30 Melrose Court

Hillsborough, CA

Sometimes the most seemingly simple structural designs are the most satisfying. At 30 Melrose Court, a modern luxury residence set on a generous Hillsborough site, the structural challenges came in the form of retaining walls for a sloped and tiered backyard. Using only hand calculations, we were able to optimize the design of these walls. The use of simplified but not overly conservative calculations proved to be the right approach, satisfying the city’s plan checker efficiently while keeping the project affordable for the owner.

Photo credit: V. Firouzdor