Garden Dialogues 2023: Kentfield, CA
This captivating residence designed by John Marsh Davis sits on an oak-filled hillside above a ravine and dramatically emphasizes the topography and views afforded by its location. In lieu of a pool, landscape architect Thomas Church designed an intimate terraced garden punctuated by Japanese maples in huge planters. Two twenty-foot-high sliding glass doors fill the home's eastern wall and connect the garden and living room. As architect David Weingarten explains, “The long side of this house simply rolls away…What was inside is, now, outside; what was a house is, now, a porch. What’s more, the house now appears structurally unsupported, held aloft by unseen forces. (The secret is an ingenious truss.)”
The south-facing master bedroom deck offers views of Mount Tamalpais, with the deck's supports dissolve into a wisteria-clad trellis structure, a signature of many Davis projects. The bracketed treatment of the roof overhangs make this trellis an emphatic part of the house, both celebrating structure and dematerializing the supporting walls, creating the feeling of the roof floating above.
Throughout the property, clever use of mirrors, another hallmark of Davis, creates playfully manipulated views. A mirror extending the garden path, for instance, is seen from the music room deck, giving the sense that the path meanders beyond the property’s bounds.
This Garden Dialogue will be led by Hans Baldauf, FAIA, LEED AP, author of Design Legacy of John Marsh Davis: Early Career: Wood Expressionism 1961-1979.
1.5 LA CES™ professional development hours will be available to attendees.
Click here to view the complete 2023 season of Garden Dialogues.
Refund Policy
Cancellations and Refunds will be granted according to the following schedule:
Up to two (2) weeks in advance: 50% (Deduction represents administrative processing fees)
No refunds will be made for cancellations thirteen (13) days prior to event
No refunds will be made for “No Shows” (a person who registers for a program but who does not cancel registration or attend the program).
Refunds will be processed as they are received or after the conclusion of the program, depending on the program date and when cancellation occurs. Refunds may take five (5) to seven (7) business days to process.
