~ About the Founder ~
On Designing Living Systems
“In my work, I approach landscape as an evolving system over time.
Over time, I began to understand that the role of design is not only to create form, but to build conditions where life can sustain itself and develop.
This begins with a few fundamental layers. Soil structure and biological activity. Water movement and retention. Relationships between plant species.
And then, a more subtle connection - where botany meets biology, and creates the conditions for life to evolve.
These relationships are not only visual or spatial. They are also chemical. There is a field called allelopathy.
The interaction between plants, soil, and air through chemical processes.
This link is often overlooked. Especially in the Western approach, where landscape has historically been shaped through order and control.
In my work at LASD Studio, we try to reconnect these layers. Plants are not treated as isolated elements. They are part of a wider system.
We work to connect plant species with biodiversity, and further with trophic layers - from insects to birds, and in some cases, to larger species.
This changes the nature of the landscape. When the system begins to function, the landscape becomes alive.
You no longer see only plants. You begin to notice insects, bees, birds. Sometimes larger animals entering the space.
And when, for example, a bird comes to a tree - and that relationship was made possible through design - the landscape begins to move beyond its initial form.
It begins to evolve.
In a way, it becomes something like a stage. Not in a theatrical sense, but as a set of conditions where life can unfold.
We are not fully controlling it. We are guiding, observing, and adjusting.
Design, in this sense, is not about forcing nature into form. It is about listening to what already exists, and carefully enhancing it.
Each ecosystem is different. Each site carries its own logic.
There are principles we can apply, but every project remains specific to its place.
We are still learning this process.
There is no final answer. There are methods and principles, but nothing that can be simply repeated.
This is work that continues over time. And for me, it is work that continues for a lifetime.”
Yura Lotonenko, CEO of LASD Studio
Yura Lotonenko is founder, principal landscape architect and lead creative design at LASD Studio, an internationally trained landscape architect with over 20 years of experience designing private estates, gardens, and large-scale landscapes mostly across California, Europe.
He has designed more than 200 projects spanning high-end residential estates, culturally sensitive sites, and complex ecological environments requiring regulatory coordination and long-term performance planning.
His work integrates architectural heritage, ecological intelligence, and construction precision - ensuring that each landscape is both refined in form and resilient in function.
International Education & Foundation
Yura holds advanced degrees in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, including a Master of Science (MSc) in Landscape Architecture from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
His academic background combines engineering rigor with Scandinavian spatial clarity, a foundation that continues to inform LASD Studio’s disciplined yet expressive approach.
Read more about Research and Academic foundation here.
Professional Scope
Yura works on private estates, complex residential properties, and selected public projects where landscape is expected to perform at the same level as architecture.
His practice operates between Southern California, Europe and worldwide on demand, serving clients who value long-term vision, discretion, and design integrity.
Design Approach
What is the most truthful landscape this place can become?
Yura approaches landscape architecture not as decoration, but as a living system.
Each project is conceived as an evolving framework, designed to mature over time, support biodiversity, adapt to climate, and gain cultural and environmental value across decades.
Landscapes are not static products but evolving systems, long-term responsibilities rather than short-term compositions.
This evolutionary mindset allows LASD Studio to balance beauty, performance, and legacy in equal measure.
Check LASD Studio Worldwide map here.
Origins
LASD Studio did not begin in a boardroom, it began in a garden.
Raised observing his grandfather at work, a geodesist and soil scientist, Yura developed an early understanding of land as an interconnected system shaped by terrain, ecology, and time.
This foundation continues to guide his work today.
Research & Systems
Through years of practice, Yura developed an advanced internal landscape architectural system integrating: Technical documentation, Cost logic & construction intelligence, Water-use and fire resilience analysis, unique long-term ecological performance modeling.
Check Landscape Ecosystem Integrity research.
This system allows decisions to be made with clarity before construction begins, reducing uncertainty and improving long-term performance.
Explore research & publications - Research.
Personal
Yura is a husband and father. He maintains a direct, ongoing relationship with natural environments through time spent in ocean and mountain landscapes.
