of architects, designers and builders.

“At the Las Aves Complex, located at Los Patos Way and East Cabrillo Boulevard, weathered bricks are the foremost design elements, with courtyard seating and an eclectic, large-scale fountain from local sculptor Marge Dunlap titled It’s Raining.”

Our team introduced a series of seating areas within the existing courtyards, encouraging guests to linger and enjoy the beautiful mature pepper trees and wisteria vines. We replaced aging flagstone and mismatched brick with new weathered brick, and added new planters throughout the property. The plant palette was designed to be compatible with the adjacent Andree Clark Bird Refuge; with a soft palette of California native plants intermixed with ornamental species.

“At its core, The Post is a love letter to Santa Barbara’s way of life – outdoorsy elegance and nonchalant charm.”

Read the digital version of the article starting on p. 52: Post Modern

Check out our project gallery here.

WOODRAT THEATER UPDATE

Woodrat Theater, our collaborative project with MISC Workshop for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, is now complete and thriving! Selected as part of the Backcountry Casitas competition, this innovative outdoor playhouse has become a beloved feature of the garden since it’s completion in summer of 2024 – engaging children and adults alike in creative play and immersive learning.

Woodrat Theater provides a dynamic space for storytelling, exploration and environmental education. Families, educators, and visitors have embraced the structure, using it as a stage for imaginative performances and as a general gathering place to connect with nature. Designed with sustainability and resourcefulness in mind, the project continues to inspire conversations about the intersection of design, ecology and play.

We are proud to see Woodrat Theater making a meaningful impact in the community and we look forward to seeing how it continues to evolve!

BEER GARDEN 2025 – CELEBRATING 12 YEARS!

Last weekend CJM::LA marked 12 incredible years in business with our annual celebration at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s annual Beer Garden: A curated tasting trail among California’s native plants event. This event is not just a chance for our team to enjoy the outdoors together but also an opportunity to give back to one of our favorite local organizations.

Gathering in a relaxed, open-air setting allowed us to reflect on the projects, partnerships, and community that have shaped our journey over the years. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with great conversation, laughter, and appreciation for the work we do and the community that supports us. More than just a celebration, this event embodies our commitment to fostering meaningful connections – both within our team and with the organizations that make Santa Barbara such an incredible place to live.

We are grateful for everyone who has been part of our story so far, and we look forward to many more years of thoughtful design, collaboration, and making a positive impact on the world around us!

SBCA’S WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

Last week the Santa Barbara Contractors Association (SBCA) hosted it’s annual Women in Construction event at the beautiful Alhecama Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara. This year’s theme, ‘Trailblazers & Changemakers,’ sparked and important conversation about the challenges women in leadership roles face within our own construction and design community.

As always it was a fantastic event which CJM::LA is proud to sponsor.

BRAEMAR RESIDENCE HONORED BY SBCA

We’re thrilled to announce that our Braemar Residence was recently recognized by the SBCA at the annual Santa Barbara Construction Awards. This property was carefully renovated by our team in collaboration with Cornerstone Landscapes; and was recognized for it’s ‘Landscape and Hardscape Excellence’ at the 2025 celebration.

Working with Cornerstone Landscapes was a delight; Gregory’s team of professionals brought a thoughtful and detail-oriented approach to the installation of a variety of new and rehabilitated components of the garden including stone steps, boulder walls, a traditional Japanese fence, custom benches and even a tile mosaic (in collaboration with Joseph & Sons). We couldn’t imagine a better result!

VIA TRANQUILA RESIDENCE HONORED BY AIASB

We are excited to announce that our Via Tranquila Residence was honored by the AIASB at this year’s 2024 Design Awards with a Merit Award for exceptional design excellence.

Led by Nicole Greer, the landscape design for this property embraces simplicity and restraint, using a subtle mosaic of seasonal colors and textures to reflect the sensibility of the regional landscape.

The AIA Santa Barbara Design Awards program recognizes design excellence in architecture, residential architecture, restoration/renovation, and urban design. Criteria to be used by the jury include quality of design, resolution of the program idea, sustainable responsibility, innovation, thoughtfulness, and technique.