This stunning home, on a rare ½+ acre lot in Berkeley’s Lower Claremont hills, was conceived and built by a noted landscape architect/urban planner and his wife. The home, 8,500 square feet in all, commands stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay.

Enter into a two-story grand foyer. To the left is the large living room, with a 20-foot peaked ceiling and distinctive red oak hardwoods with inlay. The room is certain to be the center of social gatherings large and small. French doors lead to a balcony with bridge and bay views. More French doors lead outside, with views of climbing roses and other curated flowers in every direction. Dine in the adjacent formal dining room, or casually in the open-floorplan kitchen overlooking the pool. The first of the home’s two family rooms adjoins the kitchen, and an elite speaker system provides one’s selection of music. French doors everywhere provide garden and pool access, ensuring indoor-outdoor living opportunities at every turn.

Bedrooms are found on each of the home’s three levels. The primary suite, under a 16-foot peaked ceiling, occupies the eastern wing of the main floor surrounded by sweeping garden vistas. Awaken to cheery morning sun, and French doors invite one outside to relax in the spa or exercise in the lap pool. Ascend stairs to two other bedrooms, each with a well-appointed en-suite bathroom. The bedrooms lie on either side of the floor, connected by a wide walkway/balcony that overlooks the kitchen and family room below. Continuous windows on either side of the walkway offer stunning Golden Gate and Bay Bridge views. One of the upstairs bedrooms offers a skylight; the other, an exterior balcony that basks in morning sun and oversees the back yard gardens, pool and adjoining spa. The fourth bedroom, almost as large as the primary, is found on the lower level with its own courtyard. It adjoins a full bathroom with a steam shower and the home’s second family room. This grand room offers a 16-foot beamed pine ceiling and still another cozy fireplace. French doors lead to the back patio, garden and pool. The home’s lower level also features a 350-square-foot office with garden views, an outdoor courtyard, and a separate entrance.

Convenience and energy efficiency mark the home’s design. There is radiant heating throughout, and every room has its own thermostat. The home also was built with safety in mind: Extensive French drains on the hillside to the east divert runoff water to the street, and a slate roof guards against fire.

The surrounding gardens, designed by the primary owner, are every bit as distinctive as the home’s interior. The property is abundant with trees, flowers and colorful shrubs, creating a well-planned colorscape that changes with the seasons. A great horned owl and two red-tailed hawks make the trees their home. All irrigation is controlled via Bluetooth on one’s mobile device. Because the grounds span two lots (32 and 32A Vicente Road), two water meters cover the property and ensure adequate water, even in drought years.

Toward the rear of the property is the two-bedroom, two-bathroom guest house (with full kitchen and living room/dining room), offering an additional 1,035 square feet of living space. The peaked-roof primary bedroom commands sweeping views of San Francisco and Marin, allowing one to enjoy sunsets behind the Golden Gate Bridge. Adjoining the guest house is a free-standing timber-frame bonus room (256 square feet), under a peaked pine ceiling, which could be used as another office, a yoga studio, or a sitting/reading room.

The home is an urban retreat amidst nature.