Vista Hermosa Natural Park

Vista Hermosa Natural Park

Vista Hermosa Natural Park is a 10-acre “Window to the Mountains” in urban Los Angeles. Meaning “beautiful view,” Vista Hermosa brings nature to a hillside neighborhood which had little. Community workshops shaped the park’s programming to include an informal “grotto,” an adventure play area, a system of trails, picnic areas, an open meadow, and sports field. The park’s sculpted topography retains, treats, and captures 95% of rainwater that falls on the site in a system that includes permeable paving, green roofs, a grassy meadow, vegetated swales, and a 30,000-gallon cistern that supplies irrigation for the park. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority uses the park to teach community members and area children about the native Southern California landscape.

CLIENT

Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy/Los Angeles Unified School District

SIZE

10 acres

LOCATION

Los Angeles, California

COMPLETED

2008

Project team

  • ERW Design Architect
  • KPFF Civil Engineer
  • M-E Engineers M/E/P Engineer
  • Art Share Art Consultant
  • Brett Goldstone Artist

AWARDS

  • 2023 American Society of Landscape Architects, Landmark Award
  • 2010 American Society of Landscape Architects, Los Angeles, Chapter Merit Award
  • 2010 Westside Urban Forum, Honor Award, Public Open Space
  • 2009 American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Chapter Presidential Honoree, Public Open Space
  • 2009 Los Angeles Business Council,
    Landscape Architecture Civic Project and Grand Prize Award

MORE WORK