Terremoto is a 27 person strong landscape architecture studio split between Los Angeles and San Francisco. David Godshall established the company eleven years ago with the aim of creating gardens that allowed his team to creatively respond to social, environmental and political issues. In Niwaki Field Report No.1, he shares a selection of projects to help explain how and why Terremoto does its thing.

An ongoing project outside TERREMOTO’s headquarters in Los Angeles, ‘Office Garden’ is a slow, low-cost experiment. Where others might have seen a barren strip of land, TERREMOTO saw opportunity – a chance to reclaim a slice of nature from the city sprawl.

They began by breaking up the concrete, quickly repurposing it for other projects across the city – part of their plan to create closed-loop gardens. Much of the work is done by hand and serves as a creative extension of the office, providing the team with time and space to experiment with new techniques.

Slabs of concrete have been carefully rearranged to make sculptural towers and paths, and while the garden still functions as a materials yard, it’s also a space to gather with friends and family for post-work parties.

When conceptual artist David Horvitz noticed an empty lot next to his studio, the potential for collaboration was clear.

With the help of TERREMOTO, he began collecting materials from across the city – including native plants and a few plumeria from his grandmother’s garden. The aim was to create a space that was open to as many people, plants, and fungi as possible. The garden is an extension of David’s work, and other artists are regularly invited to host gatherings and exhibitions.

Sometimes, the open policy doesn’t go to plan. David recalls a time when a stranger (in the midst of a personal crisis) wreaked havoc on the garden, destroying mirrors and a handmade bird feeder. David didn’t hold a grudge, though. Like TERREMOTO, he believes that gardens evolve over time – and argues that this may have been the perfect place to rid the stranger of their troubles.

One year on, the garden is looking greener than ever, with a new mural and sunny seating area.