Woodland Oasis
The client had a newly renovated house with on-site drainage issues and no usable space. The site was located in an environmentally sensitive area requiring special permission and a stipulated use of native plantings. It featured large mature fir, cedar and big leaf maple trees which presented challenges as well as opportunities. The paths and landscape elements had to be carefully designed around trees, and the construction had to navigate the dense forest.
One of the main drivers of the design process was the fact that the owners were avid volleyball players and one of their desires was to have a grass volleyball court incorporated into the front yard. The drainage issues were addressed by the careful placement of a bioswale featuring large natural boulders, a culvert, boulder weirs, logs, native plantings, and a natural clay liner. Other elements included a custom built bridge, a zip line through the forest for the owner’s young children, and a long winding gravel driveway where correct shape and scale was of utmost importance. The forest was illuminated by running low-voltage lighting up into the forest canopy and downlighting through the trees creating a soft, moonlit effect.
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