ArchitectVisit:AtHomewithBruceBolanderinaMalibuCanyon-Gardenista

Architect Visit: At Home with Bruce Bolander in a Malibu Canyon - Gardenista

Photography by Elon Schoenholz via Bruce Bolander.
In a drought-prone climate that gets an average of 22 inches of rain a year (50 percent less than the average US city), LA-based architect Bruce Bolander decided to experiment with color.
Clad in corrugated steel, the house reflects the colors of the canyon.
A poured concrete terrace overlooks the canyon.
A trees acts as a windbreak at the edge of the garden.
Indoors, Bolander used paints with a low-sheen finish.
Varieties of aloe, a low-water plant that thrives in hot, sunny garden beds, frame the view.
In addition to being a hardy evergreen plant that deer hate and hummingbirds love, Torch Aloe is widely used for medicinal purposes (its leaves secrete a substance useful to relieve burns and inflammation).
Concrete pavers set in a bed of river rocks create a permeable walkway to capture and filter rainwater. A bright orange door echoes the color of the flower stalks alongside the path.
A deck of concrete pavers, a low-cost option that complements many styles of architecture.
With both shaded and sunny outdoor spaces, the garden is a destination at all times of day.
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