Modern Landscape Architecture Analysis: Thomas Church and James Rose

This report provides a detailed analysis of modern landscape architecture, focusing on two significant examples: Donnell Garden by Thomas Church and Residence Own House & Garden by James C. Rose. The report begins with an introduction to modern garden characteristics, emphasizing their aesthetic and functional roles. It then delves into the specifics of Donnell Garden, discussing its cultural context, design philosophy (abstract modernism), formal qualities (topography, vegetation, water sources, climate, materials), and stylistic attributes (California Garden style with a kidney-shaped pool and sculpture). The report then shifts to Residence Own House & Garden, examining its cultural context as a pioneering example of modernism, and its design philosophy. The report then provides a conclusion summarizing the key findings and comparing the design approaches of Church and Rose, highlighting the evolution of modern landscape design in the American context.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................3
2. Donnell Garden, Sonoma, California, USA by Thomas Church....................................................3
2.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................3
2.2. Cultural Context..........................................................................................................................4
2.3. Design Philosophy.......................................................................................................................4
2.4. Formal Qualities..........................................................................................................................5
2.5. Stylistic Attributes.......................................................................................................................7
3. Residence Own House & Garden, Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA by James C. Rose...................9
3.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................9
3.2. Cultural Context..........................................................................................................................9
3.3. Design Philosophy.....................................................................................................................11
3.4. Formal Qualities........................................................................................................................12
3.5. Stylistic Attributes.....................................................................................................................13
4. Conclusion........................................................................................................................................14
References................................................................................................................................................15

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1. Introduction
Modern gardens are usually characterized by streamlined, sleek and cultured styles. In most
cases, the main goal of modern landscape architecture is to create gardens that have organized and
controlled appearances that also increases the value of property besides creating spectacular views. But
looking at the history of gardens, they have more uses beyond beauty and remarkable views. Some
gardens are used for medical, treatment and/or healing purposes, relaxation, meeting points and
productivity increase (Anderson, 2011) (Franklin, 2012); (Gray & Birrell, 2014) (Lau, et al., 2014).
Therefore gardens have been very essential components of buildings from the early days (Detweiler, et
al., 2012). Regardless of the intended use, modern gardens comprise of common architectural
features/elements that give them outstanding views. These elements must work collectively in harmony
so as to achieve the intended purpose. This essay analyzes two design landscapes: Donnell Garden,
Sonoma, California, USA designed by Thomas Church, and Residence Own House & Garden,
Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA designed by James C. Rose. The aspects discussed are: cultural context,
design philosophy, formal qualities and stylistic attributes.
2. Donnell Garden, Sonoma, California, USA by Thomas Church
2.1. Introduction
Donnell Garden is one of the masterpieces that were designed by Thomas Church, a renowned
landscape architect, with the help of George Rockrise and Lawrence Halprin. Thomas Church was a
pioneer of American modern landscape architecture and managed to establish a style referred to as
“California Garden”, after getting inspiration from the U.S.’s West Coast (Jere, 1993) (Treib, 2003). They
designed the garden for Dewey and Jean Donnell family in Sonoma, California, USA. Up to date,
Donnell Garden is still a modernist icon in American landscaping industry. The garden was completed in
1948 and it is on the hillside overlooking San Francisco Bay’s northern extensions. Figure 1 below shows
the aerial view of Donnell Garden.

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Figure 1: Aerial view of Donnell Garden
2.2. Cultural Context
Donnell Garden is a landscape garden with great importance for American landscape history, in
cultural context. The garden was created after World War II and the Great Depression, the period when
American landscape significantly revitalized. Thomas used art to express various elements of modernism
in the garden with less attention to the surrounding physical setting. He designed the line of the edge of
the kidney-shaped pool to resonate the patterns of waterways meandering across the nearby valley that
was being overlooked by the terrace. Additionally, the pavers’ colours, plantings and rocks’ groupings
reflect the form and colour of the extensive landscape and its features where Donnell Garden is located
(Beattie, 2015). The garden was in the cattle ranch of family, which they used for picnicking. Church
included rare, abstracted forms that made Donnell Garden very famous. His aim was to give the garden a
modern look that provided the family with a cool place to relax, play, swim, barbeque, garden and
entertain. He wanted the garden to complement the booming economy and rapidly growing population of
California. When designing the garden, Church responded to particular site and client characteristics and
at the same time explored new architectural styles and forms. In general, Donnell Garden was designed
with a modernism attitude and that is why it has spectacular views, such as the unique pool and chairs
around it.
2.3. Design Philosophy
The main design philosophy that Church applied when designing Donnell Garden was abstract
modernism. Church was among the pioneers of abstract modernism in North American landscape

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architecture and he used this philosophy to design a spectacular garden and express himself in it. His
design philosophy was influenced by historical events and his personal ideas and experience. The unique
design of Donnell Garden was based on four principles: unity (compatibility between the garden and the
house), function (the relationship between the garden and the specific needs of the client), simplicity (in
terms of layout of the site, aesthetic and economic) and scale (aimed at creating pleasant relation between
various elements of the garden) (Church, 1995). Church’s idea was to create a garden that may be looked
at from different viewpoints. On this basis, he created a garden that did not have a beginning or an end.
The garden was designed in consideration of the usage requirements and nature of site (Treib, 2005). The
whole idea of the garden was based on “California Garden” that aims at creating a modern garden that
makes outdoor life more thrilling. He also included the living habits of local people and the environment
of California. For instance, the garden has several trees that are complementary to the surrounding
landscape (as shown in Figure 2 below) and the amorphous pool that was very unusual. Another
philosophy he used was dividing the garden into separate “rooms”. For example, the garden has separate
places for entrance yard, lawn, swimming pool, free space probably for basking in the sun, large platform,
dining area, etc. Therefore Church designed Donnell Garden with an aim of making it unique and
integrating the principles of unity, function, simplicity and scale. He wanted to go beyond the traditional
norms of flowers in the gardens by introducing new elements and perspectives.
Figure 2: Natural landscape and view of Donnell Garden
2.4. Formal Qualities
Formal qualities of Donnell Garden are reflected in aspects such as topography, vegetation, source of
water, climate of the area, material and geomorphology. Donnell Garden is located in Sonoma, California,
USA. The coordinates of the garden are 38.1830° N, 122.4521° W and the basic geomorphology in the

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area is sandstone. Topography of location of Donnell Garden is Sonoma County Coast. The general
climate of the area is Mediterranean. This climate is warm and temperate – generally mild and fairly dry
with little rain throughout the year. But the rain usually increases during winter. The average annual
rainfall in the area is 747.5 mm. There is always plenty of sun throughout the year with very minimal
chances of snow. Average minimum temperature is 11 °C while the maximum temperature is 23.2 °C.
The hottest and coldest months are July and December respectively. According to Koppen-Geiger climate
classification, the climate of Sonoma is Csc (Climate-Data.Org, (n.d.)). The sources of water for Donnell
Garden are local reservoirs and streams, and other water projects by federal and state governments.
Indigenous vegetation is predominant in the area with few exotic species. The common indigenous
vegetation are Cornus nuttalli and Myrica californica.
Different areas of the garden are made of different materials. The lawn is made of green and well
maintained natural grass that gives a natural look and feel, as shown in Figure 3 below. The pavement
ground of part of the large platform is concealed with redwood or wood of the U.S. fir. The floating deck
is designed using checkerboard of wooden boards aimed at preserving existing trees and also creating
more living space outdoors. The remaining part of the floor, which is the largest, is made of concrete. The
pattern of the floor is grid and it creates a large space for the family and their friends to carry out different
activities in the garden including, barbecue, playing and entertainment. The connection of the garden’s
contour is by curved and jagged lines. The kidney-shaped pool and sculpture’s smooth curves are similar
to the S-shaped line of the distant San Francisco bay. The canopy’s frame conveys the impression of the
skyline and wilderness of the bay in the garden. This is because Donnell Garden is located on a raised
ground that gives it a spectacular view overlooking the countryside. There is also the vegetation and trees
surrounding the garden

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Figure 3: Green lawns of Donnell Garden
2.5. Stylistic Attributes
These are basically features that make each garden standout from the others. Donnell Garden
represents “California Garden” style. The garden’s central part has a kidney-shaped swimming pool. The
pool’s location and unique design makes it the focal visual point and center of recreational activities since
most people in California preferred outdoor pools. The layout of the swimming pool also provides two
segments for different functions. One section of the swimming pool is longer and deeper, with a
springboard, as shown on Figure 4 below. This is mainly designed for adult’s swimming. The other
section of the swimming pool is shallower and more secure. This is mainly designed for children. The
swimming pool also has one spectacular feature – smooth curved Adaline Kent sculpture. The sculpture is
located at the center of the swimming pool (as shown in Figure 5 below) and it serves different functions.
The first function is to separate the two sections of the swimming pool – the deeper and shallower areas.
The sculpture also has a hole at its base, sizeable enough to draw children through it. The sculpture also
acts as a small island in the pool where people can rest. The sculpture’s soft curves also repeated echoed
other elements of the landscape such as curves of rivers and mountains thus complementing the garden
and surrounding site. The design of this swimming pool was so unique and spectacular that it became
California’s epitome of outdoor lifestyle (Trufelman, 2017). Therefore the design of Donnell Garden
accommodated the needs of the family and the characteristics of the surrounding landscape.

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Figure 4: Swimming pool with springboard
Figure 5: Sculpture at the center of Donnell Garden swimming pool
Another stylish attribute of Donnell Garden is the amorphous transition between different areas of the
garden. Even though the garden was divided into separate “rooms”, transition from one room to another
was formless. This showed inclination of Church towards Spanish renaissance art. But this was not just
limited to transition between rooms in the garden but it was also extended to transition between the
garden and the house i.e. outdoor and indoor living (Tunnard, 2014).

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3. Residence Own House & Garden, Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA by James C. Rose
3.1. Introduction
Residence Own House & Garden is a landscape iconic located in Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA. The
garden was designed by James Rose for his own residence. This was the building where James Rose lived
with his family. The garden is very significant in American history of modern landscape architecture as it
shows the origin of modernism in landscape architecture. James Rose was a famous inventor of
modernism in landscape architecture and he demonstrated his design in this garden. James Rose started
his activism for modernism in landscape architecture while still in school. When studying in Harvard, he
teamed up with his classmates Dan Kiley and Garrett Eckbo to rebel against conventional landscape
designs and theories. He declined to follow the official style of Beaux-Arts architecture for seeing the
landscapes as modern buildings’ pastoral setting. This led to his expulsion from Harvard. The three
colleagues then started social action for modernism in landscape architecture. As a result of this, they
wrote several articles explaining their landscape design philosophy and ideas (Cardasis, 1995).
3.2. Cultural Context
Residence Own Home & Garden represents the genesis of modern landscape design in Northern
America. Designed by one of the pioneers of modernism in landscape architecture, the garden has a
strong cultural context. According to James Rose, gardens were part of homes that were supposed to be
places where home owners and their friends could relax and have fun at no extra cost. In other words,
James Rose wanted landscape architects in USA to move out of the norm and start thinking out of the box
when designing gardens. To him, conventional landscape design styles were boring and wasteful. James
Rose used several artistic elements when designing his private garden after Second World War. This
private garden later made him famous not only in North America but all over the world. His design style
was largely influenced by Renaissance movement, which advocated for modern landscape designing.
During this period, pioneers of modern landscape architecture relied on three fundamental design
principles. The first was to create garden appearances that were innovative with some intellectual forms.
The second was to create an amorphous relationship between the indoor and outdoor environments of the
building by applying a unified design style. The third was to balance between garden use and surrounding
landscape. The push for these three design principles became dominant in architecture history between
1938 and 1941.
Colour is one of the key elements that James Rose used in his private garden, as shown in Figure
6 below. He believed that combining different colours could give the garden different perspectives.
Nevertheless, he made sure that the colors integrated with the surrounding landscape. To the north end of
the house was James Rose’s studio, in the center was his mother’s house and to the south was his sister’s

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small guesthouse. He called the house a tiny village. Each interior of the house opened to a common area
covered with trellis and paved with grass panels and flagstones. He also used rope panels and moveable
bamboo screens to provide privacy for each area, as shown in Figure 7 below. He used this materials
because he was against resource wastage and supported recycling and reuse of materials (Cardasis, 2017).
According to James Rose, having a spectacular garden did not necessarily mean spending too much to
build and construct it. On this garden, he used recycled materials such as salvaged wood, old doors and
railroad ties. His garden was planted with vines and ferns, resonating the structural character of wooden
architecture. This was a strong statement of not disregarding traditional architecture that had been used in
America for many years but instead being more creative about it. He gave all the recycled materials he
used to create the garden new aesthetic and functional uses. Therefore James Rose focused on mimicking
the rapid changes that happened in nature and people’s lifestyle without having negative environmental
nor economic impacts. He believed that creativity, innovation and simplicity were the key tools to modern
landscape architecture (Cardasis, 1994).
Figure 6: Color combinations of Residence Own House & Garden

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Figure 7: Rope and grass panels and bamboo screens of Residence Own House & Garden
3.3. Design Philosophy
Abstract modernism was the basic design philosophy that James Rose applied when designing his
private garden. He designed this garden when USA was going through transformation. This was post
World War II period and a lot of changes were happening in the country, including population, lifestyle,
economic activities and nature. As a landscape architect, James Rose saw the need for changes in
landscape design styles. He wanted to create gardens that matched the needs of people and surroundings.
Living with his mother and sister, James Rose understood the need for privacy, not for protection against
mischievous acts but giving people the freedom to choose what to do when in outdoor. This is quite
different from Donnell Garden by Thomas Church where the garden did not seem to have a beginning or
an end. James Rose created privacy for each segment of the garden especially at the openings of the
interiors. The work of James Rose was also influenced by Japanese design through seamless integration
of outdoor and indoor rooms. This is a crucial trademark of modern design as landscape architects aim at
creating outdoor spaces that complement indoor spaces. James Rose applied this very principle, which is
linked to Japanese design, to his private garden.
Another principle that James Rose applied was integration of the garden with the surrounding. There
are many natural, native trees in the garden. This makes the garden to be properly integrated in the
surrounding landscape. The trees are tall and green to give the garden a more natural look and feel.
Another very interesting aspect of these trees is that they are also part of the garden structure. Some trees
are seen to be penetrating inside the building and probably have a function to perform. This is very unique
and thought-provoking even to today’s landscape architects.
Recyclability and reuse is another element that James Rose introduced in his private garden. A
significant percentage of materials used in the garden were natural and recycled. He used old doors,

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railroad ties, salvaged wood, grass panels, flagstones, rope panels and bamboo screens, as shown in
Figure 8 below. These are materials that were locally available and therefore cost less. This is a very
crucial idea even in modern landscape architecture considering the growing concerns of global climate
change. Recycling and reuse of materials and use of locally available materials are some of the practices
that are being encouraged so as to reduce environmental impacts. So James Rose started the idea of
modernism in landscape architecture with an aim of creating distinctive, functional and resource efficient
gardens.
Figure 8: Flagstones of Residence Own House & Garden
3.4. Formal Qualities
Reflection of formal qualities of Residence Own House & Garden is done by considering aspects
such as topography, vegetation, source of water, climate of the area, material and geomorphology of the
location of the garden. It is important to analyze these aspects and evaluate their relationship with or
influence on design of the garden. Residence Own House and Garden is located in Ridgewood, New
Jersey, USA. The coordinates of Residence Own House & Garden are 40° 58’ 46’’ N, 074° 07’ 00’’ W
and the basic geomorphology in the area is sand shale rock extensions combined with sandstone. The
topography where Residence Own House & Garden is located is western Pennsylvania across Delaware
River and Delaware southwest across Delaware Bay. The climatic zone of the area is hardiness zone and
hot-summer humid continental climate. According to Koppen-Geiger climate classification, the climate of
Ridgewood is Cfa (Humid Subtropical Climate). This climate is warm and temperate. The rainfall is
plenty even during the driest month. The average annual rainfall in the area is 1248.1 mm. Average
minimum temperature is 5.6 °C while the maximum temperature is 16.9 °C. The hottest and coldest