08/05/2026
Rustic Canyon Viewing Garden
Located in Santa Monica’s coveted Rustic Canyon enclave, the main objective of this project was to double the home’s footprint, through the design of a series of fully functioning outdoor spaces that include a proper dining room, living room, viewing den, meditative garden, and outdoor shower.
We turned a steep slope (often thought to be unusable) between the upper and lower gardens to our advantage, by creating a rich experiential journey along a stairway that features an unfolding series of lovely viewpoints along the path, as well as a beautiful visual when viewed from windows looking down to the slope from the second floor of the house.
In keeping with a philosophy and aesthetic signature that we carry through many of our projects, this project is a celebration of native California plants. As you ascend from the upper deck to the lower garden, you pass through a lively mix of low water plantings that are a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies.
We are sensitive to site appropriate design and are highly knowledgeable about sustainable landscape practices including drought tolerant planting, low water-use irrigation, low impact development and responsible paving approaches, water reclamation methods and systems, organic gardening and green roof design. We have designed landscapes in cities across California that have stringent standards for drought tolerant design.
Roger Davies
