The Dona Maria Renovation is a full exterior transformation built by T.R. Wurster Construction and designed by Archetype Design Collective. Following a devastating landslide that compromised the hillside surrounding the property, the project evolved into a comprehensive reworking of the site requiring coordinated execution across hillside stabilization, earthwork, structural concrete, custom steel fabrication, integrated drainage systems, landscape installation, and architectural detailing.
Originally designed and built in the 1950s by the homeowner’s husband, the residence carried decades of family history and deep personal significance. From the beginning, the goal was not simply to stabilize the site, but to preserve the character, integrity, and architectural spirit of the original home while carefully evolving the property to support long term safety, performance, and outdoor living.
A Build Defined by Performance and Precision
The project began with immediate stabilization efforts following the landslide, requiring emergency response measures to protect the hillside and prevent additional erosion risk. Once the site was stabilized, TRW moved into a far more extensive phase of structural coordination, grading, permitting, excavation, drainage integration, and architectural construction.
The existing grading directed water toward the home, creating long term performance issues while limiting the usability of the exterior spaces. TRW regraded the entire site and implemented a concealed drainage system integrated directly into the architecture of the landscape itself. Rather than relying on exposed drains, planter beds were engineered to function as active drainage infrastructure, collecting and directing water into a subterranean system that moves it safely away from the structure and toward the street.
Because of the steep hillside conditions and limited site access, nearly every phase required specialized equipment, careful staging, and significant hand labor. Excavation, soil removal, concrete work, and material transport all had to be coordinated through an extremely narrow access point while minimizing disruption to the existing property and landscape.
Every element was executed to perform without visual disruption, requiring precise coordination between grading, structural systems, hardscape, concrete work, planting, lighting, and finish installation.
Key Construction Highlights
Hillside Stabilization and Drainage Integration
The existing grade was lowered around the perimeter of the home to eliminate water intrusion risk and improve long term site performance. TRW constructed a fully concealed drainage system using subsurface channels and integrated planter beds to manage water flow with precision.
The project also required significant hillside stabilization work, including the removal of unstable soils, erosion mitigation measures, and the installation of a structural retaining system consisting of concrete piles, a concrete grade beam, and a concrete impact wall. The system was engineered to protect the property from future hillside movement.
Despite the complexity of the infrastructure beneath the surface, the completed environment maintains a clean and uninterrupted architectural finish throughout the property.
Custom Steel Entry Fabrication
A custom double entry door fabricated from raw steel establishes a strong point of arrival. Built by hand on site, the door features exposed rivet detailing, plain steel surfaces, and proportions designed to draw visitors inward from the exterior approach. Referencing midcentury construction methods, the fabrication expresses structure and materiality honestly rather than concealing the construction process.
TRW replaced deteriorated framing conditions surrounding the entry while integrating updated hardware and access systems to support modern functionality while fulfilling a laundry list of building repairs to bring neglected areas of the structure up to a serviceable standard.
Accessibility and Structural Reconfiguration
The original stepped entry was removed and replaced with a continuous ramp, requiring the reworking of elevations, transitions, grading relationships, and structural support conditions. The solution improves accessibility to enable aging in place while maintaining alignment with the architectural intent of the project.
Surrounding concrete paving was finished leaving a concrete sanded surface designed to weather naturally and improve with age, reflecting the craftsmanship and material language characteristic of the home’s original era.
Outdoor Living Construction
The backyard was constructed as a layered outdoor dining environment requiring close coordination between hardscape, planting, lighting, and glazing systems. Overhead string lighting was installed to create a canopy effect across the exterior living space, reinforcing warmth, intimacy, and enclosure while visually extending the usable footprint of the home outward.
Original Fleetwood sliding glass doors from the 1950s were preserved, maintaining the strong indoor outdoor relationship characteristic of the home’s original architecture.
Landscape installation throughout the property was approached with the same level of care as the structural and architectural work. Existing mature vegetation, including a decades old yucca tree considered the “belle of the ball” within the landscape, was carefully preserved and refined through selective pruning to reinforce its sculptural presence within the yard.
Near the vestibule, TRW integrated a desert rose garden with accent lighting designed to illuminate the planting palette at night, creating a quiet outdoor environment oriented toward gathering, reflection, and connection to the landscape.
Existing planting was salvaged throughout, new planting was selected and added to compliment the architecture and to create a green space to provide warmth to the concrete surfaces.
Board Formed Concrete and Aperture Wall
TRW executed a board formed concrete wall that defines the edge of the site while simultaneously functioning as an engineered impact wall designed to protect the property from the hillside beyond.
The process required extensive hand-built formwork, precise alignment, controlled concrete pours, and consistent vibration timing to achieve a clean, uniform surface revealing the natural grain and rhythm of the wood forms. Because board formed concrete leaves no room for correction, every detail permanently affects the final finish, demanding an exceptional level of craftsmanship and coordination throughout execution.
Rather than allowing the retaining structure to become visually monolithic, a horizontal aperture was formed within the wall to introduce negative space and frame the landscape beyond. The opening transforms a mature strawberry tree into an architectural focal point while creating a controlled balance between mass, openness, light, and texture.
The completed wall functions not only as structural infrastructure, but also as a sculptural architectural element integrated directly into the experience of the property.
The TRW Standard
Dona Maria Reno demonstrates T.R. Wurster Construction’s ability to resolve complex site conditions with a narrow 5’x7’ passage for access, while delivering a refined, high performing outdoor environment rooted in craftsmanship, technical precision, and architectural sensitivity.
From emergency stabilization and concealed drainage systems to custom fabrication, architectural concrete, and integrated landscape construction, each phase required disciplined coordination and a deep respect for the character of the original home.
The result is a space that performs exactly as intended, where water is managed with accuracy, circulation feels seamless, and every material expresses the integrity of its construction. More importantly, the project preserves the identity of a home deeply connected to family history while allowing it to continue evolving for future generations.
