Built between 1914 and 1916 for the magnet Percy Morgan, the Morgan Manor is grandly sited upon a hill overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The expansive scale of the 30,000 square-foot manor house and its palatial grounds create both spaciousness and eclecticism typical of early 20th century Western estates. The intervening years saw the estate acquired and resold several times. It was the home of the Ford Country Day School until the early 1990's, when it was purchased by the Porters.

The primary task of Suzman Design Associates was in understanding the historic context of the project, analyzing the existing site features, developing a master plan suitable to the new owners' budget and obtaining the site development permits.

The final master plan is a historically appropriate design including numerous terraces and outdoor rooms, and addresses the surrounding native landscape areas of low water usage and minimal maintenance requirements.