Backing up to busy Fremont Avenue, this site in Sunnyvale is assaulted by almost incessant street noise and hot southern exposure. Verdance mitigated both of these issues with a combination of hard- and soft-scaping: a new concrete soundwall as well as a dense hedgerow of tall evergreen trees. Furthermore, a sculptural fountain provides masking water sounds, and the old stone patio (which reflected and amplified the noise and heat) has been replaced with concentric rings of flowering shrubs and fruit trees. The primary entertaining area has been moved to the front of the house, where a new deck and play lawn are shielded from the street by a berm of ornamental grasses. Fountains and flowing lines throughout the landscape reinforce the theme of "cool relief," to transform this inhospitable site into a most welcoming respite. This project is currently in design review.