Steve Martino and Associates
Phoenix

For the past 30 years, landscape architect Steve Martino, FASLA, has been committed to developing and advancing landscape architecture in the Southwest. A recurring theme in Martino?EUR??,,????'???s work is the juxtaposition of man-made elements with the ecological processes of the region, which he refers to as ?EUR??,,????'??Weeds and Walls?EUR??,,????'???. His innovations in design and horticultural practices have earned more than 100 local and national design awards, including nine National ASLA Design Awards and the induction of two gardens into the Smithsonian Institute?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??Archives of American Gardens?EUR??,,????'??.

Ocotillo Drive Residence, Paradise Valley, AZ

This garden is a dramatic remodel of a small multi-level backyard carved from a hillside. The original backyard consisted of exotic plants muddled together with boulder retaining walls, a lost opportunity when contrasted with the fabulous virgin desert visible just beyond the existing patio. A main objective was to create a place for the owners?EUR??,,????'??? two large outdoor sculptures, so Martino told the clients ?EUR??,,????'??not to think of the space as a small backyard, but as the biggest room in the house.?EUR??,,????'?? The garden is connected to the interior living spaces with a wall of new glass doors. The garden elements were selected to connect the house to the garden, and the garden to the desert beyond as a celebration of the natural landscape. The shade structure?EUR??,,????'???s vibrant form and color plays with the sharp desert light to create powerful shadow compositions.

Casa Blanca, Scottsdale, AZ

This stately ninety-year-old adobe landmark was Martino?EUR??,,????'???s fourth project for this family. The owners respected the rustic quality of the house, and wanted the landscape to portray a Sonoran Desert aesthetic as a contrast to the prevalent faux Tuscan style. The clients did not want the property to have a ?EUR??,,????'??designed?EUR??,,????'??? look, insisting the area appear as though it were developed organically over time by gardeners. Martino met their vision by ?EUR??,,????'??un-designing?EUR??,,????'??? the terraces, paths, fences and patio, and adding mature desert trees and massive numbers of cactus. Elements like the exterior adobe pavers, ocotillo fence, and cactus roof reinforce the feeling that this desert garden has been around for decades.

Arizona Falls, Phoenix, AZ

Arizona Falls is a public art project featuring a dramatic 20-foot waterfall at a historically significant water reclamation site along the Arizona Canal. The first hydroelectric power plant in Phoenix was built on the site in 1902, and was eventually shut down in 1950. When the site was re-commissioned, the utility company installed a highly efficient generator that only required 50 percent of the available water that flowed through the falls to function. A design team chosen by national competition was commissioned to direct the other half of the canal?EUR??,,????'???s flow into a water feature. Using the history of the site as inspiration, Martino and the other designers incorporated the existing landforms and structure in the new design, acknowledging the history of the project and its importance to the area. Elevated aqueducts on either side release water back into the canal, creating a pair of gravity-fed waterfalls.

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