A concrete rear partio with an awkward metal awning: these were two features that architect David Martino didn't like about his 1950s tract house in Lafayette, California. The hard barren slab could get blindingly hot in the summer. A pink-and-white aluminum canopy blocked light from the house and looked out of place with the shake roof.
The deeply lobed, dark green leaves of Japanese aralia (Fatsia japonica) and the lacy foliage of dwarf tree fern (Blechnum gibbum) lend a tropical look. These thrive in areas with mild summers and winters. Other shrubs are evergreen azaleas.To support the structure, 8-foot-long 4-by-4 posts were set in concrete footings placed 80 inches apart and anchored with metal straps. Horizontal 4-by-4 beams rest on these posts. To bring the cinder-block wall up to the same height as the new front wall, a short extension of 2 by 4's and 2 by 6's went over the top row of blocks (see above). Nailing strips (2 by 3's) for the lath facing were fastened to the block wall with lag bolts in lead plugs. Lath was painted white before assembly.
To provide shade without cutting off too much light from the house, Martino built a rectangular trellis at one end of the deck. Eventually, vines will cover the trellis, adding more shade.
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