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Rayna deNiord

Principal

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Rayna deNiord is a Principal at CMG Landscape Architecture whose work explores the relationship between beauty, ecology, and change. She leads a wide range of projects—from campuses and public landscapes to large-scale ecological and climate-resilience work—seeking to create places that support both human and nonhuman life and become richer over time.

Her approach is grounded in attention and restraint: looking closely before acting, working with what is already present, and allowing ecological processes to inform design. She considers time an essential design partner, alongside material durability, adaptability, and the capacity of landscapes to evolve.

Rayna’s broader interests explore the intersection of science, humanism, and design, with a particular focus on beauty, perception, care, and our relationship to the living world.

Rayna holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University and has been with CMG since 2004.

Awards

American Society of Landscape Architects Northern California Chapter - Award of Excellence - Facebook Bayfront Campus MPK20

American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Honor Award - General Design - Facebook Bayfront Campus MPK20

Selected Projects

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Meta Headquarters

campus

Situated in a rapidly evolving and liminal landscape, Meta Headquarters is a new contemporary workplace highlighting the importance of nature, culture, and place – bringing all aspects together to form a place for business. Over the last decade, the campus has evolved into a complex mosaic of social spaces, ecology, and infrastructure.
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University of California San Diego Triton Center

campus

Triton Center at the University of California San Diego creates a new, iconic gateway at the center of the expansive campus landscape. This vibrant, dense and urban open space establishes a strong sense of place and fosters connections between community and the broader environment. This redefined 10-acre site will serve as a vital anchor to ongoing UCSD campus expansion.
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SFMOMA Rooftop Garden

cultural

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art held a design competition for a sculpture garden located on roof of the parking garage adjoining the museum. The winning scheme features an extension of the 5th floor gallery overlooking a serene and minimal sky garden, a pavilion cafe, bridge from the museum to the garden, and a lichen-covered wall that frames the rooftop gallery.
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Headlands Center for the Arts

cultural

The Commons at Headlands Center for the Arts creates new social and programmatic spaces that expand and enrich the Headlands experience for artists, staff, and visitors. A generous, flexible central outdoor space serves as a venue for performances, events, and gathering for everyday use, allowing visitors and artists to interact and appreciate the beauty of the Headlands landscape.
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Hunters Point

parks/public space

The transformative 500-acre redevelopment project creates a new San Francisco neighborhood – rejoining a former dilapidated military base back into the surrounding communities of Bay View. CMG added 40 acres of parks and public space through the Open Space Master Plan and the Streetscape Master Plan. The new neighborhood destination is home to Hillpoint Park, Hillside Central Park, Innes Court Park, as well as 16 pocket parks – designed as a series of distinct public spaces to accommodate community gardens, dining terraces, overlooks, and informal play areas, all with spectacular views.