06/05/2026
DSD THROUGH THE DECADES
This home was designed in 1996.
30 years later it still represents a core principle that guides our work today.
The property presented a significant challenge: dramatic grade changes and a steeply sloping site. Rather than imposing the architecture on the land, the design was carefully shaped to work with the existing topography.
The garage is tucked into the slope. The living spaces step naturally with the grade. From the rear yard, the home feels grounded within the landscape rather than elevated above it.
At David Small Designs, we often say:
“A home should feel rooted in its environment, like you watered the ground and a building sprouted up, rather than a spaceship crashing down and looking completely out of place.”
The best homes don’t compete with the landscape.
They become part of it.
