Studio

  • Founding Principal

    Ron Lutsko Jr. is Founding Principal of Lutsko Associates Landscape. Since establishing the firm in 1981, Ron has worked on residential, commercial, civic, and institutional landscape designs across the world. He has also served on numerous boards and advisory committees throughout California and has written and lectured on the artful integration of plants, people, and ecology within the fabric of the constructed landscape.

    An abiding interest in ecological systems, sustainability, architecture, and conceptual art supports Ron’s design philosophy. In his view, these threads of concern secure garden making within the lineage of land art. Contemporary aesthetics unite with ecological principles in service of deepening people’s connection to the detailed beauty and complexity of the natural environment.

    Ron also operates a plant nursery in the Capay Valley. The nursery serves as a vehicle for bringing native California species and other rare, climate-appropriate plants into cultivation and as a unique resource for Lutsko Associates projects.

    Apart from work, Ron is an active outdoorsman who has traveled extensively to experience and learn from unfamiliar landscapes and the cultures tied to them. 

  • Partner / Principal

    Since joining Lutsko Associates in 2012, Will has shaped the firm’s design aesthetic through his rigorous attention to detail and commitment to craft. His work explores the nuanced relationship between natural and built environments, drawing on a foundation in both architecture and landscape architecture.

    Raised in Arizona, Will developed an affinity for nature on annual family road trips to national parks, where he was captivated by the expansive vistas and unique vegetation of the American Southwest. His education at Arizona State University, where he earned degrees in architecture and landscape architecture, established an appreciation for design narratives that transcend disciplinary boundaries.

    His portfolio spans a wide range of work throughout California, Washington, and Hawaii, enhancing the inherent beauty of each place, while distilling to its purest expression. Notable projects include the Makena Residence and Kua Bay Residence in Hawaii, and the Hillside Expansion at The College Preparatory School in Oakland, California.

  • Associate Principal

    Andrea, Associate Principal, has been with Lutsko Associates since 2001. For over 20 years, she has played an important role in the firm’s development and its design aesthetic. Her experience encompasses design and project management, client relations and expanding the project base, and a commitment to building a warm, collaborative office culture.

    Andrea was raised in the Santa Ynez Valley where she developed a deep appreciation for California’s diverse native flora. She received a Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Beyond designing residential gardens throughout the Bay Area and Hawaii, she has led projects for wineries, academic campuses, and public gardens. Whether designing for clients seeking intimate residential spaces or for the public realm, she seeks to create gardens that offer emotional connection to the broader landscape and that artfully honor regional heritage. Award-winning projects she has led include Law Vineyards in Paso Robles, the House of Earth and Sky in Hillsborough, the Napa Residence, Kua Bay Residence in Kona, Hawaii, UC Davis Teaching Learning Complex, and Lawerence Hall of Science Elizabeth Karplus Outdoor Nature Lab.

    Outside the studio, Andrea enjoys traveling with her husband in their camper across California and beyond.

  • Project Manager

    Lutsko Associates has been a home for Myra to link an ecosystem with intentional design. Facilitating creative collaboration on larger site dynamics down to plant species and detailing is her favorite part of the job. Myra joined Lutsko Associates in 2018 after earning her MLA at UC Berkeley in 2017 and working in design offices in Berkeley and Monterey. Prior to her design career, she worked as a museum preparator, content marketer, and native plant salesperson and broker.  Her inspirations include the numerous microclimates along the West Coast, the forests and lakes of the Upper Midwest, the paintings of Richard Diebenkorn, and Land Art. Myra uses her spare time to run California’s diverse trails with her dog, longboard with her husband, sketch watercolors and tend to her coastal garden.

    Selected projects include the Outdoor Nature Lab at UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, the San Francisco Residence, and Portola Valley Residence II.

  • Project Manager

    Andoni joined Lutsko Associates in 2020 after completing a Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Cincinnati, DAAP.

    Formally trained as an architect in Europe, he strives to cultivate seamless connections between building and nature, bridging spaces through careful planting and regional material craft. Inspired by vernacular practices and the resulting aesthetics of the enduring connection of the people to land, Andoni aspires to create landscapes that instill a unique sense of place yet remain grounded in their environment.

    Raised in between urban and rural settings, he came to California seeking the balance between vibrant city life and the profound beauty of the western wilderness.

    Selected projects include West Soda Rock Residence.

  • Project Manager

    Ceyrena joined Lutsko associates in July 2023. She studied at the University of Michigan and earned her Bachelor of Fine Art with a concentration in photography at Maharishi International University in 2000. Since receiving her Master of Landscape Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design in 2005, she has traveled and worked up and down the West Coast and beyond. 

    Born in Southern California and spending her formative years in Michigan, Ceyrena has travelled, lived, studied, taught, and worked all over the world. Her peripatetic life has made her thoughtful to the ways people use space and materials. She is dedicated to creating beautiful, artful designs that feel appropriate to their context and ties back to the native landscape. Her background in fine arts gives her an appreciation for materials and colors and the process of making. She draws inspiration from wild landscapes, particularly their beauty, elegance, and complexity. In her free time she likes to paddle board, try new restaurants, and explore new nature spots.

  • Designer

    Giannis joined Lutsko Associates in 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture from Iowa State University. He loves everything about the Mediterranean climate and plant communities, but at the same time finds himself fascinated with the diverse ecology of California.

    Born and raised on the beautiful island of Cyprus, he has travelled extensively throughout the United States, especially during his time in college. He loves exploring the beautiful streets and parks of San Francisco, going for a swim in the bay, and taking road trips around California.

  • Designer

    Laura joined Lutsko Associates in 2022 after earning a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard. Raised in the lush, sub-tropical city of Guangzhou, China, she developed a lasting appreciation for the interplay between built form and natural systems. Her background in architecture and experience in China and South Korea inform a design approach that emphasizes material richness, sensory detail, and careful spatial composition. Outside the studio, she enjoys visiting architectural sites and exploring the diverse culinary traditions of Asia.

  • Designer

    Ben joined Lutsko Associates in 2023 after completing a Master of Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley. Throughout this program, he focused on design representation through construction and model making. Ben has roots in Santa Ana, California where weekend outings with his parents often involved hiking and appreciating the ocean-to-desert transects of California. Through these explorations, Ben developed a fascination for the natural palettes in each biome and a love for how land can elicit emotions that foster deeper connections to place.

  • Designer

    Rocio joined Lutsko Associates in 2024 after earning a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

    She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised primarily in Houston, Texas. In experiencing these two major metropolises, Rocio developed a unique understanding in the importance of integration of natural and built environments in our developing world. She retains close ties and reverence to her Argentine upbringing, with much of her research surrounding a celebration of Argentina’s cultural heritage through its productive landscapes. Holding a degree in architecture, she carries an interest in a landscape’s materiality, influence on human experience, and connections to the built and natural systems that surround them.

    Outside of the studio, Rocio’s hobbies include traveling, baking, attending live music shows, and practicing amateur photography with her 35mm film camera.

  • Designer

    Carl joined Lutsko Associates in 2024 after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture. His experience growing up on the beaches of Eastern Long Island and relocating to the West Coast has given him a particular interest in the power of the well-crafted space to improve life, at both the individual and community level, by enhancing the natural, unique character of each site. Before graduate school, Carl spent several years in the sports media industry working on sponsored content viewed by millions during each year’s most popular broadcasts. In addition, Carl holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University and can often be found exploring the beaches of California by surfboard.

  • Designer

    Leila joined Lutsko Associates as a designer in 2025. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she was awarded with Merit of Excellence by the ASLA for her work on post-colonial design in island nations. Born and raised on a farm and nursery in Hawai’i, Leila now seeks to develop a Greater Pacific land ethic across the ocean in San Francisco. She is fond of mango season and the public library.

  • Director of Operations

    Edward joined Lutsko Associates as Office Manager in 2014. In addition to general office management duties, he handles accounting, human resources, marketing, and vendor relations. Ed brings a breadth of experience to the Lutsko office from his past work as an office manager, operations manager, and project coordinator in a variety of design and professional services environments. Ed is a surreptitious plant nerd with a lifelong passion for music. When he’s not wrangling the office schedule, he can be found doting on his cats at home.