Project Category: Residential

Blue Oaks Residence

Blue Oaks Residence, Portola Valley This rural project honors the pristine environment of its four-acre, hilltop site by integrating house, garden, and hardscape within the native chaparral and woodland setting. A preservation effort as much as a modern residential landscape design project, challenges included conserving forty precious, 80-year-old manzanitas, minimizing grading near existing oak groves, […]

East Portola Valley Residence

East Portola Valley Residence The intent behind this large-scale project is to harmonize multiple outdoor spaces within the surrounding landscape so the natural environment is vividly felt, seen, and heard at every opportunity.  The owners requested generous outdoor spaces for very large gatherings as well as more intimate settings. Courtyards, a swimming pool deck, and a large covered […]

Douglass LaShay Residence

Douglass LaShay Residence, Portola Valley Architecture and landscape design were developed simultaneously for this new home in Portola Valley. The site is blessed with existing mature oaks and views of expansive rolling hills backed by Mt. Diablo in the distance. These stunning elements were used to organize the design site and its features. Sweeping arcs of hardscape are […]

Marshall Residence

Marshall Residence, Portola Valley The goal of this project was to assert a new identity for a nondescript home and outdated garden, creating a fresh, retreat-like space with some surprising details. It won a Merit Award in the Residential category from the Northern California Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.  The site’s patchwork […]

Gerstler Residence

Gerstler Residence, Orinda The owners of this home have a passion for art and wanted an elegant garden that feels like a museum courtyard. Custom elements include multiple seating areas, an outdoor kitchen and dining room with arbor, a central sculpture wall, and reflective water feature.  Despite such multi-use features, the compact garden’s design retains […]

Palo Alto Residence

Palo Alto Residence This elegant, tranquil garden arose out of strict design constraints. The property’s owner, a mathematician, asked that the design mimic the Fibonacci sequence, or natural spiral shape found in nature. Featuring a controlled palette and a limited number of materials, the garden also had to provide a calm counterpoint to the residence’s […]

Bishop Residence

Bishop Residence, Lafayette An uninspired garden at a suburban home was transformed into a sophisticated outdoor room with deep connections to the surrounding natural environment.   Poor initial site planning was remedied by developing a more thoughtful garden format. The house was also part of the redesign, providing the opportunity to work closely with the owner […]

Stein Residence

Stein Residence, Orinda This Orinda property offers spectacular views, plenty of level garden space – a novelty in this hilly community – and a house that features seamless living between the indoors and outdoors. The landscape design capitalizes on these attributes with a layout that is at once generous, respectful to the architecture and views, […]

Central Portola Valley Residence

Central Portola Valley Residence Fluid boundaries between this garden and the open space surrounding the property give a sense of being part of the larger landscape. The designed exterior space includes a large pool and water feature, organizing the adjacent garden and terraces and directing the eye toward the distant coastal hills. 

Jepson Residence

Jepson Residence, Oakland When a new owner with a young family moved into this woodland site, they envisioned a landscape design that would complement the home’s imposing architecture, including its cantilevered floor plates and tall structural columns. The design also had to be easily accessible from the house and incorporate existing auxiliary structures in the […]

Hedayat Residence

Hedayat Residence, Danville At this hillside site in Danville, a new home is set within a swath of restored native meadows and chaparral. A long, winding driveway, punctuated by olive and cypress trees, descends through soft, billowing hills to the house, where the arrival court is marked with water basins and a sculpture wall. Passing […]

Ott Residence

Ott Residence, Walnut Creek A linear decking element acts as a spine, running from the spa area and across the water feature to the trellised fireplace patio. This residential landscape received a Sunset Dream Garden Awards Grand Prize.

Portola Valley Skyline

Rau Residence Located in Portola Valley, a simple yet bold garden was created for this ridgetop property. The house is nestled into the site with a green roof integrated over the studio. Thuilot worked closely with Feldman Architecture to make elegant transitions between indoors and out. For example, a long cypress boardwalk next to the […]