Livingston Associates
San Diego

Livingston Associates Landscape Architecture and Planning, Douglas Livingston, principal, has provided its expertise to clients in California and Arizona since August1985. The firm emphasizes drought-tolerant plantings and water efficient irrigation designs for government, commercial, industrial, civic and residential projects. The firm services client needs through water conservation, land stewardship, proper budgeting/value engineering, vandal resistance and easy maintenance designs. Clients include the U.S. Navy, city of Coronado, city/county of San Diego, Metro Transit Development Board, Rancho Santa Fe Association and the University of California (Riverside and San Diego).

Residence, La Costa
The clients of this newly constructed residence with golf course and distant hill views requested an outdoor entertainment area with seating, built-in barbecue, serving counter and a fountain. Livingston designed paving that leads guests from the formal dining room through an outdoor living room to a raised circular dining area. Adjacent is a built-in barbecue station with a generous serving counter. A seatwall surrounds the dining area to expand seating capacity in a small area. Accent paving highlights an on-grade seating area focusing on a craftsman-style fountain at the opposite end of the yard.

Casa Retirement Community Park, San Diego
This small private park caters to the residents of this retirement community. The park was designed for passive use, including a walking path, memorial wall, a holiday tree and varied seating areas under a solid shade structure or dappled tree shade. The memorial and fountain walls divert views away from the adjacent access road and freeway. The small wall fountain helps mask freeway noise with soothing splashing water. The memorial wall not only screens pedestrians from the adjacent roadways, but provides a location for loved ones to memorialize family members on a metal vine. Indirect lighting highlights the memorial wall and fountain. Period light standards accent the pathway and seating areas.