San Marino Sanctuary

The sagging roof of this San Marino home precipitated a total renovation of the courtyard into a contemporary living space befitting the mid-century provenance of the residence.

The open, airy courtyard provides plenty of outdoor living space. Rainchains slow down and guide water into catch basins, directing the flow to a dry creek bed that carries the water into the back yard. Stamped concrete was used as an affordable and ecological alternative to imported natural stone.

Sustainably forested pau lope wood was formed into an at-grade deck, enabling the smooth transition from interior living areas to outdoor rooms.

Details are essential to any project, but are of particular importance in contemporary, natural wilderness designs.

A raised planter with sinuous pau lope bench creates privacy for the bedroom areas, otherwise visible from the public rooms.

The backyard was relieved of its unattractive, cramping hardscape, re-graded, and planted with native and other climate-appropriate plants in a water-conserving gravel groundcover.