Modern in Riverside

The Benda House and Garden, the Ambrose-Sabatino Home, received the Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside 2022 Preservation Award. The brick-clad, flat roof house was designed by the architect, Winston Elting, in 1939 and originally overlooked the Jens Jenson prairie garden at Riverside’s Babson Estate. LIRIO was landscape architecture consultant to the architect homeowners. A series of rectangular blocks of groundcovers and loose hedges structure the garden that includes an entry grove of serviceberry, a scuptural pair of hawthorn, specimen witchhazel, and a loose grove of redbud that all add an understory richness to the large exisitng trees.

The award declares that “The 1939 International Style house was beautifully restored by its owners and collaborators. The addition of a new landscape garden re-establishes the relationship between nature and this modern house while extending Olmsted and Vaux’s vision for Riverside. This award coincides with the 200th anniversary of Olmsted’s birth and the celebration of his living legacy.” (photos Serge Ambrose)