Bella Oaks

Over twelve years, our office partnered with the client to transform a historic Napa Valley vineyard on the Rutherford Bench—Napa's first distinct terroir—into an organic and biodynamic model of land stewardship. Guided by the client's background in historic preservation, the project evolved incrementally, honoring the site's agricultural legacy while advancing ecological resilience. A roadside creek was restored, native habitats rebuilt, and hedgerows and orchards established to support biodiversity and soil health. Integrated artworks from the client's collection are woven throughout the landscape, reinforcing a dialogue between culture, agriculture, and place.

Located between the Napa Valley floor and the Mayacamas Mountains, this 20-acre project transforms Bella Oaks—one of Napa Valley's earliest single-vineyard estates—into a living model of stewardship, ecological resilience, and contemporary landscape design. Founded in the mid-20th century by Belle and Barney Rhodes, Bella Oaks played a formative role in establishing Napa Valley's culinary and agricultural heritage.

Drawing on her experience as a conservator and art collector, the client partnered with our office to shift the landscape from extraction toward restoration and long-term stewardship, aligned with the vineyard's organic replanting. The project began with modest interventions around the main residence and expanded over time as the client's commitment to land stewardship deepened.

Early efforts focused on relocating the existing entry drive out of a designated blue-line salmon creek setback and restoring the native riparian corridor to encourage habitat recovery. This work set the foundation for a broader ecological strategy that includes biodiverse hedgerows, orchards, and meadows designed to support pollinators, improve soil health, and increase populations of beneficial insects. The design program encompasses the main residence, creek restoration, meditation labyrinth, vegetable gardens, barn, meadow systems, art installations, olive orchard, and native hedgerows—each integrating functional, ecological, and experiential goals.

The landscape employs a linear spatial language that echoes the architecture, organizing outdoor spaces into a sequence of connected garden rooms. Rows of dwarf olives, mature olive and oak trees, and terraced meadows create layered experiences while framing expansive views across vineyards and hillsides. Lower pathways wind through meadow grasses, olive hedges, sunken bocce courts, and lawn areas. Circulation, thresholds, and sightlines are carefully choreographed to encourage exploration, seasonal awareness, and engagement with the broader site, while the client's sculpture collection establishes focal points throughout the landscape.

Two artistically driven landscapes further enrich the estate. The first is a sloped courtyard inspired by Boromini's forced perspective at the Palazzo Spada in Rome. A rising lawn and narrowing geometry create a visual illusion as one approaches Kusama's Infinity Room, set on a raised plinth that mirrors the cantilevered deck of the residence and connects visually to the valley floor. The second is a meditation labyrinth edged with reclaimed cobbles and nestled beneath existing Sevillano olive trees. Referencing the medieval Chartres labyrinth, it provides a place for reflection and has become a symbolic identity for the winery.

Through long-term collaboration, Bella Oaks has been revitalized as a biodiverse, culturally enriched estate where history, agriculture, and design converge. By integrating vineyard productivity, ecological restoration, and experiential landscapes, the project establishes a precedent for agricultural residential design rooted in stewardship and continuity.

• Sarah Keizer — Lead Designer
• Andrea Cochran — Lead Designer
• Judith Yang — Lead Designer
• Horngsheng Tu — Lead Designer
• Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture — Landscape Architect
• Michael Maltzan Architecture — Design Architect
• Centric — General Contractor
• Sherry Williams Design inc. — Interior Design
• Joe Branum Tree Care — Arborist
• RMA Irrigation — Irrigation consultant
• Carlos Landscape — Landscape contractor
• HLB Lighting Design — Lighting Design
• Summit Engineering — Civil Engineering
• Summit Engineering — Structural Engineer
• Dexter Landscaping — Landscape contractor
• Marion Brenner — Photographer
• Erin Feinblatt — Photographer
• Matt Morris — Photographer
• Bob Stefko — Photographer

• Furniture: Tucci Umbrellas
• Drainage/Erosion: NDS, Aco Brickslot drain, American Hydrotech
• Fences/Gates/Walls: Jakob, Custom steel retaining walls, Custom steel gates and fences
• Irrigation: Hunter, Rain Bird, NDS, Lasco, Wilkins
• Lumber/Decking/Edging: Duraedge landscape edge, Thermory decking
• Water Management/Amenities: Jacuzzi
• Soils: American Hydrotech
• Hardscape: Wheeler Zamaroni decorative gravel, Maidenstone stone pavers, Stepstone precast concrete pavers, Concrete collaborative custom concrete pavers, American soil and stone reclaimed granite and cobbles stones
• Lighting: BK, BEGA, Beachside Lighting