Merit Award

Garden Rehabilitation at Eichler X-100

San Mateo, CA

Vallier Design Associates Inc.

Lead Landscape Architect: JC Miller, ASLA

Client: Marty Arbunich

"Eichlers" are synonymous with Mid-Century modern design in the San Francisco Bay Area and the X100 demonstration house, represents an important milestone in their history. Joseph Eichler developed 11,000 homes in California between 1951äóñ1964. At the height of his success in 1955, he commissioned the design of a steel frame demonstration house from a team of experts, including progressive landscape architects Doug and Maggie Baylis and well-known modern architects A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons.

By 2015 the house had been altered and the garden had fallen into disrepair. Working with the owner, the landscape architect developed a rehabilitation plan for the garden that respected the original landscape design while responding to contemporary concerns such as reduced water usage. Research in the collections at UC Berkeley brought to light a copy of the original construction plans. These documents and period photographs guided the landscape project. Renovation of the home was completed in 2016 and it was nominated and placed on the National Register. The garden rehabilitation project followed and was completed in 2017.