Problem solving: Los Altos, California

Turn an old concrete driveway upside down and what do you get? "A soft solution to a hard problem," said an enthusiastic juror. Other jurors agreed: this is a very creative solution to a perennial challenge--the driveway. "It's hard to mask all of that glaring concrete," explained a juror. "Yet this designer did it with flair."

The driveway was part of a front yard remodel for Brian and Kathy Paterson. Designer Cevan Forristt framed it with blocks of granite, then used flat pieces to form patterns in the center. In between the granite sections he laid chunks of concrete--recycled from the old driveway--upside down. To finish, Forristt filled in the cracks with gravel and planted the edges.

Designer: Cevan Forristt Landscape Design, San Jose (408/297-8538)