Alta

Set within the palm lined streets of Beverly Hills, Alta is a sculptural residential landscape designed in dialogue with one of the final single family residences by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. Defined by bold geometry, smooth stucco surfaces, vibrant color accents, and strong spatial composition, the landscape extends the architectural language of the residence into the surrounding site through restraint, proportion, and planting structure.

The landscape balances the monumentality of the architecture with a softer California garden character composed of layered planting, textured groundcovers, and mature palms. Movement through the site is framed through carefully composed stair sequences, terraces, and planted edges that reinforce the relationship between architecture and landscape while maintaining a calm and understated atmosphere.

Design Approach

The landscape is organized through a restrained geometric framework that reinforces the sculptural forms and strong horizontal lines of the residence. Planting and hardscape elements were composed to support the architecture rather than compete with it, allowing the massing, color, and spatial rhythm of the home to remain visually prominent.

A layered planting palette composed of ornamental grasses, succulents, flowering shrubs, and low groundcovers introduces softness and texture against the smooth stucco architecture. Existing palms were preserved as vertical elements within the composition, helping frame views and establish continuity across the site.

Circulation and arrival sequences were carefully integrated into the landscape through broad stairways, raised planters, and clean architectural edges that guide movement while maintaining visual simplicity. Planting is used strategically to soften transitions between built and natural surfaces while reinforcing the sculptural quality of the overall composition.

Material selections remain minimal and cohesive, allowing light, shadow, planting texture, and architectural form to define the experience of the site. The result is a residential landscape that feels refined, structured, and distinctly tied to the legacy of Southern California modernist architecture.