Urban Zen

Located on a small city lot, the outdoor areas needed to be optimized, a task that called for a simple plant palette and the clever reworking of space. Hoerr Schaudt was able to achieve both, starting with the entryway, where a variety of boxwood hedges assume the leading role, interjected by a single Japanese maple, an homage to the client’s heritage. A walkway meanders from one side of the site to the other, imploring visitors to lazily wander the property, rather than migrating directly from the sidewalk to the front door.

At the back of the home, a floor-to-ceiling window contours the kitchen and dining area, leaving virtually no separation from the inside out. Previously, a small terrace sat on the other side of the glass door, abutted by the boring brown wall of the adjacent garage. Because the garage’s rooftop was to be transformed into a play area for the client’s young daughter, a stairwell would need to be installed. Playing off the idea of an incline, our team cleverly designed a sloping landscape to run beside the staircase, creating an ever-changing piece of art framed by the expansive window.

Acting as a kind of guide, a Hindu Pan Pine, several mugo pines, and a blanket of pachysandra now lead one up the stairs to the new play area for the client’s young daughter.

Lastly, we converted the home’s rooftop into a skybound retreat, offering the client comfortable seating, a firepit, and skyline views.