Located within Orinda’s 1,500-acre Wilder community, this landscape balances fire resilience, ecological health, and everyday livability. Surrounded by 1,300 acres of open space and at the center of a 200-home development, the site sits within California’s second community certified as Shelter-in-Place under the state’s ‘Safer from Wildfires’ framework.
The steep site is transformed through terracing, which doubles the usable space while reducing erosion. Outdoor rooms are carved into the slope, including a sunken fire table with sunset views, a native no-mow lawn for play, and a modern rose garden. A meditation garden framed by olive trees sits above, while stairs and winding paths lead through a pollinator-friendly cutting garden into a terraced fruit tree grove.
Rather than clearing vegetation in defensible zones, the planting palette focuses on low-resin, high-moisture, slow-burning species. Drought-tolerant natives blend with ornamental selections near the home, transitioning into native oak woodland for seamless ecological integration.
Despite HOA limitations on fire-safe plant choices, the design creates lush outdoor rooms: a shade-giving tree canopy, flowering shrubs, a kitchen garden, and colorful pollinator habitat. Terraces, fire-resistant materials, and proper spacing strengthen fire resilience.
Soil remediation played a key role, with extensive testing guiding amendments to restore fertility. Mature oaks were preserved or transplanted, and new native trees and shrubs added to enhance habitat and meet community standards.
The result is a high-performance, climate-adaptive landscape that exceeds WELO standards. With pervious surfaces, erosion control strategies, and resilient planting, the design proves that fire-wise landscapes can be both beautiful and ecologically rich—serving as a model for future developments in fire-prone regions.
