Photo: LifescapesLifescapes International, based in Orange County, California, was selected to design the landscape environment for the recently announced $245 million development of the Westin Anaheim Resort.
“This is a monumental project for the City of Anaheim, which drew a record 23 million visitors last year,” says Dan Trust, executive vice president and COO of Lifescapes International. “The city is investing substantially in its resort corridor, and we are pleased to bring our seasoned experience in creating iconic destinations to this new project.”
Lifescapes is known for designing the landscapes of some of the world’s most iconic hotels, which includes the Bellagio Resort & Casino, Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the Wynn Las Vegas, Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort and others.
“We understand that today’s consumers expect luxury amenities that integrate seamlessly into a destination’s overall look and feel,” Trust explains. “For that reason, we will create a design that is both luxurious and functional, delivering an inviting environment that guests will enjoy for years to come.”
“We knew that working with such a high caliber company as Lifescapes International would bring value to this project,” says Paul Sanford, CEO of Wincome Group. “Their designs bring a sense of luxury and sophistication that is required for a 4-diamond hotel.”
Offering more than 600 rooms, the Westin Anaheim Resort will be situated within a 630,000 square-foot environment that the company says is rich with lavish landscaping and elegantly-designed social gathering spaces.
“We are building on the developer’s vision, which is to create a haven of luxury and a hub of excitement for tourists and staycationers alike,” said Al Amador, senior principal/project designer for Lifescapes and the lead designer on this project.
Lifescapes says it leverages the resort’s close proximity to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, and Amador says it will design a luxurious rooftop deck where guests can enjoy park views and nightly fireworks shows.
“Urban rooftop decks have emerged as one of the hottest design trends of this decade, and our expertise in creating entertainment-driven, immersive rooftop environments is unmatched,” Amador says.
The company says the new deck will feature ample banquette seating nestled around modern fire pits, with portable shade structures and furniture that can accommodate public gatherings as well as private parties, corporate events or weddings.
“On the roof, we plan to integrate a long, linear raised water feature with floating planters, bringing a visual texture to the deck’s comfortable elegance,” Amador says.
Lifescapes says it will also design the four-diamond luxury resort’s new pool area, which will include two expansive pools and a spa.
“Anaheim attracts both families and individuals seeking fun and relaxation, and our design will offer both,” notes Amador. “The main pool will focus on luxury, complete with private cabanas and an elite look and feel, while the secondary pool focuses on family fun, complete with an overhead structure for shade and a nearby restaurant with seating areas overlooking the pool.”
The company says it will also design a motor court for the new resort which will feature specialty paving in a custom design with ample lanes for traffic.
Lifescapes says the motor court will feature an on-grade fountain with a water feature, which Amador says can be turned off to allow cars to park or drive over when needed.
“Smooth, comfortable arrivals are essential to the luxury experience, and this upscale and thoughtful motor court will deliver efficiency combined with style,” explains Amador.
Located at 1030 W. Katella Avenue in Anaheim, California, the Westin Anaheim Resort is just south of the Disneyland Resort and west of the Anaheim Convention Center.
Along with Amador, Lifescape’s design team on the project includes Roger Voettiner, vice president of design; Mike Meyers, senior project director; Fernando Ortiz, project manager; and Berj Behesnilian, field art director.
PBI-Gordon celebrates 70 years
In 1947, as the United States was in the post-World War II economic boom,
“I have been with PBI-Gordon since 1951,” said Everett Mealman, chairman of PBI-Gordon. “Every day I am reminded how fortunate and blessed I’ve been to play a role in its growth. Through the years, our mission to create and deliver healthier solutions through dependable products, thoughtful innovations, and impeccable service has never changed. Of course, none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the pride our employee-owners have in their jobs, and their collective focus on delivering shared success to our customers and suppliers.”
The company, initially named Private Brands, Incorporated (PBI), on Oct. 8, 1947, was founded by John Mueller and his son Robert Mueller, John Mathias and Dr. Roy Boxmeyer.
The strategy of the founders was to capitalize on the needs of companies such as Rohm & Haas, Stauffer, Velsicol, Dow, Monsanto, Ciba, and DuPont by formulating their basic chemicals, emulsifiers and inerts as private label pesticides for farm co-ops and independent distributors.
The group says that this strategy proved successful at the time because chemical companies didn’t have the resources to get all of their products into the agricultural industry, which itself was enjoying a boom of growing population created a need to make farm acres more productive.
TreeTown USA to acquire Village Nurseries
TreeTown USA announced a purchase agreement to acquire Village Nurseries.
Along with the company’s focus on employees and market expansion, TreeTown say that the synergistic effect of this deal solidifies the company as a market leader in the horticultural industry.
“This acquisition is an opportunity to merge two excellent companies that share the same customer-centric cultures,” said Jonathan Saperstein, company CEO. “We will capitalize on the combined resources of the company to create industry leading best practices while fostering a safe and rewarding work environment for our 1,500+ full time employees.”
“We are extremely excited about this transaction and the potential it brings,” explained David House, president of Village Nurseries. “It allows us to partner with one of the industry’s leading wholesale nurseries and positions us to expand our geographic reach to industry professionals seeking the wide breadth of trees and shrubs we offer, many of which are patented or exclusive and not readily available at other wholesale nurseries.”
