Outdoor Rooms

in the Inner Richmond

Colin and Sarah came to us looking to extend their living space throughout their entire property in the Inner Richmond district. The previous garden had some charm to it, but the layout and style simply did not meet the needs of their growing family or our native ecology. So we decided to wipe the slate clean; all but one large mature Bay Tree.

The goal was to create outdoor rooms, each with their own screening from the panopticon of neighboring windows. The solution was to wireframe the walls to these rooms to provide a sense of shelter within each area of the garden.

The Stepstone pavers skip playfully across the ‘urban farm’ - a pea gravel area containing a fire pit and veggie beds—formalizing at the rear of the garden as a patio for an outdoor living room.

The ebony stained timbers create a modern architectural feel while stainless steel cables maintain a lightness and allow vines to be selectively trained and pruned to varying degrees of privacy.

One year later, the passionflower vine had filled in as a screen

Beyond the rectilinear bounds of the people space, the plant space is allowed to let loose. Native yarrow, coyote mint, salvia, and buckwheat burst like confetti through the beds, providing habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies.

Even for an experienced horticulturalist, it can be challenging to visualize a full plant palette. Our plant collages provide a lively representation of how the different colors and textures will work together as plants mature.

Pollinator-friendly gardens like this one are of utmost importance, as they provide fingers of green space that stretch out from Golden Gate Park, and connect to other habitat areas like the Presidio, Mount Sutro, and beyond.

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