This new construction project was a true design collaboration between the owners, the architect, and the landscape architect. Together, we visited the property before purchase, reviewed the immediate environmental concerns, and developed an initial vision of the building and landscape layout. The town conservation commission approved our rigorous bank stabilization plan that saved a portion of the land from erosion. The landscape design extends the open spaces of the modern minimalist interior outward to the sunlight and water. Long ipe wood decks and bluestone terraces seamlessly bridge the indoors and outdoors. All grade changes are accomplished spaciously via wide, inviting steps and grass terraces that the family sits on while watching their kids play. The minimalist vertical cable design of the pool fences and gates echoes the transparent quality of the interface between interior and exterior. The long lap pool and full-width spa provide remote views back toward the open porch, decks, and entry courtyard.
Completed: 2013
PARTNERS
Architect: Noury-Ello Architects
General Contractor: Holmes Hole Builders LLC.
Landscape Contractor: Contemporary Landscapes, Marthas Vineyard
Environmental Engineer: Wilkinson Ecological Design, Inc.
Photographer: Evan Sklar
This project introduced new construction onto an open meadow surrounded by pine forest. Construction included a main home for a large young family, a spacious indoor gymnasium, and a pool house. The landscape program included a full-size grass lawn for sports, a lap pool, an orchard, meadow, an entry courtyard with a linear water feature, and a series of both formal and informal stone terraces overlooking the private landscape. The town conservation commission enthusiastically approved our design, in part because a carefully engineered and planted drainage swale would continue to act as the neighborhood’s main rainwater collection and infiltration system. Bold linear organizational elements now guide the visual and physical experience of the site, balancing and lengthening perspectives. (This project was designed and managed while I worked with Stephen Stimson Associates.)
Completed: 2012
PARTNERS
Architect: Adolfo Perez Architect
General Contractor: Thoughtforms Corporation
Landscape Contractor: R.P. Marzilli & Company
Photographer: Rosemary Fletcher, Annie Gilson
After demolishing an existing building in preparation for constructing a spacious new home and carriage house, only seven mature oak trees and an exposed ledge remained on this three-quarter-acre site. The challenge was to maximize open play space for an active young family and create outdoor living terraces on the south and west faces of this classic New England farmhouse. We collaborated closely with the architects and owners to meticulously detail the hardscape elements, using the highest quality natural materials. All new plantings, including the seven-foot boxwood hedge along the length of the approach road, reinforce yet soften the strong structural lines of the landscape design. (This project was designed and managed while I worked with Stephen Stimson Associates.)
Completed: 2006
PARTNERS
Architects: D. Michael Collins Architects, Noury-Ello Architects
General Contractor: Kenneth Vona Construction
Landscape Contractor: R.P. Marzilli & Company
Structural Engineer: Richmond So Engineers
Photographer: Annie Gilson
This property was originally home to a single farmhouse that overlooked five acres of grassland and a retention pond. The land was subdivided into three parcels, this site being at the high point. The new contemporary residence deliberately frames multiple interior and exterior courtyards that draw the landscape into the home, maximizing infiltration of natural light. The courtyards, which are outdoor rooms, invite daily use for entertainment, relaxation, exercise, and meditation. The design language emphasizes a stretched offset linear pattern that echoes through the courtyards — from the poolside paving pattern to the larger forms of the long thin lap pool, the strips of granite wall veneer, the stainless steel scupper water feature, and the evergreen hedges. (This project was designed and managed while I worked with Stephen Stimson Associates.)
Completed: 2009
PARTNERS
Architect: Adolfo Perez Architect
General Contractor: Thoughtforms Corporation Inc.
Landscape Contractor: Atlantic View, Inc.
Photographer: Charles Mayer
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