This restaurant located in a Simi Valley strip mall was once a Japanese restaurant with Japanese style architecture. The new restaurant, a Texas BBQ restaurant underwent remodeling to have a more Western athletic. We were brought on too aid the architectural team in transforming this space into the more western looking establishment as well as to bring the landscape into city building compliance.   My aim with this design was to both honor the cultural heritage of Texas BBQ and to provide a sanctuary for hungry flora in a commercial landscape that, a space traditionally void of forage for our flighting friends.

 Texas is a big state with various climates and landscapes.  I started my inspiration for this project by researching what region of Texas, Texas BBQ is from.  Then I researched the landscape of that area.  Once I had a good grasp on that region’s plant pallet I looked to plants that fit that aesthetic that would thrive in Simi Velley.  I then picked plants that would provide forage for native birds and insects.  The final factors that determined the rest of the design was to create space that would hold up to the landscaping practices of a large commercial strip mall landscape maintenance crew.