Oakland, CA. To create a private oasis in a small backyard bordered by a four-story apartment building might sound like an impossible feat. But Mathew Henning, Heather Anderson, and Rose Keane used greenery on the surrounding walls and installed timber bamboo to screen out the building behind. Near the center of the stained concrete patio is a tiled water feature. The deck, installed at the interior floor level, provides a smooth transition to the outdoors. Much of the original concrete patio and terra-cotta-colored concrete pavers were salvaged to form a raised bed edging the back and one side wall of the garden. Sustainably harvested hardwood forms a bench along portions of the raised bed.

DESIGN: Henning-Anderson, Oakland, CA (510/531-3095)