OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

In a California suburb where neat squares of lawn are the norm, landscape studio Terremoto has created something different

- VERONICA PEERLESS

The brief 

The gardens in this tree-lined neighbourhood in suburban Los Gatos, California, are neat parcels of rectangular lawn - which are not, of course, suited to the dry climate. The owners of this 'L-eichler' (as in a 'like an Eichler') house - a mid-century modern home with an atrium in the centre - had a different look in mind when they approached landscape studio Terremoto. They wanted to rip out the tired hedges, rotting deck, old-fashioned fencing and lawn at the front and back to create spaces that were packed with plants for pollinators, where their two young daughters could roam. Aside from that, spaces for cooking and entertaining were a key requirement. "That was a really big part of the brief," explains landscape architect Sarah Samynathan, who worked on the project with her colleague Alain Peauroi. "The clients were in the tech and health worlds when we started work on the garden in 2019, but they've just opened a wine bar and restaurant in San Jose."

The design

"When you're confronted with the strong lines of mid-century architecture, you can either go with the mid-century modern style of landscape architecture - which is not much - or you can juxtapose it with an intense softness," says Sarah. She presented the clients with two options, driven by materials. The first was a wood-based design and the second used reclaimed granite slabs. The two options also came with two different planting palettes. "The first option was paired with meadow planting and the second with structural planting, with lots of succulents and cacti."

The materials ended up as a blend of both. "The areas that you move through have granite pavers and the areas you linger on are wood. All of the structures, including the angled deck in the atrium and the pergola, have a bit of an edge to them." And the agreed planting was soft meadow.