Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture

My review for Carson Douglas is WAYYYYYYY overdue and not reflective of the very professional services rendered. I contacted Michael Brennan in 2017 about the possibility of putting together a design for our yard at our Poway home. It was a complete redo and, for me at least, an overwhelming project. Michael was so easy to work with and very responsive. Our contractor, Vorce Construction, and Michael worked well together in making adjustments to the design as we moved through the project. I was definitely a smaller client for Michael but was never treated differently than I think he treats his commercial clients. He was always there to help work through questions and design alterations with me or my contractor. My husband and I are sooooo happy with the results!!!! I would highly recommend Carson Douglas. Michael was very professional and just a super nice person!

We have worked with Bill Joyce for over 4 years - at our ranch in Santa Ynez, CA. He and his team designed our beautiful enclosed vegetable garden, as well as light and water fixtures. We also redesigned our landscaping, wanting to decrease our water footprint, so we focused mostly on drought resistant plants in Mediterranean style. A beautiful mixture of succulents, cactus, lavender and drought resistant grasses. Very happy with it!

We were provided landscape plans for design and consulting assistance throughout the project for a back yard. This includes a fire pit. a pool rehab, patio design, outdoor bar and kitchen, and planters. We are very happy with the yard! The attention to detail with plant choice and placement was spot on. I appreciated that they took into consideration and used native plants relative to the area. Contemporary, clean and artistic!

We have worked with Michael on a number of custom residential projects. He was courteous, respectful, professional and a valuable asset to the project. His designs are thoughtful, creative and inspiring while complementing the design aesthetic of the home. I would not hesitate to recommend him and Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture and have done so repeatedly.

I have used Carson Douglas for three of my recent urban developments. Their designs have been widely appreciated and beyond good design they provide great service. They have always been one of the few consultants I use that delivers when and what they say they are going to deliver. I don't remember them ever giving me an excuse as to why something was not completed on time. I highly recommend their services.

Michael Brennan listened carefully to our ideas, goals, and wishes for our new landscape design, and came back with a beautiful plan that accomplishes what we wanted and more. He has returned to answer questions and give us guidance as we’ve worked simultaneously on both the landscape and a complete remodel of our old Craftsman house. My husband and I have found Michael a pleasure to work with, professional, knowledgeable about plants, lighting, construction, and of course contemporary garden design and water-wise gardens. We highly recommend Caron Douglas Landscape Architecture.

My husband and I hired Carson Douglas Landscape to help us replace the aging water-treatment facility for our guesthouse that lies very close to the ocean. We had to create a leachfield, but the hated the usual design for such devices: a mound that has no coherence with the existing topography. It was a huge project, and required substantial imagination to make the leachfield blend into the existing topography. Carson Douglas Landscaping did what no one else that we'd talked to was capable of even imagining. And I know that the firm will provide you before and after photographs, and so I won't include any with this review. But the imaginative solution was only one note-worthy part of this project -- the other, and equally consequential, was how the plan was executed. New and unforeseen factors arose along the way, and Carson Douglas responded. We are delighted with the result: you would think you were simply looking at a lawn that had existed for years, and have no idea of the sewerage-treatment function that is included.

We have teamed with Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture on several projects. They are very professional, creative and personable. They have excellent design skills that make our architecture projects better by creating outdoor "rooms" and spaces that encourage interaction with our Southern California climate. Their designs are natural material based and the planting palettes are contemporary, textured, regional and typically low water use or eco-friendly. We would highly recommend collaborating with them on any project from residential to large scale commercial.

Before discovering the professionals at CDLA, we used a different firm whose name shall not be divulged. This first company we used charged us a significant amount of money and did not deliver good value. We made the switch to Carson Douglas and have not regretted it. They are professional in their communication, presentation, and ideas. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a solid landscape architect. Thanks William and Michael!

My Company (Seacoast Cabinets) has worked with many landscape architects over the years in San Diego and must say that Carson Douglas is one of the most professional and genuine companies out there. William is more like an artist with his painting when it comes to landscaping, he coordinates the colors and textures of the plants that capture an energy, a cool vibe and compliments the home. This is about art, not just landscaping. William is a true artist with nature, one of the best I have seen in San Diego!

At our firm we have dealt with many landscape architects and have most liked working with Carson Douglas. They truly take into consideration client needs and wants and have created a better product than what our clients could have imagined. They've succeeded in creating inviting outdoor spaces that give projects the details to be aesthetically and functionally pleasing.

We worked extensively with Michael Brennan in developing the landscaping for a new house in La Jolla. We were striving--and obtained--LEED Platinum status, and Michael made a substantial contribution to obtaining that rating. The landscaping was designed to capture 99% of the runoff from the property, which is important because we are very close to the ocean. The design includes has several terraces and water runs into an interesting swale at the lower elevation, by the street. We used primarily drought tolerant plants and trees and succulents, with an interesting use of boulders and rocks. Since it was a complicated project, and our home new home was under construction, we began planning the landscaping in the Spring of 2011 but the installation was not completed until late 2012. Because we have young grandchildren, we wanted a small plot of grass for play with them, and for bocce ball, and Michael used the lowest water usage grass--Buffalo Grass--which has worked quite well. People walking and driving along our street often stop to admire the landscaping and several people have specific asked us about who did the work and what plants we utilized. We are very pleased with the project and really enjoyed working with Michael.