Context
Two accomplished actors sought to revitalize their Columbia County residence by restoring the residential construction site into an inspiring network of secluded spots or quiet meditation, bird watching, outdoor dinning and family gatherings.

Concept
One arrives at the property along a curved wooded drive, where the Seven Sisters—a whimsical grove of columnar Sweetgum trees—mark the transition from untamed forest to rambunctious garden. The bluestone breezeway acts as a powerful threshold and visual cue through to a hardwood deck beyond, framing and focusing the panoramic views. Carefully considered fieldstone sitting walls line the generous deck, adding seating options and a structural contrast to the exuberant plantings spilling out below. A break in the sitting wall creates a garden gate, beckoning the visitor down a fieldstone and pea gravel path and into the Spiral Walk, the heart of the garden. All senses are engaged along this meditative path as one brushes through native plantings, with each season bringing new colors, textures, fragrances and wildlife. A small stair of salvaged boulders lands at a serene lower terrace. Nestled within a soft eco-lawn of fescues, lush native planting beds and live willow arch, the fieldstone terrace further enhances the intermingling of house, garden and views.

Impact

Our master plan revitalized the residential construction site by enriching biodiversity and knitting the property back into this striking landscape. Every stone, tree, and plant gently contributes to mending the disturbed site, adding to the biodiversity of the garden and anchoring the property as an integrated landscape in the local environment.