Village Sanctuary

For residential landscape architects, the creation of more usable outdoor space is a regular request. The steep woodland property surrounding an existing historic house posed competing challenges to that end.

To accommodate a play area and spaces for entertaining, RBLA followed strict regulations for wall heights, addressed erosion and drainage issues, and updated the landscape with significant grading, amenities, plantings, and handcrafted stonework. A welcoming new entry reclaims street presence while at the side and rear of the house, outdoor cooking and dining areas are private and lush. Curvilinear walls emerge from the hillside and the drive/parking experience is also transformed. Every element and detail—including the furniture, fabrics, lighting, and planters—update and contemporize the archetypal New England architecture.

ASLA New York, Residential Landscape Architecture Design, Merit Award, 2019