Courtney McRickard
The courtyard was constructed deliberately as a semi-permeable surface, allowing water and roof runoff to soak into the ground, decreasing net runoff. Additionally, the striations provide a unique design element and add texture to the space.
The runnel was designed to serve multiple purposes, including directing visitors to the front door and acting as a seat wall to accommodate larger groups in the interior courtyard.
Even with a simple palette of moss, stone and concrete this serene modernist courtyard transformed into a space full of texture and color.
The infinity pool is the cornerstone of this large-scale project. The client’s impetus for the entire project was the pool and the view beyond had to remain front and center. In the finished landscape, the pool acts as a large reflective surface, connects the landscape with the valley below and maintains the integrity of the view from inside and outside the house.
We designed a custom piece of artwork that became a focal point for a large brick wall. Backlit with LED lighting, it is now an intimate seating area that softly illuminates the space at night.
Specimen planting such as this weeping cherry tree became a beautiful focal point that added contrast and texture amongst native grasses and plants.
Detail of inside the spa house as the morning sun reflects against the water. The tile selected features a silk screen like print of the native Aspen trees so prevalent in the Colorado landscape.
The spa house is a completely new structure, but it was important that it blend with the house and the finished landscape. Special attention was paid to the overall design of the spa house, patio and decking to achieve cohesion and efficiency.
Because the site is an environmentally sensitive area, a key component of the project was reusing as much existing material as possible. In the end, no fill dirt was hauled on or off the site. The boulders in these steps were existing boulders. To soften the hardscape and blend the project into the ridge, multiple planting beds with native, low-maintenance plants were placed throughout the landscape.
Linear hardscape dominates this project, but a feeling of tranquility was important to the client. Water features, including the infinity pool, the reflecting pool and this large scale water wall help bring softness and serenity to the entire project.
