Let’s take another visit to the lake home and landscape project by East Coast Landscape.  In the last post we traveled down natural stone steps alongside a well-built and engineered waterfeature.

We’re now almost to the shoreline and standing on a wide path covered in woodchips.  This path actually travels a roundabout and gradual climb up to the main house.  It serves as both an alternate route for a casual (and longer) stroll, and also provides access for smaller equipment to get closer to the lake.

Combining Natural and Man-Made Elements

It is at this point where the cascading water coming down the rocky slope meets with a natural stream.

Alan Goodell from East Coast Landscape explains how this convergence of the two water features was handled.  At the base of the slope a retention pond was built using more boulders to echo the existing rockery.  Both the natural stream and the constructed waterfall enter into this pond.

While looking like just another natural occurring feature, this engineered pond allows the two water sources to be “managed” properly.  A weir is built below one of the bridges as part of the water management system.  The water flow and level of the pond can be adjusted as needed.

On the other side of the bridge the water exits after flowing over the pond weir.  This last part of the journey for the water before entering the lake is another display of cascades over rockery.

Notice how the plantings between the stone helps to unite the boulder groupings and then visually ties everything in to the surroundings.  I actually had to look closely to distinguish between the natural and man-made parts of the project.

The Beach And Dock Area

From the wood chip path there’s only a short stretch to the lake.  East Coast constructed a wide belgian block ramp that leads to the open-front pavilion.

The belgian block cobble provides a stable, strong surface.  It naturally has a nubby texture for traction and sure-footing.  Belgian block, as a dimensional, thick, heavy paver can conform to the subtleties of the slope.   Also, its gray tones blend well with the surroundings.  I like the way the belgian block pavers combine to meet the flagstone in front of the pavilion.  Different paving elements that connect can be challenging in design.

The pavilion has an open-front and together with the flagstone patio offers a spacious room for all sorts of activities. From the pavilion there are several stone slab-steps to the beach and dock area.

The trek from the house down to the lake was certainly not an effort.  In fact, I wish it had continued!

In design, if you can bring people to a point where they are no longer thinking about the clock and perhaps what else they should be doing, you’ve created something special.

On a project like this it is an appreciation and respect for the surroundings.  The natural conditions are simply too powerful to try and manipulate them in any other way than how they naturally want to be.

Observe and Conceptualize

You probably already have a notion as to what you want or need in your landscape.  And if you’re a designer you’ve probably interviewed the homeowner to understand their desires.  This is important information, but you should not let those wishes (and even requirements) constrain your initial thinking of the site.

Keeping the general goals in mind, especially the functional goals, begin to familiarize yourself with the site.  Taking pictures not only gives you something to refer to when you’re away from the property, but it also forces you to concentrate on the property’s characteristics.

During these initial stages of planning relax about the need to come up with an absolute solution.  Allow yourself the time to think beyond the “want-list”.  For instance, “what do you think the site is asking for”?  When you “conceptualize” freely like this you’re more apt to create solutions beyond the obvious ones.  At the very least you can be content in your final design that you explored the possibilities thoroughly.

Other Features Are Realized

This post continues the coverage of the lakefront home and the beautiful landscape East Coast Landscape Co. created.  My last post on the project showed the drive and some of the front foundation area.

The home sits well above the lake in elevation.  This is often the case on lakefront properties.  As you’d expect, the basic design requirement was to provide everyday access down to the lake.

In the first picture we are three-quarters of the way down to the lake and looking up the rocky slope towards the house.  Although there were some existing rock outcroppings, a good amount of what you see was designed, arranged & installed.The waterfall was engineered and built by East Coast Landscape.  Using the lake as the water source, water is pumped to the top, just under the patio.  There it begins the long descent back down to the lake through carefully arranged rockery.

The elevation change from the house to the lake shore is substantial and therefore, so is the number of steps.  If you think about this trek, you want it to be safe, manageable and enjoyable for everybody – young and old alike.

Steps should be arranged so that landings occur often.  This gives everybody a chance to pause, rest and enjoy the views.

In the second picture above there’s a series of steps.  At the base of this stairway are flagstone stepping stones that expand into a substantial landing area.  The third picture shows the view you have up to the house from this spot.

The hand railings are a safety feature, but also help to give a sense of security, which adds to the enjoyment of the trek.  They are made of iron and were all fabricated right on site.  The iron had to be heated and bent for the handrails to follow the winding steps.  Posts were drilled directly into the stone where necessary.  The brown/bronze color helps to blend the man-made feature with the surroundings.

With the addition of naturalized plantings in many of the nooks and crannies, the entire setting seems as though it has been there all along.  It’s obvious the functional goals were met in this design, but included is a harmony of grades and features that marry the home to the site.

This type of outcome is the result of:

• becoming intimately familiar with the site during the design process
• considering the practical needs (functional goals)
• and then allowing the open-minded thinking that answers the question, ” What is the site asking for?”

I fully appreciate the personal nature of design and the individual approaches we all take.  Feel free to comment with your thoughts and methods to design.  This is great stuff we can all learn from.

Back in June I posted an article that was to start a series on a project by East Coast Landscape.  Alan Goodell, one of the company owners, invited me to this special home on a lake. In the first article we saw how visitors were greeted at the entrance to the long winding drive.

This exceptionally long driveway took a tremendous amount of time and resources to build.  The layout had to wind through terrain that was not very accommodating.  As you’d expect in a woodland surrounding a lake, there were rock outcroppings, large trees and “radically changing” topography.  By combining the use of their heavy excavating equipment and landscape expertise, East Coast built a drive that harmonizes beautifully with the surroundings.

Utilizing the native boulders, they built up and retained areas where the grade had to be raised.  It was critical to make the drive descend in a gradual, consistent way.  Each boulder was placed to resemble the look of existing rock outcroppings so nothing would look man-made.

Plantings were selected and arranged to give the homeowner a “finished look”, but appear as an extension of the woodland.

Subtle, indirect lighting was also installed at points along the way.  Not only does the lighting guide you, but I’m sure it’s also comforting to have on a woodland drive like this.  Lions and tigers and bears…There is no lawn on this homesite, yet look how they introduce neutral expanses of space.  Swaths of different groundcovers are a low maintenance answer when you’re just looking for a neutral cover.  The woody trees and shrubs are chosen and placed carefully to just give enough “weight” where it’s needed.  Not overdone at all.  Notice the mix of textures and the balanced use of deciduous and evergreen.

We could go on and point out the specific design strategies (and I assure you careful thought went into every element), but in the end, “It just looks right”.  Everything just seems to belong, as if it happened naturally.

A native stone was used as natural curbing to further integrate the driveway as it approached the home. This is installed on a concrete footing with motared joints.  A “chip & tar” surface adds to the organic look and just sounds great as you’re pulling up.

The other day I was invited by Alan Goodell of East Coast Landscape to visit a project of his in a beautiful lake community.  I was taken not only by the inherent beauty of the site, but how East Coast respectfully handled that beauty during their project.  I’d like to share my visit with you and some of the wonderful things I saw.

The driveway must be over 200 yds. long and traverses a descending grade to the lakefront home.  At the top entrance to the drive the homeowner wanted the lantern style used on the house repeated. To right away introduce the theme of working with the surroundings, East Coast set about making the “post lantern on a rock”.  The boulder itself was core drilled from bottom to top.  They had a core drilling machine on-site to assist drilling and splitting large boulders to clear for the driveway.  A 6″ X 6″ timber post was also core drilled to a point where the fixture would be.  To connect the post to the boulder a mounting bracket was fabricated out of plate steel. Additional holes were drilled in the boulder where threaded rod was installed using Hilti Epoxy. With matching holes in the bracket, it could then be attached to the boulder. It was obvious I was in for a special experience as I began my walk down the lengthy drive.