San Rafael is home to more than 1,550 Eichler homes built between 1955 and 1966. This residence is part of a 375-home tract completed in 1957–58.
JBLA removed the overgrown junipers typical of many Eichler front yards and reworked the entry as a restrained composition of planes, texture, and color. On either side of the walk, drought-tolerant planting is treated almost as a minimalist color field, with a limited palette of blue-grey greens and contrasting textures.
The paths and driveway are conceived as a single surface, giving greater presence to the pedestrian approach than to the car. Simple grading reinforces the geometry of the site.
Working within a limited budget, JBLA created a low-maintenance, environmentally responsive landscape through an economy of means. The project was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.