Orchard Gables house was built on property once owned by Senator Cornelius Cole, a California State Representative from 1863-1865, one of the founding settlers of Hollywood. Cole eventually deeded a 10 acre parcel to Paul A Homan in 1897 who then contacted architect Abbot Kinney (who created the Los Angeles district of Venice) to design the Orchard Gables residence. The home changed hands several times over the years.

 

Marc Wanamaker, a research librarian for Hollywood Heritage, said Orchard Gables is only one of a handful of homes remaining from the period and was constructed in a mixed style that includes Swiss, Swedish, and Hollywood Bungalow-style architecture. Some of the original orchards around the property lasted until the 1960's.

 

Eventually, the building fell into disrepair in the early part of the 21st century spending it's last years as a convalesence health facility. Hollywood Community Housing Corporation acquired the property and restored it to serve as offices for LACER afterschool programs. M2A Architect's lead the restoration and we were asked to design the exterior hardscape and landscape.

 

In our design concept, we included an angled one-way driveway that traversed the front of the house with some required parking spaces and a generous landscaped frontage to soften the hardscape. Referring to some historical photographs from the earliest days of the homes existence, we incorporated plant materials that would have been appropriate to the time period including Norfolk Island Pine, Mediterranean fan palms, aloes, and oleander. The rear of the property features a simple privacy hedge, large native Sycamore trees for shading, and a simple, easy care groundcover of rock mulch.

 

After many challenges, including a large 12'+ reduction in the front yard landscape area along both sides (when the City determined the two adjacent streets should be widened to include another lane of traffic causing the removal of several large Canary Island date palms), the remaining landscape screens the large areas of hardscape and car parking while providing a bold, drought tolerant landscape utilizing Spear lilies and grey succulents facing the street.

 

Recipient of a 2013 California Preservation Foundation Award.