Learn about our team & process

Karen Aitken has always had a passion for designing outdoor spaces. All her life she has made a career of making spaces as functional, beautiful, and environmentally responsible as possible.

Upon graduating from Cal Poly SLO, Karen went to work at the San Luis Obispo County Planning Department. Soon after, she earned her California Landscape Architect License and established the firm of Karen Aitken and Associates as a young 24-year-old. Over the decades Karen Aitken and Associates continues to offer landscape architecture services with a team of a dozen.

In Karen’s forty years of running her own design practice, she has crafted outdoor spaces for projects of all scales. Ranging from theme parks, wineries, resorts, and housing communities, Karen has enjoyed collaboration with clients, architects, engineers, and contractors on projects of many scales.

What makes us stand out?

We believe outdoor spaces should be beautiful, functional, and environmentally sustainable.

At KAA, we strive to create outdoor spaces that our clients and their families will enjoy for their whole lives, while helping to improve the natural environment. Specializing in drought-tolerant native gardens, our landscape designs help with reducing water use and saving on maintenance time, while working to preserve our natural ecosystem.

Having lived in California her whole life, Karen is very in tune with the local ecology and loves to work within the different micro-climates around the Bay Area. Studying a property’s ecology as well as client goals determines our design choices. Pairing the land use with the needs of our clients is what we do best.

Karen Aitken & Associates has designed projects of all sizes: formal estate gardens, haciendas, theme parks, modern subdivisions, and even sustainable farms. There is no job too big or too complex for our landscape architecture firm.

Our Process & Timeline

Initial Contact

There are a few ways to get a hold of us. The best being our new client form here on the website. Once we know a bit about you we can schedule an initial phone consultation with an associate.

Phone meeting & proposal

Prior to meeting at your property, we like to have a 15 - 30 minute phone conversation to learn about you and your project. We will follow up with a proposal for our services.

Meeting & Site Analysis

We will gladly schedule a meeting at your project site, to study the site conditions, project parameters, and exchanging ideas for use of the space.

Master Plan Development

An initial master plan design will include suggestions for locations of the main ingredients for the outdoor space. Consideration is given to the preferred design aesthetic , and planting palette, along with efficient uses and circulation. As we evolve the master plan with our clients we expect a few iterations of the plan.

3D Renderings

We offer 3D digital renderings of your landscape project. This is the best possible way to visualize how your landscape may look once constructed.

Landscape Construction Documents

Landscape Construction Documents may include:

• Patios, Paving, & Pool Materials selections

• Grading, Drainage, & Dimension Plan

• Planting Detail Plan

• Irrigation Plan & Water Use Calculations

• Landscape Lighting Plan

• Construction Details for structures such as:

  • Sports Court

  • Cabana

  • Outdoor Kitchen

  • Fire Element

  • Walls and Fences

  • Water Feature

Contractor Selection

As important as designing your outdoor dream space is how it is installed. We are happy to refer you to contractors who we have collaborated with for decades. We are available to assist with evaluating bids, selecting a contractor, and periodic site visits throughout the construction process.