The Donnell garden took form on a hillside in Sonoma, at the top of San Francisco Bay. Curiously, the garden was built before the house, on a site favored by the Donnells for picnics and other family gatherings. The program first called for a pool, suitable paved surfaces, and a lanai (the Hawaiian word normally interpreted as a porch or breezeway). Thomas Church, with Lawrence Halprin and the architect George Rockrise, created a synthetic work that grew from the qualities of the site. Most of the existing California live oak trees were spared; the pool was the garden's central feature, surrounded by extensive paved areas for use by family and friends. Where the hill fell quickly, these concrete surfaces were extended as wooden
decking, configured to embrace the existing trees.