FormLA Landscaping

Home Improvement Professionals , Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers
13 Reviews
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FormLA Landscaping
13 Reviews

Urban Habitat with Native Edibles

The Gateway at Willowbrook, a new 105-unit tax credit senior community by Thomas Safran and Associates, includes 22 units for people previously without homes. Amenities include a ground floor public library, as well as spacious residents' only community room, computer room, laundry, gym and landscaped gardens with an outdoor lounge and barbecue area. The landscaped areas, like the rest of the project, are designed to create community among residents, as well as to feed resident health and resilience.
Project Year: 2018
Others who worked on this project: Lesly Hall Photography
The residents' entrance to the Gateway is surrounded with lush, leafy, low water foliage native and climate-compatible foliage that cools the space and provides a restful ambiance.
Lush, Leafy Entrance
Near the entrance, a Marina Strawberry Tree (Arbutus 'Marina') blooms with delicate pink bells. 20-30 feet at full height, it provides both shade and a protected feeling. In addition to its evergreen foliage and blooms, it delivers showy, edible fruit. It joins other edibles in the ground level...
Strawberry Marina Tree
The entrance is a pleasant place for visitors to wait or to simply enjoy the verdant space filled with blooms and all they attract, including birds and butterflies.
Seating with a View
Hot Lips Saliva, along with Hummingbird Sage and Common Yarrow, attract butterflies to the planted spaces at the entrance and alongside the dining patio.
Butterfly Garden
California native oak trees live inside the resident garden, on the building's mezzanine level and at key points around the property's perimeter. These trees offer distinctive benefits including deep shade, drought tolerance, and the ability to attract birds, butterflies, and native fauna. Photo:...
Oak Tree
A native oak, umbrellas and pergola shade the dining patio from direct sun. The area stays cool all day and helps reduce the energy needs of adjacent indoor spaces.
The Gateway at Willowbrook
Nature has a profound impact on health and measurably reduces stress. Even views of foliage have been shown to have healing effects. For this reason, great care was taken to ensure the beauty of views from indoors. Soon vines will grow to cover fencing, leaving only lush, leafy greenery beyond the...
Room with a View
Fire pits attract an audience - a great way to encourage people to gather! This one sits just to the side of the dining patio, warming the space on cool nights and mornings.
Foliage Wrapped Fire Pit
Gurgling water from this petite fountain is audible and visible from both the interior and the outdoor dining patio. Shaded by a roof extension, little if any water is allowed to evaporate. The water that spills from its side infiltrates the ground to feed the lush, leafy greenery that surrounds it.
Water-Wise Fountain
Wrapped in greenery, the lush and leafy garden contains hedges of edible Catalina Cherry, lime and lemon trees, outdoor dining and an outdoor kitchen and BBQ.
Bridged Bioswale to Outdoor Kitchen
Diverse, high-quality, natural elements bring beauty to each detail. Here the natural stone of the bioswale and walkway of concrete pavers intersects with the wood bridge and California native Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) blooms.
High Quality, Natural Materials
Hedges of edible Catalina Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia), a great alternative to LA's ubiquitous ficus, line the residents' garden. In the spring, these drought tolerant, evergreen shrubs fill with delicate white flowers. In fall, they produce a bountiful and yummy harvest that delights the birds.
Catalina Cherry
The outdoor kitchen sits just outside an indoor kitchen, a perfect combination for entertaining! Deep foliage provides privacy and, along with an arbor and umbrellas, help cool the space.
The Gateway at Willowbrook
A well lit walkway wrapped in California native Catalina Cherry and Oregon Grape entices exploration. Even this narrow strip of planted space between the building and walk can play a part in capturing stormwater, reducing runoff, and cooling the space.
Wandering Walkway
To make nature even more accessible, garden areas fill the second floor mezzanine with shade, flowering trees and fragrant native foliage. This bird and butterfly habitat is complemented by a gurgling water feature.
Mezzanine Garden
The area is so deeply shaded by tree cover, the elevated garden supports shade-loving plants like this Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata) and nearby Alumroot.
Giant Chain Fern
Here again, there is ample outdoor seating for dining, studying or simply enjoying the sunshine and greenery.
The Gateway at Willowbrook
Fragrant Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa) spills from the elevated gardens, attracting birds, butterflies and childrenn. Its purple pom-pom blooms are delightful. Its deep, evergreen foliage delivers its minty scent to the breeze, even when it is not in bloom.
Fragrant Coyote Mint
Residents have views of vibrant, healing greenery from their units. As these trees grow, upper units will gain more cooling shade and, with it, reduced energy costs.
Residents' View
The developer and landscape design team worked together to ensure that there would be ample green space. Softening hardscapes with foliage has been shown to decrease stress responses - we think it also creates opportunities for delight!
Greenery Everywhere
The driveway, which parallels a nearby freeway exit, is lined with lush, leafy native foliage and trees. At present, it welcomes residents home. As it grows, the greenery will completely obscure the view of the freeway and serve as a beautiful welcome to Willowbrook for those exiting the freeway on...
Joyous Welcome Home
Vines cover the retaining wall between the driveway and residents' garden, creating a sense of protected, verdant space.
Vine Covered Fencing and Walls
This once vacant lot now provides safe, shaded, walkable space to residents and the community. As these trees grow, they will not only shade the sidewalk, they will cool and clean the air.
Shaded Parkway
Tree cover in the compact areas that wrap the outside of the property welcomes feathered friends. Even Hummingbirds need a place to rest from time to time!
Bird Garden
California native foliage outside the ground floor library ensures there are beautiful views from meeting rooms and community space. It also softens the feel of the property for those walking by. Even these small planted space have a profound impact on the property's perceived value as well as its...
Views and Vibrance
Indian Mallow (Abutilon palmeri) blooms 10 months of the year in Los Angeles. In fall, it takes center stage.
24/7, Year Round Blooms
Photographed in fall, the garden was full of silver Indian Mallow foliage dancing with delicate golden yellow blooms.
Indian Mallow
While pre-existing Palm trees are iconic to LA and the area, they provide little shade to the sidewalk or residences. Inside and out, we added native and climate compatible trees to bring ground level shade, habitat, and a sense of comfort and security to the site. Photo: Lesly Hall Photography
Pre-Existing Palm Trees
Thomas Safron and Associates not only preserved space on site for foliage, it leased an adjacent vacant lot and planted a variety of shade trees. This space sits between the residences, a 110 freeway exit, and the Rosa Parks Metro Stop. It will soon be deeply forested, cooling and cleaning the air....
Forested Space
The forested area beautifies the entrance to the Willowbrook community as well as the views of the north-facing residences. As the trees grow, they will also cool the residences and community.
Treeful Space