The Streng Brothers were quite busy in the Sacramento area in the 50’s. They built homes for contemporary living, designed by Carter Sparks, that remain just as contemporary today as when they were built. That is, assuming that they were not infested by out-of-character remodels.
Although we’ve designed landscapes for Streng (and other mid-century modern) homes in the past, we’ve never had a streak of them as in the past few months.They’re fun projects, reinforcing the minimalistic, contemporary aesthetic of the homes themselves.
We don’t believe in replicating the original landscapes, however. For one thing, we now have plants like ornamental grasses that look great in these settings but weren’t generally available in the fifties. For another, resource conservation is even more critical than it was then. The houses were designed to maximize natural light, but water conservation wasn’t really on the radar – so by using bold, avant-garde looking plants we can generally accent the homes while reducing maintenance and saving water.
Bigger patios, more outdoor living spaces, outdoor rooms and especially more space all around the existing pool combine to simplify and update this Streng landscape. The new landscape adds additional screen walls, moves the existing pool equipment, re-aligns the driveway and adds more space for herbs and vegetables.
In Davis, this landscape received a much more minimalist treatment. Plants grow out of crushed rock set on weed barrier fabric, accented with low walls. The pool and spa are new, too – aligned to optimize views from the house. We kept the driveway concrete, only adding a bit to facilitate access. A grove of windmill palms remained in place, dressed up with a mass planting of ornamental grasses. There’s a new vegetable garden, tucked behind a low wall that echoes a seat wall across the pool.
This design adds a wood and concrete privacy screen that also creates a nook for a sculpture. The plants flow in drifts across the landscape, blending at the right edge with the neighbor’s native California plants.
We’re still doing preliminary design for a fourth Streng home, and will post something here once we’ve firmed up the concept.