Zenscape - San Francisco, California

Karen M.

As I look out on my new yard, I can't believe that what I see is what existed there when we first bought the house in the '70s. This is truly a reincarnation into a landscape that far surpasses anything I could ever have foreseen. It is indeed, a work of art!

My small backyard area was always nothing more than an eyesore. It had some lovely plantings but they were definitely overshadowed by the boring and disintegrating brick patio that had been laid down years ago, and was being broken up by roots and erosion. This was not an area anyone wanted to spend much time in.

Enter Brian Ott, and Zenscape. I knew I wanted something different, but my vision was definitely not a professional one, nor well thought out.There were ideas, but none fully developed. I had had many bids and proposals, but when. Brian showed up, he was in a class by himself. He listened to my ideas and vision, and then literally expanded upon them to show me my dream. It wasn't a straightforward plan, but one that involved soft curves, lovely pavers, rather than DG or artificial turf. There was moss rock, rather than cement with facade, and plants that would integrate with those that were already established in the yard ; beautiful and viable .He immediately envisioned this area with highlighting. . No one else had even considered this. His vision was one that I felt he would have developed for his own home. I was completely on board.

Once the project began, his crew was amazing. They arrived when they said they are going to and worked full days with care. The schedule was as they proposed. There were no surprises, nor was I ever left hanging. Very different from so many contractors I have dealt with before. Every member of his crew was excited about what they're doing, and definitely let you know they were invested in what the outcome would be. They were professional beyond belief; true artisans. The craftsmanship of the pavers themselves was awe inspiring. They were so much into my backyard, that I have actually hired one of them to be my gardener from this point on.

As the project progressed, there was constant conversation between Brian and I regarding how we would like things to look, with changes made as things progressed. He had ideas for plants, I had ideas for layout. Between the two of us, we developed the backyard. I have never felt so involved in a contracted project before. It felt as if we were truly doing this together. Brian was completely in tune with what I was asking for and worked to make that happen. He was always open to any changes or amendments I might consider. Best of all, the project was completed in the time frame projected.

I can't even begin to describe what the finished product looks like. If I was excited by what he had proposed, I was completely enamored with the end result. My backyard garden is a work of art! It is worthy of appearing in a magazine. My friends can't believe this is the same yard they have visited for years. I look at it from multiple angles and at all times of day and night, and I just smile.

I cannot recommend. Brian Ott, and Zenscape enough to anyone who would like to transform their world.

Not only is the outcome unbelievable, but he and his crew/ craftsman, are like none other I have ever encountered. If you are looking for quality, and a cooperative effort in putting together your dream yard, look no further than Zenscape.

I would be happy to talk to you about him or even have you look at this project. If you're interested. Contact Brian and he can give you my contact information.

Go with Zenscape! You will never regret it!

SanFran F.

Brian Ott's Zenscape reflects a wonderful sense of landscape work for tranquil, restrained and beautiful energies: all in your own backyard. Brian listens and joins with your own vision to patiently create something akin to magical. What was once my struggling backyard setting is now a meditative space for calm and reflection. Both he and his workmates are professional and respectful of the site to be developed. bringing it forward into a calming work of gifted design. I feel fortunate to have found Zenscape.

Tracy H.

We absolutely love Zenscape who just completed a total renovation of our back and front yards. From the start Brian who runs the company was very responsive to my initial emails, we got a quote quickly and he is approachable and flexible and we really enjoyed working with him. He has an amazing and creative approach and we sat down at the start of the project and visualized the end result together. I have to say the end result absolutely exceeded our expectations and we can't wait to spend more time in our beautiful new garden once the weather improves.

The key here is trust, Brian absolutely knows his stuff, is an excellent communicator, and when he says he is going to do something he does. He knows where to source the best plants and materials and has great partnerships with electricians and turf companies to ensure those aspects ran super smoothly. We agreed on an overall look and feel at the start and of course, the budget but also left room for minor changes and updates once work was underway which turned out to be the best approach and we never felt like there were any surprises with Brian or his crew. Our backyard required complete demolition and basically starting over and he also refreshed our deck and stairs down to the garden, laid new pavers and turf, brand new beds, a fire pit area, irrigation, and put in a lovely water feature.

His crew are very trustworthy, polite, and absolute craftsmen too, we didn't feel any disruption, and they were able to let us know when noisy work would be happening (we had a concrete pad that needed breaking up before we laid down some nicer looking pavers) so we could adequately forewarn our neighbors and one of our neighbors loved our new fence so much they had Brian replace theirs too. They also cleaned up after themselves and ensured the street outside wasn't left messy.

All in all, we had an outstanding experience with Brian and Zenscape and we wouldn't hesitate to work with him again or recommend his services to others. A++++

Gnome C.

Would give 6 stars if it was possible. Brian was incredibly knowledgeable and tailored the project 100% to my requests. The value in what you get vs. what you pay for is remarkable.

Brian’s eye for design, ability to come up with creative/ beautiful aesthetics is simply awesome. I had an idea of what I wanted done with the front yard of my home and he took it to the next level. Also, wanna leave positive feedback for his support staff member Noe who was extremely helpful/hardworking.

Next time around I need a landscape designer or a friend asks for a recommendation; Zenscape is the only call I’ll be making. Cheers!

Sunil K.

Brian and Noe did a masterful job on both our front and back yards! The end product was more beautiful and more serene than we ever could have imagined. We’ve gone from never using our backyard to using it daily. Our front yard was an eye sore and now it brightens up the entire block - we especially love the gorgeous paver walkway they built which brings us joy each time we use it. Brian’s pricing is slightly higher than others we had contacted but it was well worth it!

We had read many reviews about Brian’s “organic” process and though we were a little skeptical, we got the sense that he was very experienced and a true craftsman and decided to go with him, and we're so glad we did. He has a great sense for how to design a space, balancing form and function. His experience also allows him to bring a calm and a confidence in his ideas, which he used to skillfully guide the process. There were a couple times where we had wanted to interject a point of view that would have resulted in a less nice end product, and Brian was great at hearing us out, but also gently guiding us in a better direction.

Finally, here are a few of the things we really appreciated:
- The ability to weigh in some design choices (e.g. pavers, turf, etc), but those choices being limited so that we were choosing between better and best
- The flexibility that the “organic” process allows for (we went back and forth on the backyard water feature and in the end decided to go with it + we added add’l lighting that wasn’t in the original proposal)
- The speed with which he and Noe completed the work - the whole thing was done in < 6 weeks - The handover walk through and accompanying plant map and instructions, which gave us some pride of ownership - Brian’s responsiveness to our follow up questions after the job was completed

Gwen W.

Brian and his team were all set to install some hardscape in our yard when the Shelter in place orders came down. The minute they lifted for construction, Brian and his crew started up again without missing a beat. Brian listens, asks questions and comes up with fantastic, often super simple (and not crazy expensive) solutions for the tricky parts. He is very responsive and easy to communicate with. His crew is terrific. They were very respectful of the existing plants while they worked. Our tiny yard is so much nicer to quarantine in now! Thank you Brian from the tiny yard in Albany

David H.

I can't heap enough praise on Brian Ott and Zenscape. Brian's design instincts, professionalism, and demeanor were the perfect combination of talents to see through a total transformation of our very outdated backyard into a beautiful, alluring, comfortable garden. Brian listened to us and comprehended what we wanted as essential elements for the re-created space, and delivered them with ingenuity, wonderful materials, and timeliness. He knows hardscape, he knows plants, he understands how to relate to his clients throughout the process. His crew, likewise, were capable, professional, and friendly. Thank you, Brian!

Riva C.

“We had Zenscape landscape our restaurant’s courtyard. Brian, the owner, could not have been more helpful or talented. He took on the project like it was his own restaurant and made our outdoor dining space an absolute oasis for our customers. I cannot recommend the Zenscape team more - they are an absolute pleasure to work with! It is nice to find a business with so much heart, professionalism, and sheer talent. Brian is an absolute artist!”
— Jennifer, Berkeley