258 Malibu

Los Angeles, USA

Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architects: Erik Dhont Landscape Architects

Year: 2007

The site is beside the ocean. The owners are art collectors and besides the revamping of the garden they wished to create spaces to place works of art, pieces both from their present and future collection. We therefore have to construct zones that allow sufficient freedom to accommodate new statues. This is why we have moved the access avenue towards the middle of the site so that we could create some open spaces to both sides of the allée. Before surmounting the important differences in level, we had to excavate the ground here and there, creating the illusion that the path traverses the mounds. With the excavated soil we have constructed new mounds, and this has created various intimate spaces as well as pathways. At the same time we created a very subtle ornamental lighting system in natural stone. For the planting we have opted for as natural an effect as possible with a mix of native plants on the mounds, and we have planted a great number of oaks, added to the existing plants and removed several eucalyptus. Among a group of old trees we have constructed a highly original cabin on metal feet. / in collaboration with Hilgendorf architects