Importing a Tropical Landscape to Southern California

by Stephen Kelly, regional editor

Water themes are continuous throughout the project with the notion that water is emblematic of life. The concrete stepping panels with leaf imprints are islands in eight inches of water with green glass marbles of one-inch diameters lining the bottom. ?EUR??,,????'??Symbolically, we make sure the water is moving toward the house. From the Asian perspective, water brings prosperity and good health,?EUR??,,????'?? notes the landscape architect. Ceramic tiles cover the step faces leading to the front door and the raised structure to the left of the entry is a koi pond.

For Michael Schneider, RLA, the founder of Orange Street Studio in Los Angeles, business is good. His firm is growing and he?EUR??,,????'???s busy with projects out in the desert lands of Palm Springs, Ca. He told me of his recent trip to Brazil, home to one of the icons of landscape architecture, Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994), who created gardens and public squares for the capital (Brazilia) and over two thousand projects worldwide.

?EUR??,,????'??This project is all about water,?EUR??,,????'?? says the landscape architect. The water theme is continuous throughout the project. It?EUR??,,????'???s the notion that water is emblematic of life, particularly in California.

When Schneider was at Harvard, he heard Burle Marx speak and admired the Brazilian Renaissance man, painter, sculptor, singer and jewelry designer. Schneider, a musician (sax) and painter when he?EUR??,,????'???s not creating landscapes, feels a certain kinship with Burle Marx. While in Brazil, Schneider visited some of Burle Marx?EUR??,,????'???s work large-scale landscapes. At Barra de Guaratiba, Burle Marx bought 365,000 square miles of land on the border of Rio de Janiero to study native plant life. The area grew to accommodate over 3,500 species of plants, including many that were on the verge of extinction.

The pool tapers as it goes away from the house to the back of the property, giving the impression of greater length. The end of the pool abuts a three-story apartment complex, although you would never know it. A thick screen of clumping giant timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) provides privacy and sound attenuation. This bamboo, native to Taiwan, can grow 40 feet tall and its stems up to four inches in diameter. It needs little water once established. Golden goddess bamboo (l) red banana (r) and miscanthus (silver grass) grows at the end of the pool, with painted bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris ?EUR??,,????'??Vittata?EUR??,,????'???) sweeping over the water.

When I asked Schneider about his own painting, he explained he began by painting aerial landscapes. From these high-above perspectives (from a plane) he was struck by nature?EUR??,,????'???s many nuances of green.

?EUR??,,????'??Green is a interesting color. It is mixed with a lot of other colors,?EUR??,,????'?? he observes. I can vouch for this, as my wife recently decided we needed to paint our car ?EUR??,,????'??green.?EUR??,,????'?? British racing green was the first shade that popped into our minds, until we discovered that shade is so dark as to be nearly black. Looking at the green paint palette was daunting?EUR??,,????'??+so many shades. We didn?EUR??,,????'???t want a light green (no pea greens), but a richer green. We settled on BMW?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??fern green.?EUR??,,????'?? Schneider enjoys using many shades of green and subtle tones in his landscapes. While he appreciates flowers and their colors he has moved away from flowers in his landscapes.

?EUR??,,????'??Concrete with integral color is something we like to use,?EUR??,,????'?? says the landscape architect. While the concrete was still wet Schneider selected different leaf patterns from bamboo planted on the property, which were then arranged and troweled in. ?EUR??,,????'??Since we have these leaves in the garden it is a subtle way to reintroduce the bamboo,?EUR??,,????'?? Schneider says. The patterned concrete is in the front and back of the property.

?EUR??,,????'??Flowers have a special moment,?EUR??,,????'?? Schneider concedes, but it is short lived. He looks to foliage and textures, those plants which are more constant. You could say he is a ?EUR??,,????'??constant gardener,?EUR??,,????'?? if you don?EUR??,,????'???t mind a ban pun in reference to John le Carre?EUR??,,????'???s latest novel and movie by the same name.

The six pieces of the Buddha head are hung using special glue applied to a concrete block wall with a stucco finish. Water pours down the face of the Buddha into a trough and then becomes a waterfall that flows into the pool. The hedge here is a continuation of the ficus hedge. Interior to that is a steel custom fence that was allowed to rust and then sealed. Tiger grass is to the right.

The Residence

Our featured project is the Orlando residence in Los Angeles, adjacent to West Hollywood. Schneider mentions this home is near the King?EUR??,,????'???s Road house built by Austrian architect Rudolph Schindler (1887-1953), which he notes has ?EUR??,,????'??amazing gardens with giant bamboo.?EUR??,,????'?? Schindler homes are said to represent ?EUR??,,????'??early modern architecture of Southern California design. The Orlando home is just north of Melrose Ave. on the west side of L.A., a kind of quirky, pedestrian-friendly people-watching area with the requisite trendy boutiques (where the stars shop, oh boy!), gaudy storefronts, a plethora of pork out choices, comedy clubs, blah, blah, blah (or is it ?EUR??,,????'??yada yada??EUR??,,????'??) How the area is represented on ?EUR??,,????'??Melrose Place?EUR??,,????'?? I haven?EUR??,,????'???t a clue, as I?EUR??,,????'???ve never seen the TV program. Its proximity to Hollywood can be significant for the landscape architect. Schneider says the ?EUR??,,????'??permitting process is not as tedious in L.A.?EUR??,,????'?? Apparently Hollywood takes itself more seriously in this regard. What a surprise!

The landscape architect?EUR??,,????'???s garden motif for the Orlando home is southeast Asian, as the clients have a retail business in L.A. importing S.E. Asian artifacts.

Michael Schneider, RLA, chose a ficus hedge to provide privacy on the west side of the property. A stately sycamore towers above. The shell-inlaid doors are southeast Asian. ?EUR??,,????'??When morning light is coming through the translucent shell in the doors it is amazing,?EUR??,,????'?? says Schneider. As the gates are swung open, you are face-to-face with the Buddha.

?EUR??,,????'??This project has the feel of a Bali Hotel,?EUR??,,????'?? Schneider offers, which means tropical. L.A. has a bit of everything, so why not a tropical garden? The Los Angeles basin is essentially a sunny Mediterranean climate, warm and dry in all seasons. The average annual rainfall is only 13-16 inches. So, with a little water, the climate is quite adaptive to a tropical landscape. As for the ?EUR??,,????'??feel?EUR??,,????'?? the LA was seeking?

The simplicity of the design is reiterated by the A-framed straw-thatched shelter (palapa) on a concrete pad for dinning al fresco at the back of the property, just adjacent to the pool. The post brackets of the Douglas fir pole bases are purposely left ?EUR??,,????'??unfinished,?EUR??,,????'?? in keeping with wabi-sabi, the Zen Buddhism aesthetic that, among other things, appreciates the beauty of things imperfect. The teak tables and chairs are pieces from southeast Asia. A wall of bamboo (l) shields the garage, driveway and guest house.

?EUR??,,????'??I?EUR??,,????'???m trying to create a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere, a place one feels one can embrace the space,?EUR??,,????'?? explains Schneider. It began by selecting a custom metal fence for the property that was allowed to rust and then sealed. Covering the fence is a ficus hedge, with an entrance west side through alabaster-inlaid wooden doors from southeast Asian. As the gates are swung open, you are face-to-face with the Buddha. The landscape architect notes that the clients were very involved in selecting materials, particularly the sculptural elements, many of which were brought in from S.E. Asia buying trips by the home owners. The Buddha head is in six piece sections hung on a concrete block wall with a stucco finish. Like many elements of this garden, water is throughout. Water falls down the face of the Buddha, a symbol of life and purity. The water elements throughout the design are directed to flow toward the house, which is emblematic of good fortune.

The view from the back of the property toward the patio. The LA foregoes annuals typically seen in gardens in lieu of more textured greenery: a fescue lawn (r), tiger grass (l) and king and queen palms.

The main water feature is the infinity edge pool, separated from the home and patio area by a strip of ficus lawn and the outdoor dining area (an A-frame palapa). The pool is a gunite shell plastered with a greenish tint. The tile and coping are full-colored bluestone slate. The pool incorporates a full-length bench seat (underwater). The pool tapers as it goes away from the house to the back of the property, giving the perspective of greater length. The pool runs to the back limit of the property, screening the adjoining apartment complex with a screen of giant clumping bamboo. A raised spa, also constructed of bluestone, is to the backside of the pool. It features an octagonal roof and a trough centered down the steps that feeds the pool. The water from the infinity edge overflows into a trough that flows toward the home.

?EUR??,,????'??You have to stroll through the garden to see all the rooms. There?EUR??,,????'???s a sense of concealment then revealment as you move through.?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+ Michael Schneider, RLA

The grounds are studded with Asian artifacts, including a shrine and stone bubblers.

Ronaldo Sandoval, a landscape artist, helped with plantings and sculptural details, like the stone bubbler and elephant sculpture (right)?EUR??,,????'??+Ganesh, Hindu god of knowledge and remover of obstacles.

Another aspect of Asian philosophy present in the design is the concept of ?EUR??,,????'??wabi-sabi?EUR??,,????'?? ?EUR??,,????'??+defined as ?EUR??,,????'??truth coming from the observation of nature,?EUR??,,????'?? i.e., that all things are impermanent, imperfect, incomplete and are in a ?EUR??,,????'??constant never-ending state of becoming or dissolving into nothingness.?EUR??,,????'?? The clients were not seeking a ?EUR??,,????'??slick?EUR??,,????'?? design, but a garden in harmony with this philosophy. The clients have an interest in art and texture and the organic quality inspired by nature. This attitude is present in the thatched roofs of the dining area and the spa, along with Schneider?EUR??,,????'???s use of textured green plantings, which eschew annual colors. The plantings are tropical: king and queen palms; bird of paradise; tiger grass; and various bamboos.

This intricately wood-carved ?EUR??,,????'??mandala?EUR??,,????'?? from S.E. Asia is on the backside of the Buddha head. Mandala is Sanskrit for the purified universe or, more simply, a circle or connection. The mandala represents the Buddha?EUR??,,????'???s "body of enlightenment." The center is the essence or "heart" of the Buddha. The circumference is said to be ?EUR??,,????'??grasping the essence.?EUR??,,????'??

Schneider likes using concrete in interesting ways. He is not a fan of stamped concrete. He doesn?EUR??,,????'???t like masking concrete to look like stone or cobble. ?EUR??,,????'??If you want stone, use stone,?EUR??,,????'?? he suggests. He does, however, want to use concrete in interesting and subtle ways. For the concrete slabs he placed selections of bamboo leaves from the property onto the wet cement, which were then trowled in to reveal nature?EUR??,,????'???s pattern.

This is the view from the back yard patio. The pool is a gunite shell plastered with a gray-green tint. The tile line and coping are full-colored bluestone slate. The pool features a full-length bench seat (underwater). The pool coping rises as the grade drops toward the house. The deep end (4.5 feet) gradually shallows to just one foot deep at the far end, emulating Asian resort pools that allow you to put your chaise in the shallow water. At the infinity edge water tumbles into a trough and flows toward the house. Tiger grass, bamboo and king palms supply the tropical nature.

In the end, it is about nature in the tropics and S.E. Asian sensibilities. A space of water, lush greenery and the Buddha presiding over it all.

Bali transplanted to L.A. Red banana (l) and golden goddess bamboo (r) frame the thatched hut with an octagonal roof. The shelter covers a raised spa in the back of the garden accessed via bluestone pavers. All the exterior hardscape here is bluestone. Water flows down a center trough in the steps to the pool then flows over the infinity edge toward the house. Here at the spa?EUR??,,????'???s edge you can dangle your feet into the pool.

About Orange Street Studio

Michael Schneider, RLA, founder of Orange Street Studio in Los Angeles.

Orange Street Studio was founded by Michael Schneider, RLA, in 1992. Southern California?EUR??,,????'???s myriad styles of architecture and clients?EUR??,,????'??? tastes are challenging for any landscape architect. Orange Street Studio?EUR??,,????'???s distinctive styling, however, seems to come through no matter what the style of the home or the location.

Michael Schneider has 20 years of professional experience in landscape architecture and urban design. He was a project manager/designer at Sasaki Associates, Los Angeles and project designer for Carr-Lynch in Cambridge and THK Associates in Denver. With Sasaki, he renovated the Ventura Pier, did the master planning for the Santa Monica Beach Promenade improvement and the Sen Golf Course complex in Sendai, Japan. With Carr-Lynch he was project designer for the Hartford business district; at THK, he was project designer for a wide range of projects, including parks, housing development and large-scale urban developments.