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Collection by Syahmi Ismail

Garden , Rooftops , Plants

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Our balcony view of Table Mountain simply can’t be beat! Photo: Heather Moore
Our balcony view of Table Mountain simply can’t be beat! Photo: Heather Moore
Custom skylights by Berkeley’s DeFauw Design+Fabrication set above scissor trusses let in the sunlight.
Custom skylights by Berkeley’s DeFauw Design+Fabrication set above scissor trusses let in the sunlight.
Cutouts in the concrete slab floor allow for an indoor forest of taro, fig, and bamboo—and a subsurface drain connected to a perforated underground pipe slowly filters out excess moisture to the groundwater. The cabinets were custom designed by Nick Damner, while the refrigerator and dishwasher are by Thermador.
Cutouts in the concrete slab floor allow for an indoor forest of taro, fig, and bamboo—and a subsurface drain connected to a perforated underground pipe slowly filters out excess moisture to the groundwater. The cabinets were custom designed by Nick Damner, while the refrigerator and dishwasher are by Thermador.
A narrow garden and climbing ivy soften and brighten the house’s blank front facade.
A narrow garden and climbing ivy soften and brighten the house’s blank front facade.
Dunbar and Astrakhan's low-cost, high-impact tour de force is a storefront facade constructed from salvaged double-insulated window glass panels arranged in a shingle pattern.
Dunbar and Astrakhan's low-cost, high-impact tour de force is a storefront facade constructed from salvaged double-insulated window glass panels arranged in a shingle pattern.
Here Tim tinkers with works-in-progress in his studio space, situated across the courtyard from Nathalie’s.
Here Tim tinkers with works-in-progress in his studio space, situated across the courtyard from Nathalie’s.
A combination of sliding doors, strategically placed voids, and large indoor plantings create fluid boundaries between indoors and out. The interior courtyard garden—landscaped with tropical plants and volcanic sand—is visually accessible from nearly every room, including the dining and kitchenarea.
A combination of sliding doors, strategically placed voids, and large indoor plantings create fluid boundaries between indoors and out. The interior courtyard garden—landscaped with tropical plants and volcanic sand—is visually accessible from nearly every room, including the dining and kitchenarea.
“We have all these different destinations,” says Sardinas, a writer who works from her home office. “I’ll be working, get stuck on a passage, and take a break to go read outside.” On the lower roof, red Vegetal chairs by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec for Vitra provide moments for repose.
“We have all these different destinations,” says Sardinas, a writer who works from her home office. “I’ll be working, get stuck on a passage, and take a break to go read outside.” On the lower roof, red Vegetal chairs by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec for Vitra provide moments for repose.
“[The kids] are engaged, using the mounds as barricades or inventing other worlds,” says Peterson.
“[The kids] are engaged, using the mounds as barricades or inventing other worlds,” says Peterson.
Faceted forms clad in ipe slats provide an unexpected theater for fun in Tiburon, California. The landscape, by James Lord and Roderick Wyllie of Surfacedesign, was created for a family with young children. A walkway of pavers arranged in braille spells out a poem by Christopher Marlowe; this element was conceived by local landscape architect Topher Delaney.
Faceted forms clad in ipe slats provide an unexpected theater for fun in Tiburon, California. The landscape, by James Lord and Roderick Wyllie of Surfacedesign, was created for a family with young children. A walkway of pavers arranged in braille spells out a poem by Christopher Marlowe; this element was conceived by local landscape architect Topher Delaney.
Maintaining the tree house has been a rather simple job. "It gets somewhat slick when it rains but it's holding up well," Laurie says. Besides brushing off leaves in the fall, there's little other work to do.Photograph courtesy of Laurie Stubb.
Maintaining the tree house has been a rather simple job. "It gets somewhat slick when it rains but it's holding up well," Laurie says. Besides brushing off leaves in the fall, there's little other work to do.Photograph courtesy of Laurie Stubb.
The three-story structure serves as both a home and architectural studio, with parking for four cars on the ground-level carport, all on a 2,700-square-foot plot of land.
The three-story structure serves as both a home and architectural studio, with parking for four cars on the ground-level carport, all on a 2,700-square-foot plot of land.
The Zizmors installed a 16-foot-wide deck for playing and grilling, and lined it with hostas, Hollywood juniper, and bamboo.
The Zizmors installed a 16-foot-wide deck for playing and grilling, and lined it with hostas, Hollywood juniper, and bamboo.
Sue waters the indoor foliage with an industrial hose hung from the ceiling.
Sue waters the indoor foliage with an industrial hose hung from the ceiling.
A door leads out from the romantic courtyard, lush with plants. “Although we live in a big city, it doesn’t feel like it,” Kolasiński says. “The neighborhood and the nature are very relaxing and quiet.”
A door leads out from the romantic courtyard, lush with plants. “Although we live in a big city, it doesn’t feel like it,” Kolasiński says. “The neighborhood and the nature are very relaxing and quiet.”
Michael and Tamami brought greenery to the master bath courtyard, which is lined with Eco Arbor Designs deck tiles, in the form of succulents in a ceramic Peanut planter by John Follis for Architectural Pottery from Vessel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.
Michael and Tamami brought greenery to the master bath courtyard, which is lined with Eco Arbor Designs deck tiles, in the form of succulents in a ceramic Peanut planter by John Follis for Architectural Pottery from Vessel. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.
Via The Design Files, photo by Lucy Feagins
Via The Design Files, photo by Lucy Feagins

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