Shades of Green Landscape Architecture collaborated with the developer, Troon Pacific, on a major remodel of this stately Pacific Heights residence in San Francisco, California. We designed the rear yard and front yard in addition to procuring pots and plantings for the terraces.
The rear yard is designed for maximum outdoor living with generous access from the house. There is a lap pool, outdoor shower, fireplace, covered patio spaces and outdoor kitchen. Due to grading constrictions, the lap pool and pool deck is set 30” higher than the rest of the yard, and the pool has an infinity edge that acts as a water feature for the lower part of the garden. The covered wood trellis on the pool deck provides screening from the house above, and it is also a great place to enjoy the view over Golden Gate. The double-sided fireplace acts as a window to the shower behind. The shower is screened with bamboo and an opaque glass fence. Seen from above, the garden has a graphic quality with a play on rectangles of different materials. The white pavers at the pool deck are interrupted by the wood deck and trellis. The raised pool is clad with greenish glass tiles, and the main patio has white pavers with a pattern of dark grey inset pavers and green groundcovers to provide permeability. The native lawn has edges of Mexican pebbles that conceal a fire pit and the overflow from the pool. The outdoor kitchen and dining area is set in a rectangle of crushed rock for softness and permeability. The garden is framed with a tree hedge with smaller plants below for color and interest.
The residence received LEED platinum. Outdoors, this was achieved by using permeable paving drought tolerant planting, native lawn, rainwater harvesting and water efficient irrigation.
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