Founded on the Reuss Embankment
Phytorinco opened its doors in 2019 when landscape architect Maren Hofstetter relocated her drawing practice from Zürich to a converted textile workshop on Pilatusstrasse. The move placed the studio within walking distance of three distinct garden typologies: formal city parks, vineyard slopes, and lakeshore meadows.
That proximity shaped our methodology. We study local precedents before proposing anything new, sketching from the Jesuitengarten colonnades and the wildflower margins along the Rotsee trail.
A Team of Three Specialists
Maren leads concept development and client presentations. Horticulturist Jonas Eberle manages plant specification, ensuring every species we specify is available from Swiss nurseries or can be sourced within a six-week window.
Technical illustrator Pia Schmid produces axonometric planting layouts and material boards at 1:50 scale, a service that distinguishes Phytorinco from studios relying solely on digital renders.
Design Philosophy
We believe gardens should appear as though they predate the house they surround. This means favouring native stone, respecting existing mature trees, and accepting that some areas remain intentionally wild.
Ornamental excess is edited ruthlessly. A Phytorinco scheme typically features fewer than forty plant species, each chosen for structural contribution across multiple seasons rather than fleeting flower colour.
Professional Affiliations
The studio holds membership in the Swiss Society of Landscape Architects and contributes planting guidelines to the Stadt Luzern green corridor initiative. We do not affiliate with product manufacturers or receive nursery commissions.
Our fee structure is published transparently on the services page, with no hidden markups on specified materials or contractor referrals.
Studio Access
Visitors are welcome by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10:00 and 16:00. The ground floor houses our reference library of alpine flora and a sample board room where clients review stone, gravel, and timber selections under natural north light.
Remote clients receive parcel deliveries of printed plans and bound planting catalogues via Swiss Post A-Post, typically within four business days of final approval.