Landscape architecture in California is much more than a design discipline. It is also technical, ecological, and regulatory requirements that shape how homes, communities, and public spaces function in one of the most climate-impacted regions in the country. Drought, fire exposure, water restrictions and the rising importance of outdoor living have redefined what it means to design for this extraordinary and unique ecology.
Why Landscape Architecture Matters in California
California demands landscapes that work as hard as they look good. They must manage water, respond to heat, reduce fire risk, support native ecology, and meet evolving building requirements. They must operate as both environmental systems and as outdoor living spaces with a host of amenities.
Shades of Green designs with those realities at the center. Their work includes conceptual design, planting strategy, construction documentation, material selection, long-term planning, navigate permit requirements and field coordination. This allows the studio to maintain design consistency from the earliest sketch through installation.
For clients, this delivers one clear value: landscapes that are technically sound, environmentally aware, and visually restrained in a way that ages well over time.
A Studio Focused on Beauty, Nature, and Practicality
When asked to define her brand, Haugeland is clear. Design comes first, supported by an understanding of plants, materials, and environmental function. "The main reason I am in this business is for design, the love of plants and nature, the love of colors and shapes and the beautiful spaces they can make. The foundation is sustainability and usability. We are trying to create spaces that feel good to be in. Spaces where people can relax and enjoy the benefit of beauty and nature."
This balance of aesthetics and practicality has earned the studio a strong reputation among clients who want outdoor spaces that feel sophisticated and contemporary, without compromising ecological responsibility.
A Scandinavian Eye on California
Founder Ive Haugeland established Shades of Green in 2004 after earning her California license in 2003. She brought a Scandinavian design point of view that emphasizes clarity, restraint, and an intuitive understanding of nature.
"There is so much to love in California; the weather, the nature, the light, the diversity, the talented design community, the great range of plants that can grow here. It is an exciting and challenging place to be a landscape architect."
Her work blends contemporary design with sustainable practice, shaped by years of observing how landscapes behave in different climates. The studio's small-team structure is intentional. "You have to find the people that have the skills you don't have, and that can work well together. " she said. Staying small allows the studio to remain close to every detail, including drawings, materials, planting, and field work.
Sustainability as Standard Practice
When Haugeland first arrived in California, landscape design often favored more traditional aesthetics, with limited emphasis on water reduction, wildfire resilience, or native planting. "When I came here, there were design trends that were more traditional and pseudo-European," she said. Sustainability was only starting to emerge.
"We started early observing the fragility of this wonderful environment" she said. We studied and learned about and integrated green roofs, rain gardens, low water plants, permeable surfaces etc in our projects, but still with design as the overarching goal. That long-standing experience gives clients foresight and technical confidence, and a focused, unique character.
Today, sustainability is the baseline. The studio integrates systems such as rainwater capture, recycled water, bioretention swales, rain gardens, low-water plant palettes, green roofs, and reused materials. These decisions support ecological function while meeting the realities of California's climate and soils. We work with, rather than force change to the environment.
Technology, Visualization, and Human Craft
Technology guides and help focus the studio's design process. AutoCAD, InDesign, Photoshop, Rhino, and Lumion are part of their daily workflow. Haugeland expects artificial intelligence to accelerate visualization and iteration. "AI is going to change things a lot, especially illustratively for design," she noted.
Yet the studio intentionally preserves the human element which ensures design continuity and enables the team to control the entire process, from concept to sourcing to on-site refinements. Clients increasingly value that level of care.
In the luxury residential segment, where trust and communication determine much of the experience, the studio's approach, precise but personal, remains a differentiator.
A Boutique Studio With a Clear Direction
As the United States landscape design sector continues to grow steadily through 2030, Shades of Green is positioned with clarity and restraint. These qualities often endure longer than trend-focused design.
The studio's small-team model, sustainability commitment, and attention to detail align with a future shaped by environmental pressure, evolving codes, and increasing demand for design that performs as well as it looks.
For Haugeland, the work remains rooted in one purpose: create landscapes that support the land, elevate the architecture, and serve the people who live with them, quietly, intelligently, and with intention. And above all, to create a lasting beauty that changes with the season, matures over time and becomes one with the families who live with them.
