PGAdesign was founded in 1979. We are a woman-owned Small Business Enterprise.
Timeline
1979
Chris Pattillo founded PGAdesign, at the time calling it Chris Pattillo Landscape Architects. It was one of few woman-owned practices.
And Then
Chris joined the Urban Design Committee of the Oakland Citizen’s Committee for Urban Renewal. This committee evolved into Oakland Design Advocates, and introduced Chris to the architects and urban planners who she increasingly collaborated with and who bolstered her business’s growth.
And Then
Chris became chair of the Oakland Design Advocates. She held this post for 12 years, seeing all projects passing through the City of Oakland Department of Planning.
1983
Chris served on Oakland’s Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board for two years.
1996
Cathy was made partner, and the firm became Pattillo and Garrett Associates. Pattillo and Garrett Associates continued to grow, expanding the clientele and becoming well known as the Oakland-based landscape architecture firm. The firm’s range and diversity of clients and projects—from housing to transportation to parks to historic preservation—was key to their growth.
1993
Chris hired Cathy Garrett, allowing the firm to grow. With interest and experience working in cultural and historic landscapes, Cathy helped take on projects in that domain and established the firm’s expertise.
2002
Pattillo and Garrett Associates incorporated to form PGAdesign. Principals Chris Kent and Karen Krolewski joined in the management and ownership of the firm.
2003
Chris Pattillo and Cathy founded the ASLA Northern California Chapter of HALS with Betsy Flack.
2009
Cathy Garrett served as president of the California Preservation Foundation.
2012
Chris Pattillo was inducted as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
2015-2017
Chris Pattillo served two terms on the Oakland Planning Commission.
Today
PGAdesign has always prioritized staying at the cutting edge of their field. Having been early adopters of both AutoCAD and Revit, PGAdesign has continued to remain ahead of the curve with other industry innovations and technologies. They also embraced sustainable practices before they became commonplace. These qualities remain integral to PGAdesign’s zeitgeist and practice today.
