Arcadia’s Derrik Eichelberger recently wrote an essay for Eden Magazine on the legacy of Lockwood de Forest and Derrik’s work on local, historic properties, such as ‘The Monastery’. Read here or through the link in our bio: /static/602569884ccb9a380ed13247/t/69864b9024bdcf4080b1d7dd/1770408848818/EDEN+Lockwood+and+ME+-+Derrik+Eichelberger.pdf
Happy Earth Day Friends! As the world seems to move faster and faster, a reminder to reflect and learn more about the earth, natural resources and our communities is ever more important. #earthday #landscapearchitecture @davidkaferphotography
Attention! We have a job opening for a full time position available here at our home office in Santa Barbara, California. We are seeking a Project Designer / Manager-Level Landscape Architect for our firm, specializing in high end site development and exterior landscape architectural design.
If interested, please visit to link in our bio for more information on the opening.
It’s open! The Michael Towbes Library Plaza at the SBPL has been a labor of love and commitment to our community through the trials that unfolded while building a public project through COVID and torrential rain storms. As @ljromano ‘s last design project, we are honored to see our community engaging with the space. Welcome back to the plaza! •
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#landscapearchitecture
#landscapedesign
#california
#santabarbara
#asla
#droughttolerant
#landscapearchitect
Arcadians spotted out in the community! Justin Manuel has been participating in the volunteer group of design professionals advising on State Street visioning process. The team has been making some good headway in recent months!
Arcadia is now in Nor Cal! We’ve opened an office at 2421 Polk Street in San Francisco to better serve our Northern California clients and projects. If you’re in the area, come for a visit. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for us up here!
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#landscapedesign
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#droughttolerant
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#montecito #sanfrancisco #losolivos #santaynez
Day 5 of the @outlandishventures Californian Odyssey.
A visit to a home originally designed in 1926 for Lockwood De Forest Junior - secreted down a lane - Todos Santos.
Built in the Beaux Arts style - he was known for using industrial materials. The garden is formal near the house then melts into the borrowed landscape - originally a clear view to the mountains (prior to urban spread).
In 2017-2019 it was remodelled gently and refreshed by @arcadia_studio Santa Barbara founders; landscape architects - Derrik Eichelberger and
Puck Erickson Lohnas.
Drought tolerant species were planted including Australia’s Lemon scented tea tree (Leptospermum petersonii) - expertly pruned, an espaliered Feijoa sellowiana, an exotic Olmediella betschleriana (Guatemalan Holly), existing roses and handsome Oaks of course.
#santabarbaragardens #gardendesign
Day 5 - Private Garden
This garden worked by Puck and Derrick to create a fabulous display of landscape architecture. Historical threads were also common in this garden and much of the old framework was essential to the gardens character developed from the vestiges of the layout and plantings that remained from the original estate. The garden set on 10 acres, where the home owners and Arcadia Studios embarked on a 20+ year journey planning and executing a series of gardens surrounding a new home that evokes the historic Mediterranean style and materials of the region, but with a flair for the exotic.
One of my favourite features of garden, beside the amazing endless rill, the paired glasshouses, numerous tiled water features, the palatial pool and the properties finely detailed outhouses, next to all those insanely huge botanical specimens was the orange orchard on a arrival. The orchard’s under storey was filled with a deep green native Californian grass and pockets of a light orange Kniphofia which were highlighted as the trees were fruiting. I can only imagine how this would look under a blue sky, unfortunately today was grey.
We were also gifted to be accompanied by the site’s head gardener Jay who worked with a team of four nurturing the various spaces with his horticultural expertise. What a garden!
Day 5 - Todos Santos
We visited 2 private gardens and the renowned Lotus Land gardens all of which had the landscape design work from Arcadia Studio. Accompanied by Derrik Eichelberger and Puck Erickson both founding principles of the practice we were treated to some outstanding examples of horticulture, design and beauty. Both Derrik and Puck were very friendly and modest in triumph of these spectacular gardens.
The first garden a historical garden where Lockwood de Forest had lived and practiced. In Lock’s own small garden on Todos Santos Lane, he carried out plans that employed his design skills to stunning effect. The family garden was visually linked to the mountain backdrop, dropping the middle out so that the eye traveled unimpeded across the garden to the mountains beyond. This use of the borrowed landscape is one of Lock’s great legacies. Today houses block the views to mountains and Arcadia Studios worked this area of garden to resolve the privacy issues, adding a sandstone wall terrace allowing the addition of a large olive to screen for privacy.
Lock’s home featured a lawn of kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) allowed to die back to brown in summer. While carefully designed, the garden catered to the family’s needs. The family loved to cook, and a herb garden right outside the kitchen door. Plants such as lavender and rosemary were chosen both for their color and smell. This was created as a special outdoor dining room. Arcadia Studios further develop this area to respond to the house renovation where the pond was widened to the same dimension as the doors opening onto this space. Enjoy!
Boxwood spheres might be in style at the moment, but they fit right into this timeless restoration of Lockwood de Forest’s home.
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#landscapearchitecture
#landscapedesign
#california
#santabarbara
#asla
#droughttolerant
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#missioncanyon
