November 3, 2010

Greenwich Village Brownstone Garden receives Grand Prize from PLANET

The following is a case study of a Greenwich Village Brownstone for which we received a Grand Prize national design award from PLANET, the Professional Landscape Network.

Our client wanted total privacy from all sides and above to screen the surrounding unsightly 4-story buildings. The challenge was how to accomplish this while preserving light in the urban valleys of New York City, shaded by the ever-present Ailanthus trees (of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn fame).  The client was working with two interior designers who had some ideas.  However, the clear design intention was to transform a post-apocalyptic rubble site with heavy exposure to neighbors from all sides to an urban oasis for entertaining and relaxing, offering interesting views from every room in the house.

This “before” image, taken from the fifth floor roof, shows that the garden space had excellent “bones,” with multi-level interest and pleasing proportions.

The space was conceived as a textural modern garden with clean lines and uncomplicated elements, while still feeling warm and inviting. Part of the challenge was creating both serenity and drama, which this garden succeeded in doing with its raised patio planting area, varying grey/silver tones, interacting geometric elements and textural changes. The plantings both enhanced the geometry of the design and integrated the various elements; for example, the wisteria connected lattice to pergola, and Mondo Grass brought the plantings into the paved areas.

This plan represents the culmination of multiple meetings with the client and his interior designers, in which the details were refocused and re-framed repeatedly.

An unusual aspect was the entire job had to be brought through a labyrinth of hallways in the residential brownstone. Ten yards of debris were carried out, ten yards of sand and planting medium carried in; along with ten tons of stone, two trees and hundreds of plants, and other large hardscape components and tools. Our team wore blue paper surgical booties on their feet for each trip to protect the shiny white tile flooring.

Unsightly disintegrating brick and concrete wall structures had to be preserved for budget reasons, so we faced them with river stone tile, and capped them with bluestone, a treatment that worked harmoniously with the bluestone steps. Note the proportions of the steps in this “before” shot compared with the finished work.

An upstairs patio was designed as a more private separate space, and by using similar textures and materials it became an extension of the lower garden. The client had two stone sculptures, each weighing hundreds of pounds, which we moved around to find just the right location and set in place. However, near the end of the installation the owner decided to add a water feature to this patio. After we designed a pond, had it manufactured, and installed it, one of the sculptures was redeployed as a centerpiece, surrounded by water plants. Indeed, it became comical how many times we moved these heavy sculptures to get just the right effect!

Different textures of bluestone add visual interest. Mondo Grass planted between permeable pave squares transitions from the steps to the seating area. Long clean lines of the pergola make geometric patterns echoing the stone below.

The steps were broadened, lengthened, and risers reduced to create a grander, more inviting approach. The unusual species of tree flanking the steps was selected for its vertical shape and interesting smooth coral bark color, a feature that adds interest in winter.

At the end of this project it was clear that the collaborative effort had paid off. The owner was pleased with the private, modern look of his garden and we had met the original design intention with excellent quality materials and a great deal of creativity.

The garden successfully met the owner’s principal concern which was to add privacy from surrounding properties and provide a serene, yet dramatic sanctuary in a noisy, densely populated urban neighborhood.

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