Portfolio

Work across scales, from concept to permit

Residential gardens, commercial landscapes, conceptual studies, and the technical documentation behind each one.

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Concept sketch of a deck and stairs, the first stage of a documentation case studyView →
From Sketch to Permit-Ready Set
Presidio Heights rooftop conceptView Project →
Presidio Heights Rooftop Concept
Tiburon waterfront concept renderingView Project →
Tiburon Waterfront Concept
Birch grove planting at office entry on Bush Street, San FranciscoView Project →
Bush Street Office Entry
Flagstone path bordered by orange Mexican sunflower and red salvia at Autumn CourtView Project →
Autumn Court Garden
Finished cedar barrel sauna installed on a bluestone patio in Mill ValleyView Project →
Mill Valley Sauna
Photorealistic rendering of a pool and modern pool house surrounded by mature trees
Pool & Pool House Concept
Aerial rendering of a landscaped lawn, olive tree border, and pool at golden hour
Hillside Lawn & Pool Concept
Rendering of a poolside dining terrace at sunset with umbrellas and coastal hillside beyondView →
Poolside Dining Terrace
Rendering of an olive allee with lavender and blue fescue along a gravel pathView →
Olive Allée & Lavender Walk
Watercolour rendering of a fenced pool courtyard at Poet's Corner, Pleasant Hill, with loungers, umbrellas, a shaded communal dining pergola and a mature olive tree
Poet's Corner — Pleasant Hill, CA
Watercolour concept plan for a residence at Via Solano showing patios, deck, fountains and plantingView →
Via Solano Concept Plan
Concept sketch over a site photograph showing a new deck, bench, concrete stairs, flat-bar railing and a water featureView →
Deck & Water Feature
Case Study · Commercial

Bush Street Office Entry

A narrow San Francisco office entry reimagined as a Nordic birch grove — cut birch poles set individually on small concrete footings, arranged densely to read as a small forest, underplanted simply for a clean, low-maintenance approach.

BriefCreate a layered, low-maintenance entry planting for a downtown office building
ConstraintsNarrow planting bed, limited light, high foot traffic
ServicesLandscape design, planting installation, irrigation, lighting
Birch grove entry planting viewed toward the street and surrounding buildings, San Francisco Expand ⤢
View through the birch trunks toward the street with the ivy-covered wall beyond Expand ⤢
Black and white view of the birch grove along the sidewalk entry Expand ⤢
Close-up detail of birch bark texture against the ivy-covered wall Expand ⤢

The concept used cut birch poles set closely together to create the density and rhythm of a natural birch forest within a narrow entry bed — a striking effect achievable without mature trees or a large footprint. Simple underplanting of liriope and ivy fills in beneath the poles, softening the transition from sidewalk to entry while keeping maintenance minimal. The white bark reads clean and bright against the building's facade year-round.

Case Study · Residential

Autumn Court Garden

A struggling front and side lawn was replaced with a water-wise garden of layered, drought-tolerant planting connected by a meandering flagstone path.

BriefReplace a thirsty, declining lawn with a low-water garden that still feels lush and inviting
ConstraintsExisting mature trees and irrigation lines to work around, year-round curb appeal
ServicesLandscape design, planting plan, flagstone hardscape, irrigation coordination
Flagstone path bordered by orange Mexican sunflower and red salvia at Autumn Court Expand ⤢
Shaded bench seating area beneath Japanese maples at Autumn Court Expand ⤢
Flagstone garden path bordered by red geum blooms at Autumn Court Expand ⤢
Front entry planting of ornamental grasses along the driveway at Autumn Court Expand ⤢

The design swaps thirsty turf for a planting palette built around ornamental grasses, drought-tolerant succulents, and long-blooming perennials in warm reds, oranges, and purples, all tied together by a curved red flagstone path and mulched beds. A shaded bench along the route gives the garden a place to pause, while mature trees kept from the original landscape anchor the new plantings and provide structure and shade as they matured.

Case Study · Residential

Mill Valley Sauna

A prefabricated cedar barrel sauna was sited and integrated into a tight side-yard patio, tying into the existing gravel and paver hardscape alongside the home's outdoor shower.

BriefSite and integrate a prefabricated sauna into an existing side-yard patio
ConstraintsNarrow side-yard footprint, tie-in to existing gravel and paver hardscape, coordination with the sauna manufacturer's installation crew
ServicesSite planning, hardscape coordination, consultant coordination with electricians, the plumber, and the concrete contractor for the concrete pad
Finished sauna on the side-yard patio beside the home's outdoor shower in daylight Expand ⤢
Barrel sauna on site beside the home's outdoor shower Expand ⤢
Sauna glowing at dusk in the side-yard patio Expand ⤢
Finished cedar barrel sauna installed on a bluestone patio in Mill Valley Expand ⤢
Interior sauna bench and stove with cedar paneling Expand ⤢
Interior view of the sauna bench seating and cedar wall paneling Expand ⤢

The sauna's compact footprint made precise siting essential — close enough to the house for easy everyday use, but positioned to preserve circulation through the side yard and keep clear of the existing outdoor shower. Coordination with electrician, the plumber, and the concrete contractor ensured the poured concrete pad, power run, and water line for custom outdoor shower were ready ahead of sauna build completion, and the final placement ties the unit into the property's existing gravel and paver hardscape with minimal disruption to surrounding plantings.

Documentation Case Study

From sketch to permit-ready set

The same project at three stages. This is the work between a good idea and a built garden — the part most studios don't show.

  1. 01
    Concept sketch over a site photograph showing a proposed deck, bench, concrete stairs and water feature

    Concept

    Sketched over a site photograph so the client can read the proposal against what is already there. Deck line, stair run, railing and water feature established before anything is drawn to scale.

    You provide site photos and a wish list
    You receive annotated concept views

  2. 02 Dimension plan L1.3 for the same garden: deck, stairs, stone walls, water feature and planters dimensioned for construction

    Documentation

    Dimensioned plans, sections and construction details a contractor can build from. Grading, drainage and materials resolved on paper rather than on site.

    You provide survey and existing conditions
    You receive a coordinated drawing set

  3. 03 Construction in progress: new mortared stone wall with a corten steel spout, stair forms and rebar set for the concrete stairs

    Built

    The drawings carried through construction, with revisions and consultant coordination handled as questions come up. Shown here mid-build: the new stone wall and corten spout, with the stair forms set for concrete.

    You provide contractor contact
    You receive submittal support and revisions

Permit approval is determined by the relevant authority and cannot be guaranteed.

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