Project Statement
Simple, subtle, sublime, and silent were
the guiding principles identified by the clients to
shape the design process. Conceived as a blend between
traditional and modern design aesthetics this “Shaker
Modern” home and garden is deeply rooted in the
Connecticut venacular with a nod toward contemporary
spareness and simplicity. A restrained palette of building
materials and plants are used in a consistent manner
throughout the garden rooms to create a seamless composition
of exterior spaces.
Project Narrative
Upon our first meeting the well-worn 1920’s
colonial on an exposed site revealed nothing particularly
unique, but the opportunities and challenges of the
owner’s program were apparent:
- Create a unique setting for the house
of two highly successful designers with two active,
growing boys and their friends
- A significant increase in the house
footprint plus the addition of a new three-bay detached
garage
- An aggressive site improvement program
ranging from active living and play spaces to quiet
contemplative rooms, all on a difficult, ascending
one-acre property
- Develop and incorporate a restrained
materials palette
- Create privacy from the road and adjacent
properties
Immediately intrigued by the owner’s
significant collection of mid-century modern furniture
to be displayed within the colonial vernacular house,
we seized the exciting possibility of creating a landscape
with a contemporary “skin” over traditional
“bones.” The Shaker aesthetic emerged as
the appropriate thematic approach to the program as
it embodies a pared down design vocabulary to bridge
the classic garden structure of Russell Page with the
geometry and contemporary spatial qualities of Dan Kiley
– both of whom the clients admired. The design
solution was to create a traditional New England public
face as a counterpoint to a series of modern private
spaces that unfold into each other and interlock with
the interior rooms of the first and second floors of
the house.
Entering through the garden gate, the
outdoor “foyer” contains a long, narrow
Koi pond that silently reflects the pure geometry of
the house and garage. This room unfolds onto the Dining
Court, which is the central outdoor space with a dining
table under the canopy of four linden trees and flanked
by a 20 foot long weeping water wall. The cantilevered
granite stair anchors the corner of the court and ascends
the nine-foot grade change up to the pool, play lawn,
and outdoor living room. The outdoor living room is
nestled in the corner of the house framed by the master
bedroom suite and the exercise room. With direct access
out from both rooms, the outdoor living room is an extension
of these interior spaces. A large outdoor fireplace
anchors the space and provides a focal point for intimate
gatherings on cool evenings.
To visually reinforce the interconnection of outdoor
spaces, granite was specified to be the paving and wall
material throughout the property. A reclaimed granite
wall steps back as it retains the slope complimenting
the stepped massing of the house. From the garden gate
to the water wall, it is the spine that unifies the
spaces as both a backdrop and a focal point. Newly quarried
and fabricated granite was used for paving, wall and
pool copings, lawn steps, and stairs. The contrast between
the granites creates a subtle yet dynamic relationship
between similar materials consistent with the overall
design theme.
In a similar fashion, the wooden fence
and gate located between the house and garage was designed
with crisp, clean, sawn top and bottom edges to contrast
against the sides that were left natural with the curvature
and bark of the tree intact. Each board had to be selected
and arranged so that the fence and gate were compliant
with swimming pool codes.
A stainless steel handrail/guardrail was
designed to minimize the visual impact of this 70-foot
long safety barrier located between the pool and dining
court below. As a counterpoint to this highly refined
steel structure a “fence” of horizontally
trained espaliered orchard trees was planted on the
opposite side of the swimming pool and parallel to the
steel railing. From certain vantage points the two “railings”
overlap to create a sublime relationship between the
natural and man-made.
Privacy on the exposed property was achieved
with a combination of Norway spruce, fastigiate white
pine, hemlock, and holly. Boxwood in various forms was
used to reinforce the structure of the spaces and provide
a contrasting clipped edge to the soft beds of hydrangeas
and ferns. Flowering plants were kept to a minimum.
Colorful perennial borders and cutting gardens were
considered inappropriate and at odds with the concept
of silence. As such the palette of flowering
plants was limited to blue and white including hydrangeas
and the “Diana” variety of the Rose of Sharon.
Plantings, details, materials, and
spaces were continuously conceptualized, assessed, discussed,
and refined against the overall design aesthetic of
“Shaker Modern.” The close collaboration
with the client throughout the project led to a harmonious
and highly personalized place. Like a beautiful piece
of Shaker furniture, the outdoor spaces are joined and
finished in a simple, functional way that reveals an
elegant unified vision.
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Project
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Project Team:
Lead Designer and Project Manager:
Bruce G. Eckerson, ASLA
Principal: Wesley Stout, ASLA
Architect:
Beinfield Architecture, P.C., South Norwalk, CT, Jonathon Wagner AIA, Weston, CT
Stone supplier:
O & G Industries, Bridgeport, CT
Getty Granite,
Salem, CT
Landscape Contractor:
Young’s Nurseries, Wilton, CT
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Fencing contractor:
Westchester Fences and Iron Works, Port Chester,
NY
General
Contractor:
Schmeideck Construction, Weston, CT
Landscape Maintenance:
Kuzco Tree & Lawn Care, LLC |
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