The challenge was to design a landscape that unified three adjacent lots into a single 1.2-acre summer residential compound for one family. Outdoor spaces at various grade levels had to be connected, with visual transparency between defined outdoor “rooms.” My clients wanted ease of use and inviting pedestrian circulation between the major outdoor recreation areas: a large stone terrace for daily gathering and family meals, a pool, spa, and wood deck area for relaxation beside the new pool house, a professional-level wiffle ball field for friendly neighborhood competition, and a safe play yard for the family’s latest generation of young children. The plantings reinforce the site’s major organizational elements – the walls and paths – while providing natural shade, color interest, and textural richness. (This project was designed and managed while I worked with Stephen Stimson Associates.)
Completed: 2010
PARTNERS
Architect: D. Michael Collins Architects
General Contractor: Encore Construction Company
Landscape Contractor: R.P. Marzilli & Company
Structural Engineer: Richmond So Engineers
Photographer: Charles Mayer, Annie Gilson