There's no mistaking the latest trend in landscape design: natural is in, and the more natural, the better. This year's top award for residential design from ASLA went to Richardson & Associates of Saco, ME for their design of a lakeside family retreat in Maine that captures the spirit of old-time rustic New England camps.
The main residence and guest cabins that are located on other parts of the 369-acre property are nestled in the woods; the "beach" at the lakeside swimming area is actually a huge, flat rock.
The "spa" sits in the middle of a "boulder garden" and perfectly complements the many natural, large rocks found on the site.
The jury called the design "a very light touch" and said it "takes full advantage of the rock outcropping."
Not only did the landscape architects preserve the natural features of the property. They also took an extensive inventory of plants and worked to integrate the glades of ferns, mosses, and native shrubs into the final design.
The projects below were among those that won Honor Awards for residential design.
Pamet Valley
This property in Truro, MA is located quite far out on Cape Cod, not far from the treasured National Seashore. Landscape architect Keith LeBlanc of Boston worked closely with the architect to minimize disturbance of the delicate landscape. The entry garden (above) evokes a natural Cape Cod meadow.
The shade garden and terrace provide relief from the hot summer sun, but they are sited carefully under the natural forest canopy, making visitors feel like they're sitting out in the midst of the woods.
The jury noted the "very sensitive treatment of the land" and said the design's "progression from domesticity to wild is a beautiful resolution of the wild coming up to the edge of the home."
Catalina Foothills
The landscape and the microclimates around Tucson, Arizona are both reflected in this property's plantings. Design Workshop Inc. of Aspen, CO, re-creates the color, texture and the natural environment of the Sonoran Desert, and the various structures on the property make it seem like a small village of colorful houses.
The plants include paloverde trees, brittlebrush, cacti, agaves and others that can easily survive the heat and the lack of water. The jury said Design Workshop's "expression of color and subtle use of detail is amazing....This is amazing and fun....It is impressive how the scale encompassses small plants in some areas and larger bushes in others."
Parkside Garden
Even in the midst of a dense urban area, it's possible to relate a design to the surrounding neighborhood. Landscape Architect Scott Lewis of San Francisco linked the garden to the heavily forested urban park nearby -- the Presidio -- to create a modern, useable space with long vistas to the landscape beyond.
The ivy-covered art studio at the rear of the garden almost looks like it's sitting in the middle of the woods. Existing specimen trees and shrubs were integrated into the design and paving materials were set on an aggregate base with wide joints to allow water to percolate through to the ground. The jury said the project "exhibits a very practical application of sustainable practices, including various water conservation measures and extensive adaptive re-use of existing materials, vegetation, and the garden pavilion, which has been transformed into a contemporary, sculptural, and useful sheltered space within the garden. The diversity of plantings provide a rich, naturalistic aesthetic quality within a simple, modern form."
To see all the ASLA winners and more sustainable designs, see the awards website page here.
(Photos courtesy ASLA)
Nice coverage of this trend. I thought the choice of the Chinese projects for the main design category--even over groundbreaking projects like the Highline--was fascinating.
Posted by: Thomas Rainer | May 04, 2010 at 08:47 AM