2026 Elemental Design Group, Inc.
Landscape Architect in Santa Cruz County
Landscape Design & Build from Coastal Gardens to Mountain Retreats
Elemental Design Group is a licensed, award-winning landscape architecture firm with a studio in Boulder Creek, at the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Led by Rhadiante Van de Voorde, ASLA, a landscape architect with over three decades of experience, our team provides full-service landscape architecture and design for discerning homeowners throughout Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Capitola, Aptos Hills, Boulder Creek, and Watsonville.
WHAT WE DO
Landscape Architecture Design & Build Services Across Santa Cruz County
Landscape Architecture & Design
Full-service planning, concept development, and architectural drawings tailored to the diverse terrain and microclimates of Santa Cruz County: coastal flats, beachside lots, steep forested hillsides and mountain ridgelines. Every design is site-specific, sustainable, and crafted to feel as if it always belonged there.
Plant Selection & Habitat-Sensitive Planting Design
Santa Cruz County's ecosystems range from coastal scrub and redwood understory to chaparral and riparian corridors. We develop plant palettes that work with these native communities: drought-tolerant, fire-aware, and ecologically appropriate, while creating spaces of genuine beauty and seasonal interest.
Hardscape, Stone & Custom Fabrication
From weathered redwood decking, cedar pergolas, and natural boulder integration on mountain properties, to polished concrete, tile, and coastal-inspired stonework for beachside homes in Capitola and Santa Cruz, our hardscape and custom fabrication work is always rooted in the character of the site.
Hillside Grading, Retaining Walls & Drainage
The steep terrain of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Aptos Hills demands serious engineering and design vision. We manage complex grading, retaining wall design, and drainage solutions, including erosion control and stormwater management, creating beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.
Pools, Spas & Water Features
From hillside plunge pools and spa terraces carved into the Santa Cruz Mountains, to coastal courtyard fountains and naturalistic water features echoing the streams of the redwood forest, we design water elements that feel native, transforming your outdoor space into one you'll never want to leave.
Contractor Selection & Project Oversight
We maintain trusted contractor relationships throughout Santa Cruz County and manage every phase of installation so your project is executed exactly as designed, on time and on budget. Our vetted local network means the right people are on your site from day one.
Landscape Architecture & Design
Full-service planning, concept development, and architectural drawings tailored to the diverse terrain and microclimates of Santa Cruz County: coastal flats, beachside lots, steep forested hillsides and mountain ridgelines. Every design is site-specific, sustainable, and crafted to feel as if it always belonged there.
Plant Selection & Habitat-Sensitive Planting Design
Santa Cruz County's ecosystems range from coastal scrub and redwood understory to chaparral and riparian corridors. We develop plant palettes that work with these native communities: drought-tolerant, fire-aware, and ecologically appropriate, while creating spaces of genuine beauty and seasonal interest.
Hardscape, Stone & Custom Fabrication
From weathered redwood decking and natural boulder integration on mountain properties, to polished concrete, tile, and coastal-inspired stonework for beachside homes in Capitola and Santa Cruz, our hardscape and custom fabrication work is always rooted in the character of the site.
Hillside Grading & Retaining Walls
The steep terrain of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Aptos Hills demands serious engineering and design vision. We manage complex grading, retaining wall design, and drainage solutions, including erosion control and stormwater management, creating beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.
Pools, Spas & Water Features
From hillside plunge pools and spa terraces carved into the Santa Cruz Mountains, to coastal courtyard fountains and naturalistic water features echoing the streams of the redwood forest, we design water elements that feel native, transforming your outdoor space into one you'll never want to leave.
Contractor Selection & Project Oversight
We maintain trusted contractor relationships throughout Santa Cruz County and manage every phase of installation so your project is executed exactly as designed, on time and on budget. Our vetted local network means the right people are on your site from day one.
OUR CREDENTIALS
CA Landscape Architect License #3944 | CA Landscape Contractor License #926561
As a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Elemental Design Group upholds the profession’s highest standards of design, sustainability, and ethical practice. Designing in this county means understanding all of it and for clients in Santa Cruz County, that membership is a mark of confidence that you’re working with a credentialed firm that is recognized and accountable at a national level.
What Our Santa Cruz Clients Say
Designing for the Soul of the Santa Cruz Coast & Mountains
Santa Cruz County holds a rare duality. It is simultaneously one of California’s most beloved coastal destinations and one of its most dramatic mountain landscapes.
Elemental Design Group isn’t just a firm that serves Santa Cruz County, we’re based here. Our Boulder Creek studio sits in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the landscapes of this region are ones we know intimately. A garden in Capitola calls for salt tolerance, coastal color, and a relaxed, sun-drenched sensibility. A property in Boulder Creek demands respect for the forest, sensitivity to fire risk, and materials that age gracefully in a shaded, high-moisture environment. A hillside home in Aptos Hills needs engineering as much as artistry.
That local presence matters in practical ways too. Santa Cruz County properties often involve complex permitting: Coastal Commission jurisdiction for beachside and bluff properties, county grading permits for hillside sites, and fire-safe landscaping requirements for properties in the Santa Cruz Mountains’ high-risk zones. We navigate all of it, and we do so with the relationships and institutional knowledge that only come from being genuinely embedded in this community.
Rhadiante Van de Voorde, ASLA, brings four decades of landscape architecture experience to every Santa Cruz County project, along with a design philosophy that honors the wild, layered beauty of this region while creating spaces that are deeply livable and enduring.
Creating New Space on a Santa Cruz Slope
This Santa Cruz property presented one of the most common and most challenging design problems on the Central Coast: a steep, underutilized slope with significant erosion issues and no usable outdoor living space. Working with the natural grade rather than against it, we designed a series of connected terraced spaces anchored by a new pool, integrated planting beds, and a stone retaining wall system that is as beautiful as it is structural. The result is a property that now lives twice as large as it did before with outdoor spaces the family uses year-round.
Landscape Architecture in Santa Cruz County — Your Questions Answered
Yes. Our Boulder Creek studio is located in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Santa Cruz County is home territory for us, and we bring genuine local knowledge of the region’s terrain, microclimates, plant communities, and permitting environment to every project we take on here.
We serve homeowners throughout Santa Cruz County, including Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Capitola, Aptos Hills, Boulder Creek, and Watsonville. Our studio is based in Boulder Creek, and we have deep roots across the entire county.
Landscape projects in the Santa Cruz Mountains often involve county grading permits for hillside work, fire-safe landscaping requirements for properties in designated high fire hazard severity zones, and in some cases Coastal Commission jurisdiction for properties near the coast. We have extensive experience navigating Santa Cruz County’s permitting landscape and prepare all required documentation as part of our full-service process.
Fire safety is a critical design consideration for any property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Our planting designs incorporate defensible space principles, fire-resistant plant species, and strategic placement of vegetation relative to structures without sacrificing beauty or ecological value. We design landscapes that are both stunning and responsible.
Project costs vary based on scope, site complexity, and scale. For a full-service residential project in Santa Cruz County including site analysis, concept design, architectural drawings, plant selection, and contractor oversight, design fees typically range from $15,000 to $50,000+, with total project budgets (design + installation) commonly ranging from $75,000 to $400,000+ depending on the scope. We’re happy to discuss your project and provide a clear fee proposal at no obligation.
Absolutely. Hillside and slope properties are among our specialties. We have extensive experience with complex grading, tiered retaining wall systems, erosion control, and drainage design on steep terrain throughout Aptos Hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Boulder Creek. We approach every hillside project as both an engineering challenge and a design opportunity.
Ready to Transform Your Santa Cruz Landscape?
From coastal gardens in Capitola to forested retreats in Boulder Creek. Let's design something extraordinary together. Contact our Boulder Creek studio to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your vision, your site, and how Elemental Design Group can bring it to life.