SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – Few things feel more modern than Bishop Ranch’s shimmering offices and sleek City Center—but the newest green space planned for the complex is taking a page straight out of the 19th century.
When Heritage Park opens later this year, its star attraction will be a folly—a whimsical, non‑functional structure popular in Victorian gardens—that invites visitors to climb, sit, play and, above all, wonder.
A 1.4‑Acre Backyard for Bishop Ranch Residents & Workers
- Location: On the CityWalk BR1A block, next to the new Belmont Village senior community
- Size: 1.4 acres—the first slice of a planned 50‑acre network of parks and open space
- Amenities at launch:
- Tree‑lined promenade
- Sprawling event lawn
- Picnic grove & garden rooms
- Seating plazas that double as outdoor “living rooms”
- Tribute area honoring notable San Ramon leaders
- Developer: Family‑run Sunset Development, steward of Bishop Ranch since 1978
What the Victorians Called a “Folly”—and Why Bishop Ranch Wants One
Follies first flourished in 18th‑ and 19th‑century English estates as eye‑catching, often fantastical garden structures that served no purpose beyond delighting visitors and completing a picturesque landscape. Heritage Park revives the idea with “Little Big House,” the inaugural piece in Sunset’s decade‑long, $20 million public‑art program.
Meet Little Big House: The Oversized Playhouse‑as‑Art
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Artists | Roberto Behar & Rosario Marquardt, R&R Studios |
| Form | A house‑shaped silhouette scaled up into a climb‑in playhouse |
| Materials | Welded steel plate with rounded edges; non‑slip floor coating |
| Palette | Bold red and yellow, chosen to echo California’s sunny vernacular |
| Budget | $375,000 (privately funded) |
| Functions | Seating, shade & an irresistible photo op |
Planning‑commission discussions describe an open‑front, room‑like frame that seniors from Belmont Village can wheel into, toddlers can toddle through, and Instagrammers can’t resist—proof that a “nonfunctional” folly can be plenty useful today.
More Follies—and Greenery—on the Horizon
Little Big House is only the first. Sunset Development’s art master plan envisions a series of wildly different follies sprinkled throughout Bishop Ranch’s future parks, giving the district a signature visual language and keeping weekend walks fresh for years to come.
When Can You Spread a Picnic Blanket?
Groundbreaking began this week, and Sunset Development says the lawn should be ready for its first Frisbee tosses by the end of the year. If construction stays on schedule, San Ramon families could be celebrating next Summer with a very Victorian twist—right in the middle of one of the Bay Area’s most modern developments.
