This deck project was built in 1986 among the
rolling hills of Portolla Valley, California. Because of the gently
sloping landscape, the entire perimeter of the deck was not far above
the ground. This freed the design from the dictates of the building
code which would otherwise have required a 36" high railing all
around. Instead, seating was used to delineate the borders and offer a
measure of safety. The result was this wide open platform with an
uninhibited vista.
The seating scheme was carried over to and continued down the wide
stairs. It was this extension that led to one of
the most original stair constructs ever: cascading seats. To
be feasible the stairs must be close to the ground the whole way down.
This basic requirement had delayed a repeat performance for 15 years
eventhough this classic design had been requested many times over. It was
not until the Spring of 2001 that anything like it was designed into
another deck project (see the Tubis Project).
In the interim it made its mark in the annals of deck-building
architecture.
The Bredt deck was featured in Sunset Magazine, August,
1993 and a full-page front cover photo in Home Improvement Magazine,
Summer issue 1998.
Peter Whiteley Sunset Magazine
Click on photos below for larger views.
