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Private Access

Projects

Sunderland Veterans’ Memorial and Park

Durfee Gardens

A Strolling Garden

A Plastic Garden

A Kettle Hole Garden

Bartlett Court

The James Rose Center

Private Access

Clark's Passage

Complete List of Projects


A
four-acre terrace, containing mature maples and situated between a forty foot high granite outcropping on its east and beautiful views to rolling hills over a small meadow on its west was reorganized to provide access throughout when the client’s mobility became limited to a wheelchair. The plan had three major objectives...




F
irst, a gently sloping loop path was provided. It aligns with existing rock features on the site’s perimeter including old stone walls and this great rock outcropping. Carefully graded so that it would be visually absorbed into the landscape, the loop path connects existing amenities and site features such as the swimming pool, barn and views.


S
econd, these existing amenities were rehabilitated to accommodate wheelchair access. Here, a woven gateway and stone path lead the eye through the pool area and make access possible.


T
hird, the interior living spaces of the house were connected to the loop path by a series of outdoor terraces and gentle ramps to the west of the house. Here a continuous, on-grade deck acts as a collector from all the interior spaces. The low indigenous stone wall provides for a sense of safety while permitting clear views over the meadow. The stone terrace provides additional space for gatherings and connects to the loop path to its west.


A
t the end of the deck, adjacent to a new sun room, a generous gathering space overlooks a rectangular lawn and the entrance to the swimming pool area.


B
eneath the deck, a lattice woven from ripped planks catches the slant of afternoon light.


C
ascading pools are clearly visible from both the deck and the lawn, creating planes of water that help define the grade transition.


T
he pools include a striking light-and-sound-transforming fountain made from scraps left over from construction of the bluestone terrace.


T
he project to provide access at this private residence is in continuing development at this time. It has, however, already made it possible for the client to access virtually his whole site; as well as provided him with new places in the landscape.


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