Hollywood Roosevelt | Hollywood, CA

Inspired by the relaxed glamour of classic Los Angeles and the iconic David Hockney pool imagery associated with the hotel, the Roosevelt Hotel Garden transforms the Hollywood Roosevelt courtyard into a layered hospitality landscape organized through tropical planting, meandering circulation, and intimate gathering spaces. Existing palms, lush garden planting, and open sightlines create a landscape that feels immersive, social, and distinctly Southern California.

Movement through the courtyard is intentionally informal, with pathways and seating areas woven between the hotel, pool terrace, and garden spaces to encourage exploration and connection. Rather than relying on rigid organization, the landscape uses planting, materiality, and spatial layering to create an atmosphere that feels relaxed, cinematic, and closely tied to the historic identity of the hotel.

Developed while working with Mia Lehrer + Associates, the landscape reinterprets the classic Southern California hotel garden through a contemporary framework that strengthens the relationship between architecture, planting, and outdoor social space.

Existing palms were retained and integrated into a new garden composition composed of citrus trees, flowering perennials, jasmine, layered foliage, and Mediterranean influenced planting. Accents of orange within the planting palette reference the historic citrus landscapes once associated with Los Angeles while reinforcing the lush character of the courtyard environment.

Circulation was designed to feel fluid and garden-like, with meandering pathways and intermediate gathering spaces connecting the hotel to the pool terrace. Within the palm grove garden, custom curved stone benches were integrated beneath the canopy, abstractly referencing the fluid geometry and movement associated with the Hockney inspired pool imagery.

Considerable attention was given to the detailing surrounding the pool renovation. Pool coping and edge conditions required careful coordination to satisfy health and safety requirements while preserving the soft curvilinear forms central to the design concept. Drainage was concealed through open joints integrated within the natural stone paving, minimizing the appearance of conventional trench drains and allowing the paving composition to remain visually uninterrupted.

Additional custom elements included cast concrete planters incorporating the Hollywood Roosevelt insignia and translucent corrugated resin terrace dividers that provide privacy between guest terraces while filtering light into the courtyard garden.

The result is a layered hospitality landscape that blends tropical planting, garden circulation, and contemporary detailing into an outdoor environment reflective of both the historic identity of the hotel and the relaxed atmosphere of Southern California living.

Lead Project Designer, Construction Documentation, and Construction Administration in collaboration with Studio MLA. Responsibilities included landscape design, pool detailing and material selection, custom site furnishings and planter design, construction drawings, consultant coordination, and on site construction observation. Interior design collaboration by Dodd Mitchell Design.

Lead Project Designer, Construction Documentation, and Construction Administration in collaboration with Studio MLA. Responsibilities included landscape design, pool detailing and material selection, custom site furnishings and planter design, construction drawings, consultant coordination, and on-site construction observation. Interior design collaboration by Dodd Mitchell Design.

Inspired by the relaxed glamour of classic Los Angeles and the iconic David Hockney pool imagery associated with the hotel, the landscape transforms the Hollywood Roosevelt courtyard into a lush California garden layered with tropical planting, intimate seating spaces, and meandering pathways woven between the existing palms and pool terrace.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel courtyard renovation was conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the classic Southern California hotel garden, drawing inspiration from the relaxed atmosphere of historic Los Angeles landscapes and the iconic David Hockney imagery associated with the hotel pool.

Developed while working with Mia Lehrer + Associates, the project focused on transforming the courtyard and pool surroundings into a layered hospitality landscape organized around movement, gathering, and a stronger connection between architecture, planting, and outdoor social spaces.

A central objective of the design was to create a distinctly California landscape character through the use of tropical and Mediterranean influenced planting. Existing palms were retained and integrated into a new garden framework composed of citrus trees, flowering perennials, jasmine, layered foliage, and soft planting intended to reinforce a lush and immersive atmosphere throughout the property. Accents of orange within the planting palette referenced the historic citrus landscapes once associated with Los Angeles.

Circulation through the courtyard was intentionally informal and garden-like. Meandering pathways and intermediate gathering spaces were introduced between the hotel and pool terrace, encouraging movement through the landscape while creating smaller moments for casual seating and social interaction.

Within the palm grove garden, custom curved stone benches were integrated into the landscape to establish seating areas beneath the canopy. The geometry of these elements abstractly referenced the fluid forms and movement associated with the Hockney inspired pool graphics, extending that visual language into the surrounding garden spaces.

Considerable attention was given to the detailing and materiality surrounding the pool renovation. The pool coping and edge conditions required careful coordination to satisfy health and safety requirements while preserving the soft curvilinear forms central to the design concept. Drainage was concealed through open joints integrated between the natural stone paving, minimizing the appearance of conventional trench drains and allowing the paving composition to remain visually uninterrupted.

Additional custom elements included cast concrete planters incorporating the Hollywood Roosevelt insignia and translucent corrugated resin terrace dividers that provided privacy between guest room terraces while filtering light into the courtyard garden.

The result is a layered hospitality landscape that blends tropical planting, garden circulation, and contemporary detailing into an outdoor environment that reflects both the historic identity of the hotel and the relaxed atmosphere of Southern California living.