CADENCE PLAY. In the heart of Silicon Valley, a unique dialogue unfolds between the region’s heritage trees and natural landscape and its cutting-edge technological innovation. Responding to a similar theme, ‘Cadence Play’ orchestrates a similar conversation between the language of architectural modernism and the natural landscape.

Central to the project’s success was the need to mitigate both noise and the visual impact of an adjacent busy street and reduce the overall reliance on subsurface drainage. From a pragmatic standpoint, the design needed to accommodate the client’s sensitivities to native plant pollen and allergies while ensuring a welcoming outdoor environment throughout all seasons.

Addressing these multifaceted challenges, Studio Green engaged in a close collaboration with the architect and the homeowners, meticulously analyzed the building’s massing, layout, view lines and site grading. This collaborative approach led to the strategic orientation of the home away from the street, forming a protective U-shape that embraces the rear landscape as the desired outdoor gathering space. This deliberate design creates an inward-focused framework, thoughtfully positioning both the existing heritage valley oaks and the newly designed garden as the residence’s primary focal points.

Respecting the site’s natural contours and drainage patterns, the home’s finished floor was intentionally raised to better improve storm water runoff. The central garden space was ingeniously designed to function as a natural retention basin during periods of heavy rainfall, effectively managing all stormwater on-site.

The interior garden unfolds seamlessly around the home, offering visual connections and direct experiences from every vantage point within. The clean lines and bold geometry of the modern home provide a striking backdrop for the garden’s contrasting character. Here, playful yet restrained geometries offer a visual counterpoint to the architecture’s strong presence. This deliberate contrast is evident in the custom stone and fencing patterns, the carefully considered placement of boulders, and the expressive planting design.

Embracing a modern aesthetic, stone paving transitions gracefully, its linear patterns shifting and intertwining to create a subtle rhythm. This same design language is echoed in the entry picket fencing, establishing a cohesive visual narrative. The client’s programmatic requests were thoughtfully integrated, including a stone fire pit, an organically shaped spa nestled within the pool, a living wall illuminated by a skylight in an exterior room, and a curated scattering of both natural and cut-faced boulders throughout the courtyard.

Addressing the client’s desire for a hypo-allergenic garden, the Studio Green studied horticulturalist Thomas Leo Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPAL) to guide plant selection. The OPAL is a scale guide that measures the potential of a plant to cause allergic reactions in human. The resulting planting palette for the project prioritized species with low OPAL ratings while also considering drought tolerance and year-round visual interest.

Along the property’s perimeter, native plantings such as Rhamnus californica, Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’ and Woodwardia fimbriata were chosen to effortlessly integrate the garden with the surrounding oak trees. In contrast, the heart of the garden bursts with vibrant hues of orange, red, and purple, intended to delight and inspire. Selections include the orange blossoms of Abutilon ‘mock orange’ and Alstroemeria ‘orange’, the reds of Anigozanthos ‘red’ and Polygonum microcephalum ‘red dragon’, and the purples of Agapanthus ‘Purple Cloud’ or Liriope gigantea. This intentional layering of native and more ornamental, low-allergy species creates a dynamic and visually engaging landscape that respects both the site’s context and the client’s well-being.

Architecture offices involved in the design: S^A | Schwartz & Architecture

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