On a 2.7-acre property with an existing home, pool house, and historic pool, Larkspur Builders is building a new ADU on a steep, wooded slope. The first phase focused on stabilizing the hillside: months of excavation and shoring preceded the installation of 42 drilled concrete piers, over 150 yards of concrete, and approximately 100 yards of imported gravel used for backfill and drainage behind new retaining walls.

Site work extends beyond the structure. A hand-laid stone wall by Spoor Masonry & Tile lines a lower pathway that winds around the ADU and up to the driveway, with graded circulation paths integrated into the new landscape. New wood beams support a cantilevered bedroom deck oriented to long views, clear to Salesforce Tower on a good day. A custom cedar trellis tempers the sun, throws a patterned shadow, and adds a crafted layer to the exterior.

Parallel improvements upgrade the property’s amenity spaces, including targeted work in the music room, pool house, and around the historic pool. The result will be a compact, independent dwelling that blends into the landscape, supported by deep foundations, managed water, and durable materials suited to the site.