Project Spotlight - Island Woods Residence

Island Woods Residence

                This Island Woods residence had a typical “builder special” landscape that did not match my client’s tastes.  My clients were looking for a more outdoor living space, the sound of water, an indoor outdoor living room for watching TV and reading books while enjoying nature, and an area for a grill with dining room. Our Client (which was referred to us by one of our past clients) wanted to see a couple of options for their yard

Landscape Master Plan (2012)

Concept #1 – Key Points

·         Enclosed 4 seasons room

·         Sunken patio with timber shade structure with party lights/lanterns

·         Outdoor grill and paver patio dining area

·         Flagstone paths

·         Raised garden beds

·         Grass along the side yards

·         Waterfall tucked in the back corner

Concept #1 -  Video

Concept #2 – Key Points

·         Covered patio/3 seasons room with outdoor kitchen and living room

·         Sunken patio with free standing structure

·         Artificial turf putting green

·         No grass back yard

·         Woodsy, understory plantings

·         Garden beds

·         Flagstone paths

 

  Concept #2 - Video

The client loved the initial concepts and they used elements mostly from Concept #1, but they liked how the main entrance to the yard was from the middle of the 4 season room in concept #2. They also liked how the waterfall from concept #2 flowed into the sunken patio. They also wanted to make the sunken patio handicap accessible for one of their friends, so we designed in a ramp to the sunken patio. After we revised the concept we went on to construction documents. For the 4 season’s room, I had to bring in an Architect and a Structural Engineer, so I turned to Merlin Stark with Stark Planning and Design for the Architectural Drawings and Tamarack Grove for the Structural Design and Review. We prepared the following drawings:

·         Materials Plan – to illustrate, note and detail all hardscape items like, pavers, paths, walls…..

·         Planting Plan – to illustrate all plant material proposed for the project

·         Plant care package – full color photos of all the plants and info on how to care for them.

·         Conceptual Landscape Lighting Plan – to illustrate the overall landscape lighting effects

·         Architectural Plans - Merlin Stark prepared a full set of Construction drawings for the 4 season’s room and Tamarack Grove prepared the Structural design and Calculations for the 4 season’s room.

Now that all the drawings were done, it was time to get construction bids for the work. The home owners were refereed to us from one of our past clients and they had Sterling install their project – so they wanted to go with Sterling as well. For the 4 Seasons room, the Home owners watered to go with Merlin’s recommendation of Rory Hammersmark Construction.

The first step of construction was to demo the existing shade structure and concrete patio. After the demolition, the area had to be excavated for the foundation of the 4 season’s room and the sunken patio. As Rory’s crew worked on the foundation for the 4 Seasons’ Room, Sterling started the prep for the sunken patio.

As the base was being prepared we made a trip with the home owners to Basalite and Rocky Mountain Supply to look at paver and Wall samples. The Home owners decided to go with Belgard’s mega-Arbel patio slab paver (resembles natural Flagstone) for the patios, paths and ramp and Celtik wall for the landscape walls and steps.

As Rory had the exterior shell of the 4 season room completed, Sterling started on their part of this project. The walls and steps were the first landscape elements to get installed with the sunken patio and waterfall to follow shortly after. The upper patio and paths were then finished with the plantings and sod to soften the hardscape elements.  Sterling then added Belgard’s Anglia Edger to the main planter by the upper patio to keep the bark from getting on the patio.

As with all new installations, I recommend patience, as the beds will look rather open at first, but with time the plants will mature and the yard will grow up!  A special thanks to Sterling Landscape, Rory Hammersmark Construction, AfterDark Lighting, Stark Planning and Design, Tamarack Grove Engineering and more….for making this project looks so good!