This month we are focused on how to bring people in closer connection to their natural environment.
Our newsletter features the newly opened Mar Monte Hotel, progress on our Mattei’s Tavern renovation, and our volunteerism efforts in the Santa Barbara community.
Tag Archives: Hospitality
Mattei’s Tavern | Construction Update
Frames and footings are being built for The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, CA.
Project Team: DMHA Architecture, AvroKO, RRM, True Nature, Ann Kale Associates.
Drone shots courtesy of Northstar Development & Construction, General Contractor.

MATTEI’S TAVERN
Mattei’s Tavern | Construction has begun!
Excavation and grading are underway for The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, CA.
Project Team: DMHA Architecture, AvroKO, RRM, True Nature. Drone shots courtesy of Northstar Development & Construction, General Contractor.
Courtyard and TownePlace Suites, Agoura Hills | IN-PROGRESS
The new Courtyard and TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Agoura Hills is almost complete. Architect: Awbrey Cook Rogers McGill, construction by DavisReed and landscape installation by LSCO.
This dual-brand hotel features a large courtyard with multiple “outdoor living” features: fire pits, BBQs for guests, shady gathering areas and a large pool. The new building is surrounded with native California shrubs and grasses and roughly 25 new oak trees, all irrigated with recycled water.

motorcourt with decorative pedestrian handrail (primer coat!) and ramp to Agoura Rd.

permeable pavers by Belgard

aloes with the Santa Monica mountains (beyond) & purple valve cover indicating recycled irrigation water

glass pool enclosure and pool deck underway

custom steel pool enclosure designed to complement the Craftsman-style architecture

baby dragon trees & porcelain “Sundeck” pavers by Belgard

custom steel pergola with Octopus Agave below

”Twist” bike rack from Forms + Surfaces

concrete fire bowl with built-in radial concrete bench, fire bowl by Concrete Creations

“Filterra” proprietary biofiltration planters by Contech, with native Juncus patens

“Palazzo” concrete detectable warning pavers by Ackerstone. The craftsman-style trellis is part of a pedestrian network linking adjacent commercial properties to improve walkability in the City of Agoura Hills
WLAM | Landscape Architecture Myth Busting – Part 2
Part 2: More myth-busting as we continue to address common misconceptions about landscape architecture.
Myth #3. Density means eliminating urban green space
FALSE: We can have both density & greener, healthier cities
Larger, denser cities are cleaner and more energy efficient than smaller, suburban towns. Suburban and rural towns may have immediate access to open space and wildlands outside city limits because of their more dispersed organization, but large cities can emulate natural ecologies.
Street trees, courtyards, green roofs and living walls, along with botanic gardens and parks provide a network of outdoor spaces that enhance the biological diversity of our cities and help provide essential infrastructure. This framework of planted spaces is able to capture and treat urban run-off, lower temperatures, improve air quality and provide resilience against climate change. Gardens and community farms also provide food and improve human health.
At CJM::LA, we help make our cities healthier and greener by advocating for more planting and functional outdoor space, especially in our densest multi-family housing projects; designing public parks, paseos, and green roofs; and improving city streetscapes.

transplanted Mexican fan palms line the stairs at Bella Riviera workforce homes in Santa Barbara, CA

plant pockets and climbing vines beautify the drive aisles at the East Beach Collection in Santa Barbara, CA | architect: WHA

live roof at the Hilton Garden Inn in Goleta, CA

textural plantings line the sidewalk at the Arlington Village apartments in downtown Santa Barbara, CA

entry plantings at homes designed for Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County in downtown Santa Barbara, CA

citrus trees within over-structure planters create a beautiful courtyard at Bella Riviera workforce homes

mediterranean plantings within raised planters help create opportunities for outdoor seating

neighborly gifts grown in downtown Santa Barbara, CA
Myth #4. Planting shouldn’t be done in a drought because plants use water
FALSE: Drought resilience is improved by planting smarter & better managing water resources
During a prolonged drought, there is less available water in the natural ecosystem, which negatively impacts human food and water security. Less water available in aquifers and other natural water bodies means less water for the agricultural industry and for our cities.
Landscape architects provide drought resilience by designing systems to comprehensively and efficiently manage water resources. By implementing bioretention basins, rainwater cisterns, efficient irrigation, greywater recycling and use of climate-adapted and native plants, we optimize our water resources and reallocate the potable water supply for drinking use.
It might seem counter-intuitive, but plants improve our ability to resist the impacts of drought by improving soil health, allowing soils to better capture and store water. Plants also sequester carbon, lower air temperatures, and if used in applications like green roofs, reduce building energy use and reduce the urban heat island effect. We shouldn’t eliminate plants because they use water. Instead, we should be smarter about how we supply plants with water and which plants we elect to use.
Want more info? See these additional links about drought resilience and using green infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of other hazards, like wildfires and climate change.

bioretention plants treat stormwater runoff at the Direct Relief headquarters in Santa Barbara, CA.
WLAM | Why Landscape Architecture?
As a part of our ongoing stewardship of the profession, this month we’re showcasing landscape architecture to the world and inviting the public to learn about what we do. This is the second post in our WLAM series, stay tuned for more each week during the month of April.
This week we are taking time to appreciate and share what we do and why it is important to us.
Landscape architecture is essential to nurturing our public health, safety and welfare. This practice is important to us because of its profound effect on the communities and people around us. The spaces we design cultivate the evolution of our lives, relationships, communities and much more.
At CJM::LA
Every day is different! We love the diverse nature of our profession and the variety of ways we apply our collective knowledge and skillsets to our daily workflow.
We oversee projects from site analysis through design development, construction and post occupancy

as part of an initial site visit, Courtney and Cameron study the site plan of a residential property in order to analyze the existing trees and topography, views and opportunities for screening.

Mari collects soil to send to the lab for analysis
as part of the schematic design process, Cameron does a quick sketch of a hotel pool renovation.

Henri delivers plans

Courtney and Ryan from DMHA present construction documents at the Central Coast Board of Architectural Review as part of the discretionary review process

as part of the construction observation phase, Nicole oversees the installation of the permeable pavers at our Habitat for Humanity Sawyer Condos project in Carpinteria, CA.
We work closely with our suppliers, manufacturers and collaborators

vertical storage at Santa Barbara Forge

reviewing gravel samples from Decorative Stone Solutions

harvesting inspiration at San Marcos Growers

sourcing plant material at San Marcos Growers
We work on a variety of projects
We celebrate together too!

Beer festival at the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens

Virtual drawing game at staff meeting

Hatchet building, team building
It is both this dynamic design process, dedicated team and the impact our work has on our community that keeps us dedicated to our practice.
7 Years In Business
On April 1, 2020 we celebrated 7 years in business! What started as a sole proprietorship in 2013 has quickly grown to become a thriving team of creatives. Today CJM::LA is a dynamic group of individuals who collaborate to produce design solutions that prioritize the environmental, economic and social sustainability of our communities. In addition to our contributions to the built environment, we also support our local communities via board positions, mentorship programs, internship/shadowship opportunities, volunteerism and contributions to the educational and professional institutions that support the landscape architecture profession. As we look toward the future, we are excited to expand our creative reach into new markets and develop new methods of executing our shared vision.
HERE’S A LOOK BACK
Thank you to our collaborators, clients, friends and families who helped us reach this milestone. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with such powerful minds!
For a closer look at our most recent work:: CJM-LA_Portfolio 2020
Mar Monte Hotel | Waterfront Construction Almost Complete!
Renovations are underway at what will soon be known as the Hyatt Mar Monte. As this project nears the end of the construction phase, the CJM::LA continues to oversee the revitalization of this historic hotel with Young Construction and Steve Hanson Landscaping. This project combines layered textural plantings with historic Spanish Colonial detailing, ensuring a natural cohesion with the Santa Barbara waterfront.

demolition of the existing parking lot and impermeable brick paving

converting the existing parking lot into a pedestrian promenade and lobby placita

decorative columns taking shape!

framing the fountain

setting the mediterranean fan palm in place at the pool deck

converting the existing pool deck into a lush paradise

careful restoration of the original hotel entry

putting the finishing touches on our lobby placita fountain. tile provided by NS Ceramic.

The Goodland

El Encanto
Hilton Garden Inn Opening
The CJM::LA team recently celebrated the opening of our latest hospitality project in Goleta, CA. The Hilton Garden Inn brings much-needed hotel and meeting room space to the heart of the Goleta community. The property was designed in keeping with the art deco architectural style; with cozy courtyards and meeting breakout space, a lively pool area and roof deck with lounge areas and incredible views.