Lafayette Residence

A couple downsized to one story in town, and brought their sculpture collection with them.

The project

The sculptures decided where everything else went.

A couple downsized to a one-story house in town and brought their sculpture collection with them. Rather than finding places for the pieces once the garden was drawn, I designed around them — where each one would sit, and what the garden had to make room for. Downsizing usually means deciding what doesn't come; here the collection was the part that wasn't up for negotiation.

The garden works the smaller footprint hard: open gravel joints in the stone paving, a small native-bentgrass lawn in place of turf, and an outdoor gas fireplace at the gathering end.

The planting is East Bay–specific: coffeeberry, sword and giant chain fern, native bentgrass, with dwarf olive, lavender and westringia. Low water, low upkeep, and permeable paving keeping stormwater on site. (I was project designer, while at David Thorne Landscape Architect.)

Lafayette Residence — a lit driftwood horse sculpture on the native bentgrass lawn at dusk, with garden uplighting — The driftwood horse on the native bentgrass lawn — the garden was laid out around pieces like this one.

Lafayette Residence — permeable stone terrace set with open gravel joints extending the living space outdoors — Open gravel joints in the stone paving keep stormwater on site.

Lafayette Residence at dusk — the entry walk's broad pavers lit by path lights through layered grasses and lavender — The entry walk at dusk, through grasses and lavender.

Lafayette Residence at dusk — the low dry-stack stone wall glowing at the arrival, with the lit entry beyond — A low dry-stack wall at the arrival.

Lafayette Residence — outdoor gas fireplace anchoring the rear gathering area — The outdoor gas fireplace at the gathering end.

Project credits

Design team — David Thorne Landscape ArchitectDavid Thorne (principal, RLA #2274), Sharon DeBell

ArchitectDavid Fagerstrom Architects

Landscape contractorEcliptic Landscapes

PhotographyAgnieszka Jakubowicz

NurseriesDevil Mountain Wholesale · Sweet Lane Nursery

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