Downtown · Waterfront · Alhambra Valley · Alhambra Avenue · Briones foothills
Schedule a Discovery ConsultationMartinez has a character no other Diablo Valley city can copy. It is the county seat, it sits on the southern shore of the Carquinez Strait, and its downtown still holds the courthouse blocks and older homes of a town laid out in 1849.
We design and build outdoor living spaces for Martinez homeowners, from historic houses near downtown to properties out in Alhambra Valley. Our goal is a yard that feels like it belongs to the house, whatever decade the house was built in.
Storefronts in downtown Martinez. Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0
Alhambra Creek runs right through the densely built downtown valley, and in 2006 a pair of beavers moved in and built a dam about 30 feet wide. When the city weighed removing them over flood concerns, residents formed a group called Worth a Dam. The compromise was a flow device through the dam, and the beavers stayed. Since then the creek has seen river otters and mink return.
Head north and you reach the Martinez Regional Shoreline on the strait. Head south and you are in Alhambra Valley, with Briones Regional Park beyond. Amtrak's Capitol Corridor stops in town, and the Benicia-Martinez Bridge carries Highway 680 across the strait. It is a place with a strong sense of itself, and we like designing yards that match it.
Martinez was laid out in 1849 by Col. William M. Smith on Ygnacio Martínez's Rancho El Pinole land grant. It became the county seat in 1850 and incorporated in 1876. The Contra Costa County Courthouse Block, the Hall of Records and the Martinez City Library on Court Street are all on the National Register of Historic Places, along with homes like the Tucker House and the Borland House.
The naturalist John Muir lived in Martinez from 1880 until his death in 1914. His 14-room Italianate Victorian home, built in 1883 by his father-in-law Dr. John Strentzel, is now the John Muir National Historic Site on Alhambra Avenue.
Every Martinez property we look at gets the same first step: a close read of the house, the slope and where water goes. Our process starts there.
Out in Alhambra Valley the questions change. Larger, rural parcels can hold a full outdoor kitchen, a pergola-covered dining area and long paths through planting, and they often call for irrigation planned zone by zone across a lot of ground. Briones Regional Park sits just to the south, so these yards tend to look out on open hills, and we design to keep those views.
Answer five quick questions and see the features and projects built for the way you live.
The John Muir house at the John Muir National Historic Site. Photo: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0
Water. Martinez was founded on the Alhambra Creek floodplain and has seen many seasonal floods over the years. Even well away from the creek, we plan drainage carefully so new hardscape sheds water away from the house.
Climate. July and August highs average around 87°F, with cool, wet winters. Planting and irrigation are planned for both.
Historic properties. Older and historic homes can carry review requirements and hidden conditions such as old drain lines or foundations close to the surface. We look for these before final design.
Permits and fire zones. Most projects go through the City of Martinez, but parts of Alhambra Valley are unincorporated, so permits there go through Contra Costa County instead. Hillside properties near Briones or the shoreline hills may fall within state-mapped fire hazard severity zones. We confirm the right agency and any added requirements for your address during planning.
A Victorian or early 1900s home calls for a different yard than a newer house. Clean, modern lines can still work, but materials, scale and detail have to make sense next to old siding, porches and wood windows.
For older Martinez homes we often lean on natural stone, brick-toned pavers, seat walls, custom metal work and planter boxes that echo the period of the home. If your property is a designated historic resource, we check with the city on any review that applies before the design is final.
Every project begins with a discovery consultation. We learn about your home, your goals and how you want to live outside, then recommend the right next step.
Schedule a Discovery ConsultationYes. We design around the architecture, choosing materials and details that fit the period of the house, and we check whether any historic review applies before the plan is final.
Parcels inside city limits go through the City of Martinez, while unincorporated parcels go through Contra Costa County. We confirm which agency applies to your address early in planning.
We start with a site review of grades and where water collects, then design drainage alongside the hardscape so the two work together. Creekside work can involve additional agency rules, which we identify before design is final.
Yes. Hillside yards usually need retaining walls, steps and sometimes decks to create usable space, and taller walls typically require engineering and permits. We coordinate that as part of planning.
