postwar portfolio - robert royston
Chinn Garden - 1947

Widely published, the Chinn garden helped establish the Robert Royston and the firm, Eckbo, Royston, & Williams as modern design pioneers. Photos of this garden appeared in Sunset magazine, August 1955, House & Garden, August 1956 and House & Home, August 1956. The House & Home photos accompanied an article on patio living that was written by Richard Nuetra.
This garden serves as a patio in the heart of San Francisco, nestling below a four story apartment house and almost entirely surrounded by other storied apartment buildings. The problem was one of creating an outdoor living space to and provide an interesting visual pattern from the apartments above.

The horizontal surface is composed of areas of smooth concrete colored panels and large areas of exposed aggregate surfaced panels. The entire paving is carefully composed with its integral plant materials, so that the viewer is conscious of the interplay of use spaces and the decorative elements of the total design. The pattern reads through the arbor, which itself becomes a part of the total design pattern from above.

Plant materials consist of small shrubs which grow naturally in a compact form such as Veronica buxifolia, Dwarf Globe Cypress, and Chamaecyparis. Other planting effects are achieved by Ajuga, Sedum, Festuca, Ivy, Bamboo and succulents.
from House & Garden - february 1956