Gallery

This backyard was all about entertaining family and friends – the view was a bonus! We took a disjointed existing backyard during a time of extensive interior renovation and completely re-worked the exterior.  Included in the design is a new outdoor kitchen, shade structure, patios, fireplace, pool, spa, planting and lawn. We editing existing trees to provide visual corridors and added trees to eclipse undesirable views. All this and being mindful of the rare opportunity to include much of the Santa Clara Valley below and the Santa Cruz Coast range beyond as the backdrop to summer evening entertainment....

This is a fun project. Beginning with a weed covered hillside – the make over into a resort-like “Indiana Jones adventure” for kids (and their parents) is terrific. The terraced landscape is covered in lush planting, lawns, play equipment, “secret” passageways, pool, swim-in grotto and a kids only cave entrance. The ‘piece de resistance’ – is a water slide that shoots through the ‘mountain’ to the pool below! Other features built from plans by Dubridge Design is a heavy timbered shade structure, patio, sunken gazebo with fireplace, cabana, sound and light system, fire pit, a complete outdoor kitchen and a covered outdoor wet...

This house was a cool grey with a disappointing view out the kitchen window of an unusable slope. However, the owners dreamed of changing this into a warm Mediterranean landscape. First we chose an earth tone house color, then selected a palette of warm, natural material for landscape construction. The backyard was leveled, retained and the perimeters defined with turned stone balusters. The pool and lawn areas are formal arabesque in style. The outdoor kitchen and fireplace is open yet defined by the raised bar. Eventually, the heavy timber shade structure will add height and further definition to this beautiful Saratoga,...

This charming 1920s bungalow in the historic Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose was the perfect setting for just this backyard. The narrow but deep lot lends drama, mystery and a touch of nostalgia to the landscape as you stroll through the garden. The patio itself is a cozy sanctuary for conversation and entertaining. With the BBQ, easy indoor accessibility, outdoor furniture, lighting, sound system and tiki torches lit up at night an entire summer’s evening can fly by in good conversation. But there’s more, as you move through the yard, the koi pond emerges, revealing waterfalls, beautiful planting, hungry fish, birds and the occasional...

DuBridge Landscape Architecture, aka, DuBridge Design, was brought into this job, the prestigious Dry Creek Rd area of San Jose, during the closing months of house construction. The first thing we did was to pull the driveway to the far left instead of the current drive up the middle. This created better access to the carport/garage and a dramatic pedestrian approach to the grand front entry. We also incorporated two pedestals on either side of the entry archway which helped unify the architecture with the entry walk and landscape – we’re still hoping the owners will place Greek urns on each. With the new driveway location we were then able to dedicate the yard to beautiful landscaping, raised terraces, a “cigar smokers” patio and an outdoor fireplace. In the...

This backyard has a dramatic view that sweeps down the slope two hundred feet through oak, eucalyptus and fir woodlands but offered very little in the way of level space for development just outside the back door. Undeterred, the owners objective was to build a sanctuary in the midst of Silicon Valley to swim, sun, cook and entertain. Our solution: a free form infinite edge pool that structurally retains the slope and increased the usable yard. Now, the owners and their guests enjoy it all. At dusk, the fire & water urns flanking the pool’s vanishing edge frame the fabulous view and add an exotic...