Who is Simmonds & Associates?
A leading Bay-Area based landscape architecture and urban design firm, specializing in residential, commercial and public space design. The firm is founded on over thirty years of practice on three continents, bringing a vast and varied experience to our projects.
Our philosophy:
Listening is one of our most important skills. In working with our clients to create outdoor environments rooted in nature, we create places that are truly unique, and are a sanctuary from the stresses of life and an environment that nourishes the spirit. We design outdoor environments to inspire those who enjoy them, and diligently listen to our clients to ensure that we are creating their dreams, not ours – making every project unique and exciting.
Our commitment to creating environmentally conscientious, dramatic, and alluring outdoor spaces is consistently successful for private residences, commercial or public places.
“If the artist has outer and inner eyes for nature, nature rewards him by giving him inspiration.” – Wassily Kandinsky
Our Trademark Skills
We are constantly exploring innovative alternatives, both for landscape design solutions and for landscape materials. New and provocative design solutions, whether they be in the spatial geometry of the project, or in the materials that form the space, are actively sought for each new project.
Creativity
A part of our creativity is in finding new ways to practice ecologically sensitive landscape design. While many are just now jumping on the ecological bandwagon, we have been advocating and using native plants from the outset, and introduced ornamental grasses to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980’s, before they were recognized as appropriate for our Mediterranean climate.
Sustainability
During the design phase, we consider the long term. We know that ongoing maintenance is costly. In the majority of projects that we encounter, it has also been detrimental to the long-term health and viability of the landscape – that’s one reason we are called in to help. From the outset, we consider the appropriate plant material that will thrive in your particular microclimates, and require the least amount of water and maintenance to achieve your objectives. We aim to achieve an ecologically responsible landscape by incorporating the following practices.
Warren Simmonds
Learn more about the visionary

Part scholar of ornamental grasses, part master of all elements water, part sculptor of nature, Warren Simmonds uses an approach to Landscape Architecture that is deeply rooted in nature. The firm focuses on the idea of “sanctuary,” creating one-of-a-kind outdoor places that provide a respite from the stresses of life and nourish the spirit.
Founding San Anselmo, CA-based landscape architecture firm, Simmonds & Associates, Inc. in 1994 was a natural extension of Warren’s creative zeitgeist.
Prior to founding his own firm he tenured as both Project Manager and Landscape Architect for Eldon Beck Associates (San Rafael, CA), as Landscape Architect for Leffingwell Associates (Sausalito, CA), as Landscape Architect for Land Design International (Burleigh Heads, Australia) and as Landscape Architect for Al-Zoen Sekki Landscape Company (Tokyo, Japan.) Warren’s 30 plus years of experience is built on a unique project spectrum spread over three continents; residential garden design, commercial and retail design, hospital and school campus design, tropical and mountain resort projects and residential estates.
Warren received his degree in Landscape Architecture from The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and is currently licensed in the state of California
What people are saying
The beauty of our work speaks for itself, so does the joy we bring our clients.
“I have to pay you a compliment on the quality of your plans. Of all the projects we review and bid (C&D has bid about $100 million in Construction over the past two years), yours have set themselves apart in the completeness of your drawings. There are no holes and no questions about how to build your design vision. And believe it or not, that is highly unusual. I truly respect the quality of your designs. And I look forward to working together and actually building one of your projects!
We could not be more pleased! We just completed a relandscape our front yard and what a remarkable transformation. Warren listened to our desires and crafted a landscape plan that blends beautifully to our surroundings. The plant selection, positioning and careful attention to detail including proper soil preparation and irrigation will ensure our plants are happy for years to come.
As an architect who has worked for forty years with many different landscape architects and designers, I can say with certainty that the firm Simmonds and Associates creates a very high quality level of work in landscape design, document creation and project completion.
Dear Warren:You have created a masterpiece in my front yard. Since the beginning of this year, not a week has gone by without someone knocking on my door asking for the name of the landscape architect. When no one is at home, they leave notes in my mailbox.
I have given your name and phone number to at least two dozen people. Some of them may have contacted you.
A woman from San Mateo Arboretum Society also knocked on my door two weeks ago asking if my house could be part of the San Mateo/Hillsborough Garden Tour this September. I declined, mainly because I don’t like to have throngs of people treading on my gardens.
I am telling you this just to alert you to the apparent popularity of water-saving, sustainable gardens.
Regards,
Sherman
Both Warren and his colleague Alex are creative, technically strong, have an amazing sense of aesthetics, and are extremely easy to work with – we have had nothing but a positive experience with them. Warren was also very effective in working with the County to secure us the numerous permits we needed for our project and has also been instrumental in managing the implementation of our landscaping plans.”
The cobble and stone work to complete the drive entrance looks very good. Someone (Marc or Mitch, I’m not sure) has done a nice job using stones to outline the border around the redwood by the garage as well, and the plants (many of them anyway) have doubled in size since I left home 12 days ago. Amazing! It really works … Thank you