Daily Inspiration: Meet Cali Pfaff

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cali Pfaff.

Hi Cali, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the foothills above Golden, Colorado and had a pretty wonderful barefoot kind of childhood. This engrained a love of nature and wild landscapes that has really been a thorough-line in my work. I came to landscape architecture through study abroad in Brazil. I was taking architectural drafting classes at time and was struggling with the minutiae of placing utility lines and fixtures. I thought I wanted to be an architect but the details didn’t sing to me. When I left the university at the end of day, there were these magnificent urban landscapes, like the beach promenade of Copacabana, all around me. I had thought of landscape architecture up until that point as garden design but through the work of Roberto Burle Marx down in Rio, I saw a much bigger picture. My path meandered from there but Burle Marx was really the inspiration point for me.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been scenic. I worked for architects, a design nonprofit, and other landscape architects, in total for about 8 years before setting out on my own. The beginning of my firm was humbling. I did garden maintenance and tiny residential projects to make a portfolio that was my own. It was important to me to stand on my own two feet and not poach work from my past firm. But pretty quickly I started to find clients whose vision and sense of beauty aligned with my own. I do a lot of rural work, agricultural work, slow design rooted in natural landscapes. Over time, people have brought me the most wonderful design projects- so often their dreams- and it is an immense privilege to help people realize their dreams.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am landscape architect and I run a design practice, Studio Campo. We specialize in naturalistic planting design and vernacular landscape architecture, meaning the design is drawn in its location. Our style is romantic and loose with a focus on natural materials, native plants, and local sourcing. We also make furniture for our projects, a part of the practices led by my husband, Chad. We are lucky to work on a wide range of projects, from hotels and ranches to public parks and gardens.

What’s next?
I am enjoying no big plans at the moment. We have great projects, wonderful clients, and a nice crew working here. We have a two year old so I am trying to only take on work we know we can do well and to be here for her during her early childhood.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.studio-campo.com
• Instagram: @campolandscape

Image Credits
Photos by Laurel Dailey, Daniel Jenkins, Lauren DeFilippo, and Christian Harder