Framed by an existing hedge and supported by two custom sliced-boulder benches, this soft variegated residential viewing garden in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights is a beauty to behold. A pair of pink dogwoods float at the top of a gently sloped garden planted with alliums, salvia, veronicas, thistles, ferns, and oak leaf hydrangeas. The planting palette was designed to populate the somewhat dark garden with subtle variegation for soft washes of brightness. 

A staggered limestone staircase leads straight down to the lower terrace and seating area. A pair of Noguchi-inspired custom benches, visible as boulders from the upper terrace, express a playful informality in the viewing garden. The two organic seats were fabricated by slicing an angled wedge from granite Sonoma fieldstones and then polishing the rock face smooth. The lower terrace is composed of limestone pavers connected by groundcover and accented with two halves of another smaller, black granite stone.

In the inner courtyard balcony off the yoga room, a tiny garden comprised of pebbles and a handcrafted clay planter creates a calming natural moment.  

Location: San Francisco, CA

Status: Completed 2022

Project Type: Residential

Collaborators: Studio Volpe; MEMarchitecture; Dowbuilt, General Contractor; Siteworks, Landscape Contractor

Photography: Marion Brenner

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  A small, sloping garden in San Francisco