Category: Residential

+ ELLIPTICAL DRUMLINS

Drumlins are elliptical or ovoid hills composed of rock and glacial till occurring parallel to each other in clusters called drumlin fields. This results in a terrain of constant rolling hills. These formations, common in Southern Ontario, are products of glacial activities during the last ice age.

This farmhouse property is situated at the crest of one such rocky mound with the drumlin field extending to the horizon in every direction.  Our goal was to update the site in ways that capitalize on the inherent beauty of the panoramic vista and create areas where the client could navigate the terrain with more ease.

The first intervention is a terrace “cantilevered” over the hillside which extends the interior of the existing house into the landscape while creating a comfortable space to entertain among uninterrupted views.

The terrace walls are built from glacial boulders and reflect the historic stone masonry of the original farmhouse.

The second intervention was to resolve the angular forms of the existing swimming pool with the morphology of the contextual landscape. This was accomplished through re-grading as well as the construction of an elliptical deck. Its form rests harmoniously within the larger field of drumlins.

The remainder of the site was seeded with native wildflower meadow plants such as Asters, Chives, Yarrow, etc. that fit into the surrounding agricultural landscape, and maintain the panoramic views.

+ POLLINATOR GARDEN

This midcentury inspired modernist home is situated on a large suburban lot. A master plan was designed to be developed over time.

Low maintenance, sustainability, and specific functional needs for their three active children were identified. The clients wanted a swimming pool, skating area, and large grassy play area for various sports. The steeply sloped site descended to a stream and woodlot. It was important that the children access all areas of the garden freely without any restrictions.

A limestone path system became the major connecting device for all the components of the garden. The pathway was set in concrete in the areas closest to the house. As it moved away from the house and driveway the stone was dry laid to minimize impact on the natural landscape, recharge rainfall into the groundwater system and visually fit into its context.

The front lawn became a flexible green space where the children could play in the summer and skate in the winter. The pool was located close to the house for ease of access and terraced into the slope. The path continued down the slope which was naturalized with flowering native groundcovers that created a pollinator carpet attracting hundreds of bees. Native woodland plants edged the woodlot at the bottom of the slope.

Evergreen hedges in the front lawn created a gateway entrance to the home and provided screening from the view and noise of the nearby arterial road.

+ BOARDWALK IN THE WOODS

Two properties were amalgamated to create a park like setting for a beach house on Georgian Bay. A boardwalk links the beach house to the waterfront and the meadow. At the same time it provides a bicycle route for children.

A stone path links the beach house to the water’s edge. A perennial woodland tapestry edges the parking area and the beach house.

+ STEPPING DOWN A SLOPE

This contemporary glass and steel addition reaches out to the edge of a steeply wooded ravine hillside. The clients requested that the garden express the Zen-like tranquility and simplicity of the woodland. The terrace and steps were minimal interventions into the ravine. A sports court on the flat land extends the function of the outdoor space into the winter where the family can skate and play hockey at the ravine’s edge.

The edge of the woodland was restored through the addition of native plantings that bring nature even closer to the home.

+ LOOKING THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

The mathematical formula for an ellipse gives you the least amount of circumference for the most amount of interior area. In a garden where space is limited, this geometry becomes an efficient tool for organizing space and accommodating the client needs.

The clients were interested in preserving as much open space as possible and at that same time having a splash pool that was both a water feature and a way of cooling off in the hot summer months. The geometry was carried throughout the spatial structure of the garden including the added detail of the garden gate when the client requested a peek hole for the family’s cherished dog.

+ SUBURBAN RETREAT

This is a typical subdivision home built in the 1970s with no distinguishing features. The one outstanding feature was its location at the edge of a ravine. The challenge was to create a garden that enhanced the architecture and connected it visually and functionally to the ravine. The garden was centered functionally around suburban life with an outdoor kitchen, BBQ and swimming pool. Existing topography was used to create stepped terraces down to the ravine. Perennial planting in a wild configuration mimic its naturalness. A trellis wrapped around the edge of the ravine with views oriented the clients to the ravine tying the more ridged geometry of the garden structure with the naturalness of the ravine.

+ A WATER GARDEN

The clients choose to build a pool garden instead of purchasing a garden. Its main purpose was to create a place of entertainment for family and friends. The strong sounds of falling water was added to the pool structure to camouflage city sounds and bring the natural environment into the space.

+ TOPOGRAPHY

This garden project transforms a slope into a three-tiered terraced garden supported by stone retaining walls and planted with flowering shrubs. A two-level stainless-steel water feature is also integrated, highlighting the changes in site topography. The garden’s top tier is traced by a hedge of hornbeam trees, forming a wall that works with the pergola above the seating area below to create an outdoor space.

+ BOARDWALK IN THE WOODS

Two one-acre properties were amalgamated to create a park-like setting for a cottage beach house on Georgian Bay. The design of the boardwalk and deck engage the other elements of the site in a dialogue that dissolves the boundaries between them. The existing wrap-around veranda is extended into the landscape in multiple directions. Between the house and the shoreline, the deck steps down in a series of increasingly curvilinear terraces that negotiate between the architectonic forms of the house and the rhythmic waves of the bay. As the deck expands into the landscape, it integrates many of the sites existing trees. The clean lines of the boardwalks give punctuation to the organic native perennial planting, allowing the client to stroll shamelessly through beach, woodland, and meadow landscapes.

+ TOPOGRAPHY

This garden project transforms a slope into a three-tiered terraced garden supported by stone retaining walls and planted with flowering shrubs. A two-level stainless-steel water feature is also integrated, highlighting the changes in site topography. The garden’s top tier is traced by a hedge of hornbeam trees, forming a wall that works with the pergola above the seating area below to create an outdoor space.