California landscape architect #4820

Born in France, Annette learned landscape architecture at the Ecole Supérieure d'Architecture des Jardins, a four year design school in Paris. She also took drawing classes at the Beaux-Arts, enjoying the challenge of capturing figures in motion.

After earning her degree at ESAJ, she came to California, where she met Mike and earned a masters degree in landscape architecture from Cal Poly, Pomona.

She volunteers at the American River Water Education Center (ARWEC), helping to educate the public about water conservation and sustainable design.

Annette is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

When she's not designing landscapes, she paints watercolors and rows. She also enjoys travel.

Annette's work & projects

After graduating from ESAJ, she worked with several landscape architecture firms in Paris, designing rooftop and terrace gardens, commercial centers and other landscape features.

She worked at Befu-Donan Associates in Pasadena while at Cal Poly, remaining there until 1992, when she moved back to France with Mike. This firm specialized in parks and schools.

After moving back to France, she found a job as landscape architect in charge of the City of Argenteuil's Plan Vert (Green PLan). She designed parks, squares and streetscapes, then tried to link the city's parks and trails together to provide more recreational opportunities for the city's inhabitants. She also penned the layout of the gardens surrounding the new City Hall.

Once her temporary mission at Argenteuil ended, she worked on creating the first Flower Festival at Disneyland Paris. She coordinated new ideas and helped develop a new method for topiary construction.

After her experience at Argenteuil and Disney, Annette decided that she'd rather be in America in her own firm.

Annette lectured in the University of California, Davis landscape architecture program.

California landscape architect #4437

A native Californian, Mike first earned a degree in environmental studies from UCSC, then went on to get a masters degree in landscape architecture from Cal Poly, Pomona, where he met Annette.

Soon after getting married in 1990, they moved to France. "Of all the Americans I have to meet, I end up with one who wants to live in France!", Annette commented.

After almost six years in France, they moved to Sacramento, California to start their own landscape design firm.

In addition to design, Mike writes articles and gives lectures in various design related topics. His hobbies include photography and travel.

Mike's work & projects

Mike designed and built an addition to the Succulent Garden at the University of Santa Cruz Arboretum in 1986, before he'd even started with landscape architecture.

He worked part time (full time in summer) while attending Cal Poly, first at FMA drafting plans for model homes and planned urban developments, then at Clark and Green, where he drafted plans for parks, commercial centers and private residences.

After graduating, he worked for Befu-Donan Associates, in charge of CAD drafting. He mainly completed plans for parks and schools as well as keeping the computer system working smoothly.

In France, Mike worked for Urbespace, designing commercial centers, resorts, and an oceanfront boardwalk.

After Urbespace, Mike moved with a large project to Atelier Zoe to work directly with the architect preparing plans and models for a mixed use development north of Paris.

Upon completion of the project, Mike began working as a subcontractor with Groupe Esprit Lumière in Paris, preparing project proposals, translating plans from French to English for international projects, and eventually becoming the Design Director of Sogetraser. With the Groupe Esprit Lumière, he worked all over the world, designing a park in Indonesia, lighting and concepts for the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, drafting plans for façade lighting of the Louvre, Palaca Sponza, and other monuments around the world.

When the Groupe Esprit Lumiere merged with another company, Mike decided along with Annette that it was time to start our own firm, and that it was much easier to do this in America than in France.

Mike is a lecturer in the University of California, Davis landscape architecture program.

He is a past president of the California Sierra Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)