APLD Honors Arca

The Association of Professional Landscape Designers honored Suzanne Arca as the International Landscape Designer of the Year during the association's recent international design conference.

The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) has named Suzanne Arca, ASLA, CLCA, APLD, of Suzanne Arca Design, an Albany, Calif. based landscape design/build company, International Landscape Designer of the Year.

The esteemed panel of judges called Arca's Lafayette, Calif. residential meadow garden entry ''a stunning masterpiece with strong curves winding through areas of masterful planting design.''

With just under one acre, Arca and her team were challenged with designing a child-friendly space with adventure areas, boulders to climb and open spaces for ball games. She also wanted to give the young parents ''grown-up'' outdoor rooms for eating, entertaining and a casual aesthetic that wed the natural Lafayette backdrop of oak woodland and scrub with sustainable plantings that require low water use and maintenance.

The transformation included removing a sea of asphalt in the front of the property and many small lawns and hedges. These were replaced with Mariposa slate, golden gravel, natives and other Mediterranean climate compatible plants.

''Receiving the International Designer of the Year Award for 2011 from the APLD is truly an honor,'' Arca said. ''To win for a project I enjoyed so much and that I continue to be involved with makes it even sweeter.''

''APLD congratulates Suzanne Arca on her winning entry. The entire design, construction, and maintenance team at Suzanne Arca Design have indeed shown a superb example of what they call 'transformational design','' said William Healy, APLD, chairman of the APLD Awards Committee. ''This year's panel of judges all agreed that the project deftly transformed a typical suburban yard into a sophisticated and sustainable design.''