CJM::LA

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!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025

Via Tranquila Residence, Completed 2024

Wishing you a bright and successful 2025!

Happy New Year from our family to yours

Courtney, Nicole, Arturo, Jianhua, Janet

CELEBRATING SB HUMANE

Last weekend we celebrated our incredible client, Santa Barbara Humane, at their annual gala – The Great Gatsby Furball! CJM::LA is proud to sponsor this event annually, which helps support Santa Barbara Humane’s mission “To be champions for animals and the people who love them.”

Our team has been hard at work on a new campus expansion for SBH for the past three years, envisioning a new home ‘from the paws up’ for the animals and humans which run this incredible organization.

Click here to learn more about SBH’s history, values and socially conscious sheltering.

Congratulations Arturo!

We are thrilled to announce Arturo’s recent professional milestone of obtaining his landscape architectural license in the state of California!

Arturo has been with us for two years, and during that time has consistently demonstrated his dedication to the field of landscape architecture through both his project work and professional development.

SB Beer Garden 2024

This month we celebrated 11 years in business at the Beer Garden: A curated tasting trail among California’s native plants event. As the main fundraising event of the year for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, this event is an opportunity for the CJM::LA team to give back to one of our favorite local organizations while enjoying delicious food, drinks and music amongst the beautiful garden. Cheers!

Eucalyptus Hill Outdoor Living

A second phase of construction is underway at this private residence nestled in the Eucalyptus Hill neighborhood of Montecito, CA.

comprehensive site plan

The landscape program for this phase consists of a new swimming pool and spa, overlook deck, retaining walls, terraced gathering spaces, a water feature, and curving stone steps to address the challenging terrain and existing mature trees.

view from the new ADU looking over the pool, with new retaining walls at left

CJM::LA worked in tandem with Design Studio 34, JRS ID, and Hall Contracting to ensure the materials palette of a new Accessory Dwelling Unit harmonizes with the landscape and site design to complement the inherent natural beauty of the property.

terrace, pool coping and ADU materials

This thoughtfully crafted landscape transformation will allow the owners to entertain family and friends in a variety of elegantly inviting outdoor spaces.

VENTURA BOTANICAL GARDENS

For the past nine years, Associate Principal Nicole Horn has served on the Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG) Board of Directors. The mission of the VBG, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is

“to create and maintain public gardens for the preservation, education, cultural contribution & enhancement of the entire community.”

: Nicole and her family

Over the next few decades, the VBG staff and community of volunteers will transform 100 acres of underutilized public lands into a unique, and special botanical garden. The gardens will showcase the five Mediterranean climates of the world with plant species specifically adapted to thrive in our local environment.

Nicole has led the design and implementation of several installations and sponsorship sites over the years, including a gabion seat wall gathering space, a Baja-inspired collection display wall, new trails, and a new basket-inspired structure (still in the conceptual design phase).

Conceptual sketches, plans and sections for upcoming new projects:

Next time you’re in Ventura, head up the hill behind City Hall to see the Gardens and help support conservation and education. We love plants!

Happy New Year 2024

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Courtney, Nicole, Cameron, Arturo, Jianhua, Janet

ARCHITECTOURS 2023 | FEATURING SB BIERGARTEN

Each fall the AIASB hosts a self-guided tour to celebrate architecture in our community. This year, the CJM::LA team hosted our recently completed SB Biergarten property along with our collaborative partner DMHA Architecture.

From the AIASB: This year’s tour features projects in various communities near downtown Santa Barbara. The projects include newly completed residences on the Mesa, as well as mid-century and cottage-style accessory dwelling units. In addition, tour-goers will also have the chance to visit multi-unit senior and veteran housing projects, Drift Hotel, and SB Biergarten. The spaces demonstrate the beauty of Santa Barbara’s signature indoor-outdoor lifestyle and the diversity of our local communities.

SB Beer Garden 2023

On Saturday we celebrated our TEN YEARS in business at the SB Botanic Garden‘s annual Beer Garden event. It was a beautiful day at the garden – with a full creek, California poppies in full bloom and incredible food, drinks and music throughout the garden. If you are ever in Santa Barbara for this event, it’s not to be missed!

Courtney, Jianhua, Christina, Janet, Arturo

Celebrating the Women of CJM::LA

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating all of the women of CJM::LA – both past and present. In the past ten years, we’ve had the privilege to work alongside such incredible team members – both within our design studio and within our expanded community of vendors, suppliers, collaborators, contractors and clients.
As a certified woman-owned small business, we are proud to have women leading both our ownership and operations, bringing insight and creativity to our growing team.

COURTNEY JANE MILLER

As the principal landscape architect and owner of CJM::LA, Courtney has led our creative team for ten years. She combines the the thoughtfulness of a technical mind with the creativity of an artistic one, and loves to dig into the history the properties she designs as well as push the boundary of the expected. Along with Nicole Horn, Courtney leads the creative vision for CJM::LA.

NICOLE HORN

Nicole joined CJM::LA in 2016, and has brought expertise in urban planning, resource management and landscape architectural design to the CJM::LA team. As associate principal and director of operations, she promotes transparency and collaboration across all aspects of our work. Nicole pushes herself and others to take risks, innovate and surpass conventional design roles and traditions.

JANET SHOTWELL

Janet joined CJM::LA 2014 as office manager and bookeeper. She loves to make connections within our community while also keeping all aspects of our studio running smoothly. Janet holds degrees in Historic Preservation and Architectural Technology, and brings this knowledge base to her work at CJM::LA. She is the glue that holds us together!

AIKO STRASSER

Aiko recently joined CJM::LA as a project manager, and brings experience in mixed-use, hospitality and institutional projects to her role as part of the production team. She believes in a whole-systems approach to design with a focus on social, economic and environmental equity.

Happy New Year 2023!

Jianhua, Janet, Courtney, Arturo, Aiko, Nicole, Cameron

Sending peace and abundance for 2023. Happy New Year from our family to yours!