GARDENS
ISSUE: Summer 2017
FEATURED CITY: San Francisco
DESIGN BY Lutsko Associates
WRITTEN BY Bek Mitchell-Kidd
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Marion Brenner
Verdant Walls
Located in the Pacific Heights district of San Francisco is a residential garden
that was conceived as outdoor architecture for everyday living. The intimate
urban garden surrounds a single family home and is tucked in between a series
of historic and modern homes, garden courtyards and a sunken carriage house.
The home was designed in 1990 by the noted Bay Area architectural firm EHDD
under the tutelage of the late Joe Esherick. Both the residence and the garden
enjoy views of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz.
San Francisco-based Lutsko Associates designed the landscape, and the two-year
project was completed in 2011. Ron Lutsko Jr. says the client was looking for
“modern, artistic and a good view from the upper levels of house.” He continues,
“Given its small scale, the garden was envisioned as architecture without roofs; a
space to both appreciate from the upper levels of the house, as well as an intimate
set of restful courtyards to be enjoyed from within. The design pays careful atten-
tion to the sensory experience of materials and planting, which contribute to the
richness and beauty of the garden.”
Read more in the Summer 2017 issue
FALL 2018
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