Jonathan Ceci Landscape Architects (JCLA) is a young design practice in Baltimore, Maryland with an outpost in Brooklyn, New York. Founding principal Jonathan Ceci launched the firm in 2018 out of a desire to provide clients with a higher level of design service and a commitment to the distinctness of landscape architecture as a hybrid discipline. Though small in number, the firm has an outsized impact, working in diverse environments across the continental U.S. Recent projects range from the estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River to the boroughs of New York, the piedmont of South Carolina, the Mississippi Delta, the prairies of Iowa and Oklahoma, and the desert Southwest. The firm's stated mission is to expose and distill what is extraordinary and beautiful in each unique place. Campuses, parks, urban settings, working waterfronts, and garden design are JCLA's most significant practice areas, made possible by careful listening and fun, engaging dialogue with stakeholders. Across all project types, the firm aspires to create thriving plant communities, spaces that perform well for people, and durable, well-crafted details.
Software used: AutoCAD, Rhinoceros, Sketchup, Lumion,
Adobe Creative Suite, ArcMap

Ruxton Hillside, Ruxton, Maryland

A: JCLA's design for this steeply sloping property transforms an unusable yard into refined garden rooms and turf terraces for everyday living, entertaining, and play. Stone stairs and low retaining walls cascade down the hillside, creating habitable spaces under the dappled shade of mature Tulip Poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera). A veranda steps down to an intimate garden alley, an outdoor kitchen, and a dining terrace. The main garden provides a large, flat lawn for playing as well as hosting garden parties and family events.

 

The Study at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

B: As the Landscape Architect, JCLA helped transform the Study at Johns Hopkins University's historic structure into a boutique hotel with new streetscapes and private outdoor terraces, contributing to a fresh, vibrant urban setting. The building entry was transformed into a welcoming space with a new marquee, a monumental granite stair, an accessible ramp, and lush plantings. Communicating with the hotel lobby, an outdoor living room provides hotel guests a perched overlook of the Charles Village neighborhood.

University Baptist Church,
Baltimore, MD

C: University Baptist Church and its sanctuary, sit across from Johns Hopkins' campus. Sloping lawns are replaced with flat terraced lawns using perimeter seat walls to retain grades and provide a level platform events. The plaza has been constructed to welcome visitors along with a children's play garden for both church members and neighbors.

Clemson University Reflection Pond,
Clemson, SC

D: The iconic heart of Clemson's campus is a large reflection pond. JCLA is helping plan a phased renovation that will transform this beloved landscape feature into a more accessible, engaging campus landscape with intentional gathering spaces. JCLA has helped the University formulate a vision for the future character and programming of the space and is currently preparing detailed designs for the initial construction phases.

Traci Atkins Park Vision Plan, Baltimore, Maryland

D: This master plan reimagines a small pocket park in West Baltimore, JCLA guided neighbors through a series of conversations, and the resulting. Vision Plan received a 2024 Maryland ASLA Merit Award in General Design (Unbuilt). The plan features a lush grove and reclaimed stone seating. An expanded playground incorporates nature- and water-based play. An existing basketball court is retrofitted to accommodate futsal games. The centerpiece is the new South Lawn, a pastoral open space for informal gathering and recreation.