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Design Thinking…What is That?
Design thinking describes a repeatable process employing unique and creative techniques which yield guaranteed results — usually results that exceed initial expectations. Extraordinary results that leapfrog the expected.
We are celebrating two years in business today! And looking forward to a successful year.
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will be hosting a tour of local gardens and communities that exemplify sustainable landscape practices. The bus tour takes place on Sunday, April 9 and will explore the Santa Ynez valley and it’s environs. For more info or to register, click here.
Construction has recently begun at our Ice in Paradise project in Goleta, CA. This ice rink project has been in the works since 1997, and will provide a beneficial amenity to the Goleta community as well as the Central Coast region. We worked closely with HTG Architects, who specialize in ice rink design, in order to provide outdoor plaza space with opportunities for naming rights as well as a small garden area. Our local news publication Noozhawk recently published an article with updates on the construction. To read more, click here.
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Climbing in Playgrounds
March 3, 2015
THE FIELD
Playground designers and manufacturers have recognized that traditional post and deck structures and climbing events don’t fully satisfy the urge to climb that we all feel. In recent years, the industry has stepped forward to meet the challenge with climbing sculptures that have added a new dimension to playground activity, with more realistic surfaces, more challenging athleticism, and creativity in forms. New technology has enabled complete creative freedom; climbers are no longer limited to walls and boulders. Playground designers can now create expressive sculptures that combine the health benefits of climbing while also providing a venue for imaginative play.
TCLF, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, is hosting their Garden Dialogues tour this May in Los Angeles. This is a unique opportunity to tour beautiful private gardens designed by contemporary landscape architects and designers. The Los Angeles tour is on May 30 and May 31. For more info, click here.
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From Issue 32.3
Tuesday 27th Jan 2015
ARCADE 32.3
Winter 2014
From the issue feature, “Living by Design in the Pacific Northwest.”
It’s no secret. The veil of rainy weather doesn’t hide the fact that the Pacific Northwest is a great place to live. For the same reasons you and I love living here—the temperate climate, easy access to mountains and water, big-city life—people are moving to the Northwest at a rapid pace. As reported by Jon Talton for The Seattle Times, according to a US Metro Economies report created by Global Insight for The United States Conference of Mayors, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area is expected to grow more than 39 percent in the next 30 years. How can we grow and, at the same time, keep our cities not just livable but also lovable?
The answer lies in streets. Typically representing about 30 percent of a city’s open space, streets have huge potential for uses other than just moving traffic: streets should perform the triple duties of multimodal transportation, placemaking and ecological function.
Bit by bit, cities are dismantling an auto-centric landscape in exchange for an enriching network of public spaces. We are learning that transportation and recreation don’t have to take place separately. Fitness becomes a positive side effect of a fun and active commute, and environmental health results from designing with nature. Our cities can grow while increasing our quality of life when we expand our definition of what our streets can offer.
This informative flow chart is an creative way to learn more about what landscape architecture is, how the design process works, and how we contribute to the environment and society.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2015 Courtney will be awarded the prestigious Lockwood de Forest award at the Santa Barbara City Council meeting. Presented by the City’s Historic Landmark’s Commission, this award recognizes exemplary landscape design for the El Encanto property on the riviera. Courtney worked alongside Katie O’Reilly Rogers to restore the gardens to their original 1930’s-era splendor. Congratulations, Courtney!
At CJM::LA, we believe strongly in the ability of design to change the conversation. Design by its very nature is a changing, evolving entity. It requires new insight and fresh ideas to continue to move forward. We work to design both private and public spaces in a way that pushes the boundary of the expected, that pushes us to engage with each other and society in a new, meaningful way. Our projects seek to incite a dialogue between people and their surroundings, each other, and the community. Whether it is something as small as a paving detail or as large as a community plaza; we pride ourselves in the opportunity to provide innovative spaces for living, creating and interacting.
As Landscape Architects, it is our responsibility to design with a consciousness towards the environmental, economic and social sustainability of our communities. At CJM::LA, the concepts behind sustainability are what drive our design decisions. We believe that sustainable design is smart design. We engage in a collaborative approach with our clients and project teams in order to select sustainable practices that are appropriate to each project, both economically and environmentally. The end result are responsibly-designed, efficient, marketable properties. Properties with permanence and style.
As trends emerge and fall away, styles and aesthetics evolve. In Santa Barbara, there is a strong traditional style inherent in our surroundings which has defined the built environment within our community. At CJM::LA, we work within the themes of contemporary culture while also maintaining a firm grasp on the timelessness of traditional design sensibilities. We respond closely to site context to create a meaningful style and a design language that helps to define each space; that is specific to each property. We have successfully executed projects within the traditional, eclectic, contemporary and modern styles and look forward to further developing our portfolio.