Deck

Board-formed concrete retaining walls double as ramps from the deck to the garden’s highest point.

With input from her clients, Barensfeld used a computer to generate the circular patterns that were carved into a pair of Cor-Ten steel screens with a water-jet cutter. The perforations allow light and the green of the surrounding Koi bamboo to filter into the space while preserving privacy.

A maple tree grows through an ipe deck in this garden that Mary Barensfeld designed for a family in Berkeley, California. A reflecting pool separates it from a granite patio, which is furnished with a Petal dining table by Richard Schultz and chairs by Mario Bellini. The 1,150-square-foot garden serves as an elegant transition from the couple’s 1964 Japanese-style town house to a small, elevated terrace with views of San Francisco Bay. Filigreed Cor-Ten steel fence screens—perforated with a water-jet cutter to cast dappled shadows on a bench and the ground below—and zigzagging board-formed concrete retaining walls are examples.

Skáli North consists of four modules spread out across four deliveries: the High Cuboid, MudPod Vestibule, Grand Shed/Studio, and the Guest Wing, which is connected by an open-air hallway.

Frontal facade - Street view

The emphasis on wood finishes continues inside, where the skylit atrium bifurcates the house. On the second floor, the primary bedroom and a pair of smaller bedrooms straddle the stairwell.

Swiss-born architect Albert Frey built Frey House II—the second home he designed for himself in Palm Springs, California—around a giant boulder. The hillside residence was completed in 1964.

Hale's material preferences helped keep costs low: Inexpensive plywood lines the ceiling and cork covers the floors. He covered the kitchen island with yellow plastic laminate.

“We think everybody should have color in their office space,” says Maciagowski. “It’s what keeps us happy and motivated. It’s good for morale. Sometimes you’ll have it in one conference room, but we’ve applied it everywhere.”

One of the home’s three pavilions includes an open-concept kitchen and living space, which the family uses to cook and entertain.

Linen curtains were chosen from the Barcelona-based Yutes textile company for their quality and simple Mediterranean aesthetic.

The garden was designed with as sustainable approach and a water-saving ethos. Indigenous trees and shrubs were planted and gravels covers the ground.