PORTFOLIO | RESIDENTIAL | CITY SIDE ESCAPE

CITY SIDE ESCAPE

This project was a combination landscape renovation to existing beds and features, as well as a design for new amenities in an already mature site. Removal of all turf from the site allowed for more unique design considerations while also creating less maintenance and a more environmentally responsible site. Also, limited access to the rear yard meant that from a construction perspective, product selection would be key to producing both a unique and realistic design.
The clients wanted a patio with privacy, as well as protection from basketballs and hockey pucks which often went astray from their existing concrete sports pad in the rear of the yard. This existing concrete pad doubles as a skating rink when flooded in the winter.
The solution to all of these restraints became a sunken patio/living room area with a heavily planted berm between the patio and the sports pad. Natural dry stack limestone walls and natural stone steps allowed the patio to be sunken into the existing yard and create an intimate gathering space with privacy and protection. A white cedar pergola structure adds an element of architecture to the patio while also creating privacy screening from adjacent neighbors that overlook the yard.
The tiered pairing of the screened patio and sports pad allows for a dynamic mix between the active and passive uses of the site.
A natural wood mortared stone fireplace complete with natural stone hearth was added into the patio area to extend the seasonal use of the patio. This combined with low voltage night lighting add another dimension to the yard and allows for evening use.
Ornamental grasses and numerous varieties of evergreen have quickly filled in and brought the new sunken living room area into scale naturally with the well established yard and existing gardens.
The clients also envisioned a in-ground spa to pair with their existing pool. The in-ground spa blends into the patio without becoming a visual interruption in the yard. A custom cover and custom privacy screens were created to provide privacy and protection from the elements.
Overall, this functional and aesthetic yard has become a cohesive mix of mature and new landscape features which are naturally blended with the use of native plantings and strategically placed structural elements.