MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM
Founding Principal
matthew@matthew-cunningham.com
Matthew Cunningham is a leader in the residential landscape architecture revolution fusing nature with high design. For two decades, he has driven a robust ecological awakening in our cities, suburbs, and rural places. At the core of his philosophy is an imperative to repair fragmented natural systems to combat and direct cataclysmic climate change, while embracing the realities of how people gather and live. His firm’s work is transforming the visual and built narratives of residential garden design.
Matthew’s impact cannot be measured garden by garden. It is essential to step back to see the cumulative body of work in both its evolving physical and cultural contexts. The emerging stories are setting trends of artful environmental responsibility. They start with locally sourced materials, with an emphasis on reclaimed stone positioned for elegance and durability. His native plant-centric gardens then actively rebuild systems, stretching beyond site boundaries and restoring wildlife patterns. He replaces expanses of invasive vegetation with indigenous plant communities that nourish pollinators and support ecological function. The balance reduces the need for fossil fuels for maintenance.
Matthew derives great passion from his roots in the verdant, rocky coast of rural Maine. Born there into the only generation to straddle analog and digital equally, Matthew embraces technology while simultaneously promoting commonsense design and construction.
As an energetic and hands-on professional, he works pragmatically with the finest craftspeople to ensure beautiful, contextual landscapes that exemplify life in seasonal New England. His gardens range from 300-square-foot courtyards in historic Boston to an exclusive coastal estate within Acadia National Park. He attracts patrons who want to be stewards of lush, environmentally distinctive gardens that bridge indoor-outdoor lifestyles and grasp the dynamic rhythms of everyday life.
As Principal of his firm and lecturer at Harvard, Matthew mentors future leaders by teaching them the important art of designing for both a present and a future context. Under his direction, his firm has won more than 50 national and regional professional awards, including an ASLA national Residential Honor Award, and his work has been widely published. In addition to an impressive public speaking roster, he personally curates his firm’s social media, populating them almost exclusively with his own photography and insights. That online effort has resulted in a far-reaching audience, promoting excellence in landscape architecture to thousands of followers worldwide. The positive impacts of Matthew’s work, coupled with the extensive reach of his advocacy, are helping to transform a multi-billion-dollar industry—and people’s lives.