Patricia Lear

Patricia Lear is a seasoned Landscape Architect and Certified Arborist with nearly two decades of professional experience, currently based in Irvine, California, where she serves as a full-time landscape architect at Lynn Capouya Inc. Landscape Architects. Her career path is one marked by creativity and determination — beginning in floral design, where she built a strong foundation in plant materials, aesthetics, and artistic composition, before returning to school to earn her degree in landscape architecture. That unique combination of hands-on creative experience and formal education shaped her into a well-rounded designer who approaches every project with both technical precision and an artist's eye. At Lynn Capouya Inc., Patricia works across an impressively broad spectrum of project types, collaborating closely with civil engineers and architects on everything from large-scale airport developments and Caltrans highway infrastructure to educational facilities, healthcare settings, commercial centers, and residential communities. She brings particular expertise in native mitigation— a practice that harnesses the power of strategic plantings to restore contaminated or degraded land — and the design of community-oriented outdoor spaces that enrich the daily lives of those who use them. Even in purely functional environments such as freeways and public infrastructure corridors, Patricia is driven by a commitment to integrating natural beauty, ensuring that the landscapes people move through every day are as thoughtfully designed as those they seek out intentionally. Beyond her professional practice, Patricia is deeply committed to giving back — both to her community and to the next generation of women entering the design professions. She volunteers annually with the UCI Cancer Challenge, a cause close to her heart, and she channels her natural teaching instinct into sharing skills such as gardening, wreath-making, and other crafts with those around her. A passionate advocate for women in architecture and landscape architecture, Patricia encourages emerging professionals to own their accomplishments, speak boldly about their contributions, and never minimize the value they bring to their field. Her career stands as a testament to the power of creative perseverance, lifelong learning, and the belief that every space — no matter how ordinary — has the potential to be made beautiful.