For 25 years HALA Landscape Architecture (HALA) has provided professional services to clients throughout California and Arizona. Established in 1977 by James Hoffman, Owner and Principal, the firm has been a facet in the growing landscape of Silicon Valley by providing services to a diverse group of public agencies, developers, private organizations, individuals, and other design professionals. Over the years, HALA has developed an extensive portfolio of projects, specializing in the creation of master plans and contract documents for the construction of numerous projects including: mixed use communities, public works, high and low density housing, recreational facilities, retail shopping centers, churches, schools, residential estates, restaurants, storage facilities, and commercial and industrial office campuses. Through the 1980s the firm operated out of three offices and maintained a staff of approximately 20. The focus of the time was in the design and construction of the early corporate facilities for many of the larger technology companies which make up the Silicon Valley today. HALA worked with on developments for a number of such companies including Atari, Intel, Apple Computer, National Semiconductor, Amdahl, Lockheed and LSI Logic and participated in the development of many other business parks in the area. HALA assisted many cities in developing landscape guidelines for the use by other professionals. The business relationships and project experience which Jim Hoffman has acquired over the years has allowed the firm to stay active in the area and has made the firm a symbol of success and steadfastness. The firm downsized in the 1990s to a single office in San Jose as the firm recognized the shift many other offices were making to Computer Assisted Drafting. William Sowa, hired on in 1995, brought the digital age to the firm by setting up its first CAD workstation, introducing the office to a more advanced style of drawing production. William took the current design style of the office adapted it to the computer, streamlining the creation of landscape design and construction documents, office correspondence, and accounting. William quickly worked his way up to project manager, was licensed in 2000 and is currently a co-owner in the firm, as well a Principal Landscape Architect in charge of the current day to day operations. Over the years, William has continued to integrate new technologies into the office, increasing production and project output with a smaller staff and lower overhead, maintaining an output equal to that of many larger firms. In 2000, the office grew into a larger space in San Jose where it currently resides. It increased the number of workstations, incorporated an office intranet for document management, and added large format digital printing capabilities into its production environment. HALA continues to be involved heavily in the commercial, retail and industrial development of the greater Bay Area and is considered a key consultant in the area by many architects and developers. The firm continues to pursue a diverse assortment of projects in the field of Landscape Architectural Design. HALA has gained experience in many areas of design and construction due to a high percentage of our projects being implemented and constructed. The ever evolving construction industry enables us to take on new and exciting tasks which often demand the understanding of new design standards. Some innovative types of work we have become involved in over the past years include design and landscaping on structures, creek habitat restoration, and storm water collection and filtration. One goal of the firm is to constantly expand its knowledge of new techniques and solutions for designs which do not always fit the mold. Secondly, the goal to balance quality aesthetics along with resource conservation is a priority in the office. Resource efficient landscape design continues to be a major focus of the office as tighter water use restrictions become mandated. Lastly, the goal of offering our clients creative and innovative solutions as a design team keeps our hierarchy of design management continuously evolving. We allow the entire staff to offer design input into a project which encourages thinking about the end product from many different perspectives. From this process we are able to cultivate a cooperative idea to move forward with. Throughout the 25 years, our philosophy for the preparation of any design project that we undertake is that it be functional, practical, innovative, creative, sensitive to the environment, and responsive to the community. We find that our team approach to the development of each project results in the best and most practical solution for our clients. It is important that the owner, other design professionals, the user, and the Landscape Architect work together in cooperation to ensure that the design process proceeds toward a unified, relevant and practical design. HALA Staff James Hoffman Founding Principal William Sowa Principal Landscape Architect Lisa Hardin Project Manager Ashini Fernando Associate