Featured Project: Western Exposure

Our Western Exposure project won a Bronze Award in the 2016 International Landscape Design Awards from the Association for Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) for the category “Residential Projects over $100,000”.  The clients were doing a complete remodel for this modern home concurrent with developing an integrated landscape plan.

Design solutions needed to meet the client goals were developed with an integrated team of professionals consisting of an architect, builder, mechanical engineer, civil engineer and interior designer. The rapid pace added to the intensity and difficulty of the finished product, requiring design solutions to be created with short time frames and changes to be made on a weekly basis during the course of the home remodel.

            

    

Holistically, the design approach was to create intimate interconnected spaces throughout the site that balanced the modern architecture of the home with the natural environment around it. To achieve the integration of a modern design with a native landscape, transition zones were developed that evolved from the intimate spaces close to the home to the native environments present on the rest of the property. In general, patterns of material were repeated in key areas and extended from outside the home and inside the home to create the seamless transitions. In all areas of the design, function, scale, flow patterns, material selection and plant palette were evaluated to produce a plan that was at once integrative, modern and transformative.

To create a modern landscape design with interconnected purposeful outdoor spaces that enhanced and honored the flow patterns and site line of the homes modern architecture, the following landscape design solutions were needed:

• Modern, native and transitional low water plantings zones
• Interconnected purposeful outdoor spaces for dining, pool, lacrosse, fire, bocce, etc.
• Fixed elements to remain (pool, garage and main home foundation, mature trees)
• Retaining wall and hardscape design
• Integrated drive and entrance to the home
• Sustainable water management

 

This project’s scope, difficulty level and integrated elements underlying the simplicity of the finished product were made possible by creative insightful design solutions and make this project’s achievements exceptional. During the home remodel, which occurred simultaneously with landscape design development, the original home was leveled to the foundation. The following design elements were incorporated:

• Seamless transitions were created with extension of materials from inside to outside and alignment of outdoor spaces with the home’s view corridors and flow patterns.
• Repeating patterns and materials were used throughout the site.
• Sustainable low water plant beds were installed where modern areas bordered native spaces (front entrance, the fire terrace, the western exposure).
• Existing refurbished pool was integrated into a pool terrace with lounge seating.
• Complete site water management plan was created for sustainable water management.
• Areas for dining, fire, adult conversation, large family gatherings, lacrosse, bocce and other activities were interwoven with flow patterns and sequence.

 

During construction we donated all the materials from the original red flagstone wall, barn and animal fencing to be reused, recycled and repurposed. In all hardscape areas, design solutions were developed to allow for permeable hardscape segments and water retention on the site. This also allowed the native areas to exist off natural rainfall with supplemental watering, from an irrigation system integrated with well water, only during periods of drought. Solar panels were added to offset the energy use of the pool. Mature trees on the site were protected during construction and maintained in the finished landscape.