Background
Having recently purchased a plot of land and rebuilt a new home from the ground up, our clients wanted to be sure the finished product was the home they had been dreaming of raising their family in. While the home was lovely, the land was positioned in such a way that made privacy a concern. From the second story balcony, the view stretched to the surrounding neighbors and back again making our clients concerned by the lack of privacy.
Challenge
Our clients wanted 8’ tall hedges to line the entirety of the balcony. The height of the hedges alone immediately made wind a concern. In addition, rain is a constant in San Francisco. The balcony had a drainage system in place, but the hedges would have to sit off the ground to allow water to flow through to the drainage system at the edge of the balcony. Lastly, the balconies existing wall made of glass. Our clients wanted to leave enough space to allow the glass to be cleaned, as well as an access point through the hedges for ease of cleaning.
Solution
We redesigned our traditional hedge frames and created a new interior cage design especially for our client’s hedges. The frame enabled for additional depth to be added to each hedge, additional weight to be added to each frame and the necessary elevation to allow water to flow under the hedges. A few joints were attached from the existing railing to the hedge to provide extra support against wind. We also added a hidden door on each side of one hedge, making it easy to get to the glass on the other side of the balcony.
