IN 1929 THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT WAS IN FULL SWING AND REACHING NEAR UTOPIAN LEVELS AMONG SOME ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS IN CALIFORNIA WHO ESPOUSED THAT A PERFECT BALANCE IN LIFE HAD EQUAL PARTS ART, ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE AND THEREBY REFLECTED THE UNIQUENESS OF THE CALIFORNIA LIFESTYLE. IT WAS IN THIS IDEAL THAT THIS PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED. NOTED BAY AREA ARCHITECT, GARDNER DAILEY, TEAMED WITH ARTIST/ARCHITECT PEDRO DELEMOS TO CREATE A COMPLEX OF BUILDINGS, GARDENS AND COURTYARDS THAT REFLECTED THE VISIONS OF THE MOVEMENT. THE COMPLEX PUTS CRAFT AT THE FOREFRONT IN ITS DISPLAY OF BEAUTIFUL WROUGHT IRON METALWORK, TILE MOSAICS, PATTERNED LIGHT FIXTURES AND MURALS CAPTURING THE CHARM AND BOUNTY OF EARLY CALIFORNIA.

SOME SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, THE COMPLEX HAD SEEN ONLY MINOR CHANGES. A POPULAR REGIONAL DESTINATION FOR MANY, THE PROCEEDS RAISED FROM EVENTS AND TOURS WERE TURNED OVER TO THE LUCILLE PACKARD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AT STANFORD. RECOGNIZING THE INCREASING DETERIORATION OF THE STRUCTURES, THE ARCHITECTS WERE HIRED TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND DEVELOP A REHABILITATION PLAN FOR THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO RETURN THE COMPLEX TO ITS ORIGINAL SPLENDOR AND MAKE IT LOOK AS IF THE PROJECT TEAM WERE NEVER THERE, AND THROUGH MANY TOUGH CHALLENGES, FROM FAILING COMPONENTS TO DETERIORATING WOOD DETAILS TO EXCESSIVE DEFLECTION IN STRUCTURAL MEMBERS, THIS OBJECTIVE WAS SPECTACULARLY ACHIEVED.

ARCHITECT: CODY ANDERSON WASNEY ARCHITECTS, INC.
CONTRACTOR: BLACH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
CLIENT: WOODSIDE / ATHERTON AUXILIARY

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