CAL POLY WINTER SHADOWSHIP 2024

As part of our continued partnership with the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Landscape Architecture Department, early this year we hosted three student shadows at our office in downtown Santa Barbara.  The shadowship program was developed by the Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council (LADAC), which Courtney has been an active member of for the past ten years.  This is a unique opportunity for students to visit professional offices in order to gain a better understanding of the profession as a whole and the multitude of practice types available to support their early career development.

Hosted by Designer Jianhua Chen, the afternoon started with an informal discussion and meet & greet with the team, followed by a property tour at our neighboring multi-family property Arlington Village.  We then gave the students an overview of our projects, after which each team member shared what they are currently working on.

As a team, we truly value our ability to provide mentorship and professional development opportunities to students of landscape architecture.  If you are interested in a shadowship, please contact us at info@cjm-la.com.


The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern Receives Honor Award from SOCAL ASLA

We are thrilled to announce that our Inn at Mattei’s Tavern project has been recognized by the Southern California Chapter of the ASLA with an Honor Award in the Historic Preservation and Restoration Design category at the 2023 Quality of Life Awards!  This category recognizes constructed, site-specific works of landscape architecture that demonstrate the integration of historic value into the design process.

The new vision for Mattei’s Tavern has been years in the making, and we were honored to be selected as part of an incredible team to help develop a site design that respects this significant historic landmark while also bringing modern amenities to what is now part of the Auberge Resorts Collection.  Led by Nicole Horn, our team collaborated with DMHA Architecture, AvroKO, RRM, True Nature, and Ann Kale Associates to bring this incredible property to life.

The existing Mattei’s Tavern building, five cottages, and thirteen specimen trees were designated a historic landmark in 2010. More than one hundred years prior, Felix Mattei built the original “Central Hotel” in 1886 for travelers transferring from the end of the Pacific Coast Railway to stage coach.

Careful study of historic documents allowed the design team to reimagine how this significant landmark would continue to serve as the heart of the Los Olivos community for the next one hundred years.  Working with the surviving historic specimen trees, the landscape design pays homage to the rural western vernacular of the late 19thcentury with traditional Victorian-style plantings, expansive lawns, and formal walkways at the historic eastern side of the property. A new outdoor dining patio with overhead trellis was added to the Mattei’s Tavern building, in a similar style to the existing wood boardwalk and trellis at the main entrance. Visible from the dining patio are a new event barn, chef’s garden with painted brick planters, the refurbished historic water tower, and new event lawn.

Congratulations to the whole project team!


THE INN AT MATTEI’S TAVERN

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THE INN AT MATTEI'S TAVERN

Los Olivos, CA

Design Year 2019
Completed 2023


Project Type

Hospitality, Major Historic Renovation

Awards

Southern California Chapter of ASLA Quality of Life Awards/Honor Award 2023

Client

Strange Family Vineyards
Auberge Resorts

Collaborators

RRM Design Group | Civil Engineering
DMHA Architecture | Architect
Avroko | Interior Design
Ann Kale Associates | Lighting Design
True Nature | Irrigation Design

Lead Designers

Courtney Jane Miller
Nicole Horn

photos by Caitlin Atkinson
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SB BIERGARTEN

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SB BIERGARTEN

Santa Barbara, CA

Design Year 2017
Completed 2020


Project Type

Hospitality, Restaurant

Collaborators

RRM Design Group | Civil Engineering
DMHA Architecture | Architect
Henry Lenny | Design Architect

Lead Designer

Nicole Horn

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Santa Barbara Beautiful Awards 2023

This weekend our team was honored with an award for our Camino Viejo Residence from Santa Barbara Beautiful at their annual awards reception.  Congratulations to our wonderful clients, Chip and Betsy, for their vision and continued stewardship of the property; and to the Cearnal Collective for the outstanding architectural design!


Santa Barbara Beautiful Awards 2022

We are thrilled to announce that our team was recognized by the Santa Barbara Beautiful organization for three outstanding properties at the 2022 Santa Barbara Shines! awards ceremony.

UNITY OF SANTA BARBARA | 2022 Commercial Property Award


This project transformed an existing lawn at the front of a historic mid-century modern church building into an inviting courtyard and entry garden.  Designated as a Structure of Merit by the City of Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission, the existing building was constructed in 1958 in the mid-century modern style.  Our team designed the courtyard and gardens to complement the architectural design of the building and pay homage to the mid-century era, while addressing the functional needs of the Unity organization.

MAYEE PLAZA | 2022 Multi-Family Residence Award


This mixed-use infill housing project in the downtown core of Santa Barbara transformed an existing asphalt parking lot into a new multi-story development including 26 apartments and ground-floor commercial office space.  Our team designed a community courtyard in the space between the new building and the existing historic Louisa Ygnacio House to accommodate residents of the new apartments as well as employees and guests of to the commercial offices on the ground floor.  The decomposed granite, native California plants and Santa Barbara sandstone elements were selected to compliment the design language of the nearby Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

CABRILLO BALL PARK | 2022 Public Open Space Award

Together with the City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department, the CJM::LA team renovated an existing ball field on the Santa Barbara waterfront to address improved community programming, stormwater management and circulation.  A circuit walking trail with exercise equipment, better lighting and biofiltration plantings provide a sense of enclosure while maintaining important sight lines for public safety.


AIASB ARCHITECTOURS 2022 | FEATURING NEW WORK BY CJM::LA

The ArchitecTours is back in person this year, and we are excited to have two of our recent projects featured on the tour!  Hosted by the AIASB, the theme of this year’s tour is “Celebrate Santa Barbara.”

Mayee Plaza

Cabrillo Commercial Complex

From the AIASBThe projects on the tour this year include several unique residences; a contemporary cliffside home on The Mesa, a renovated modern farmhouse in Downtown Santa Barbara and two homes in Montecito that share a strong relationship with their natural surroundings. Also, on the tour are several historic building renovations including the former Hollister Family Office building and adobe.  Additionally, tour goers will also have the chance to visit two new multi-family housing buildings downtown that offer a range of unit sizes and amenities.

The tour will be held Saturday October 1st from 10am – 4pm and will culminate with a festive party.

To purchase tickets, click here.

We hope to see you there!


Direct Relief Honored with Merit Award at the SOCAL ASLA Quality of Life Awards

We are honored to announce that our Direct Relief Headquarters project has been recognized by the Southern California Chapter of the ASLA with a Merit Award in the General Design category at the 2021 Quality of Life Awards!  This year’s theme, “growing importance of the outdoors” celebrates outdoor space as a crucial part of our existence.

A collaboration with DMHA, the design of this new campus brought forward the concept of healing as a reference to our client’s mission as well as the ecological context of the site.

Led by Nicole Horn, this project has been recognized by multiple architectural, engineering and green building organizations for it’s exemplary design.  Congratulations Nicole!


COURTYARD AGOURA HILLS

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COURTYARD AGOURA HILLS

AGOURA HILLS, CA
Completed 2020


Project Type

Hospitality

Collaborators

ACRM Architects + Interiors
STANTEC | Civil Engineering

Lead Designer

Nicole Horn

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Celebrating Habitat for Humanity

This Saturday, May 22 Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County is honoring individuals and organizations that provided exemplary support and partnership over the past 20 years at their Habitat Homecoming Virtual Gala.  We are proud to be one of those partners, having helped design and build both the 12-unit Canon Perdido Affordable Homes project in Santa Barbara in 2014, as well as the 3-unit Sawyer Avenue Affordable Homes project in Carpinteria in 2019.  Both projects were realized in collaboration with DMHA Architecture.

Sawyer Avenue Affordable Homes, rendering by Ryan Mills | DMHA Architecture

At CJM::LA, we believe strongly in the need for equitable housing policies and affordable housing for all.  We are honored to partner with such an incredible organization to help families build and improve a place to call home.  The Canon Perdido Homes project accommodates housing for 44 people and 22 children, and the Sawyer Avenue Homes project accommodates housing for 14 people and 8 children.

Click here to purchase gala tickets, or here to make a donation.


WLAM 2021 | Ecological Wellness

April is World Landscape Architecture Month, and CJM::LA is celebrating by highlighting a few recent projects that demonstrate our focus on wellness.  As the third in a three-part post, this week we’re highlighting recent projects that promote ecological wellness.

Two projects that demonstrate our focus on ECOLOGICAL WELLNESS include: the restoration of Alamo Pintado Creek as part of our Mattei’s Tavern project (currently in construction) and various seating and display features for the Ventura Botanic Gardens. The Ventura Botanic Gardens is a non-profit established in 2005 with a mission to “create and maintain public gardens for the preservation, education, cultural contribution & enhancement of the entire community.” The 100+ acre garden will exhibit and conserve plants from Earth’s five Mediterranean climate zones, which are all adapted to our local coastal region. The gardens use recycled water for irrigation and provide habitat for native animals, insects and birds.

Alamo Pintado Creek is a riparian corridor immediately west of the new Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. Our design team, along with True Nature and Watershed Environmental, developed a planting and irrigation plan to restore 5,000 s.f. of riparian woodland with indigenous species from local seed stock. Additionally, we’re planting over 25,000 s.f. of native shrubs and 50+ native trees within 50′ of the creek bank. The restoration area also includes a multi-modal public trail (for bikes, pedestrians and horses) and stormwater biofiltration basin.


WLAM 2021 | Physical Wellness

April is World Landscape Architecture Month, and CJM::LA is celebrating by highlighting a few recent projects that demonstrate our focus on wellness.  As the second in a three-part post, this week we’re highlighting recent projects that promote physical wellness.

Two projects that demonstrate our focus on PHYSICAL WELLNESS include: the Ocean Meadows residences, a collaboration with DesignARC (currently in the permit process); and the renovation of Cabrillo Ball Park (completed in 2018). Both designs include outdoor recreation amenities for individual and group activities. Upon completion, Ocean Meadows will provide pedestrian and bike trail connections to the North Campus Open Space, a restored and preserved coastal open space for public access and passive recreation. It will also feature natural play areas for children and a shared residential street. Cabrillo Ball Park was an existing public ball field to which CJM::LA, together with the City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department, added a circuit walking trail with exercise equipment, better lighting and biofiltration plantings to provide a sense of enclosure while maintaining important sight lines for public safety.