An uninspired garden at a suburban home was transformed into a sophisticated outdoor room with deep connections to the surrounding natural environment.  

Poor initial site planning was remedied by developing a more thoughtful garden format. The house was also part of the redesign, providing the opportunity to work closely with the owner to compose a balance between the home and its garden. A bold, decisive form became the backbone of this landscape design: a ‘Z’ shaped, sculptural concrete walkway ending in a shallow water feature on one end and a back-door terrace on the other.  

The cast-in-place, 12-inch-thick concrete walkway rims a sunken terrace and is bordered by clean, textured planting and simple wooden seating that further highlights its role in the garden structure. The terrace is surrounded by lush, yet drought-resistant, plants. 

The adjacent sunken terrace functions as an outdoor sitting room. With its proximity to the creek, the space creates a calming sense of being enveloped by nature. A custom-designed firepit anchors the garden and can be seen from most of the house, evoking ceremonial order and elegance.