Sunnylands Administration Campus

Rancho Mirage, California

CMG Landscape Architecture

Role: Senior Associate & Project Manager

Sunnylands, an iconic mid-century estate and golf course built by the Annenberg Family, is now a museum and public resource whose landscapes illustrate an arc of changing attitudes: from celebrating the display of boundless resources, to acknowledging scarcity through aggressive conservation. The Administration Campus connects regional imperatives to reduce groundwater use with a desire to live with the desert’s beauty and challenges, a prototype for the 208-acre estate. 

A series of unique gardens foster connections to the seasonal rhythms of the desert landscape. A palette of desert-adapted and native trees and shrubs provides habitat for birds, bats, butterflies and other insects. Trees provide much–needed shade for plants and people and help filter blow sand. All stormwater is retained and infiltrated on site to recharge the aquifer. Guided by a strict post-establishment water budget, by utilizing inert materials, blackwater/recycled water, and climate-appropriate plants, the campus uses up to 90% less water per acre than the historic estate while creating spaces for meeting, gathering, and spontaneous collaborations.

Image attribution: Photographs (c) The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, included with permission. Drawings in association with CMG Landscape Architecture