This project is a continual journey of intimate spaces, wonderful terraces, and surprises from one side of the creek to the other.  In this journey are placed multiple sculptures from India and other sources.

The journey includes sweeping stone steps traversing through a boulder mountain-like experience along which a custom forged iron rail was gracefully designed.  From here the journey travels over an arched bridge filled with white lilacs and continues to feature a natural log, multi person east Indians swing, a hillside gathering deck for entertainment, and outdoor stone fire pit. Surprising East Indian sculptures appearing through wooden trails, and a lap pool bordered by local stone masonry walls that features an elegant outdoor shower with stone niches for candles.

By analyzing local available bulk ingredients in Northern California we produced custom EssentialSoil blends without which this project could not have occurred.  “Living trail” technology was used involving the soil blends so that a new pathway with natural log terraces was created that actually enhanced water quality and native plants.

The front of the primary house features a elegant water fountain made from streamlined solid brass with a night time lit sculpture of the dancing Shiva.  Behind this sculpture was an unusual fence made to at once convey presence, protection and at the same time delicateness by using panels of canvas that revealed the shadows of plants in between large cedar framed posts.

The primary challenges for this project centered around the extreme topography and lack of access.  This section of Cordones Creek is a very young small steep ravine surrounded by narrow roads and dense residential buildings that virtually lacks parking. Logistics for staging and heavy equipment use was extremely tricky and almost logistically impossible. Construction methods were designed to protect the fragile bank slopes so that 90% of this project was installed utilizing handwork and/or delicate crane work from the perimeter of the project and on the road.

The primary construction challenge on this slope was the stability of a major steep slope on top of which a tram was built to access the lower residence.  Development of the house caused an already precarious slope to become even more hazardous. Secondary project demands dealt with naturalistic shoreline construction in a very protracted front yard.

The steep slope along with its many points of daylighting water, unstable soils,  hydrostatic pressure and changing subsurface water channels was clearly the ambitious endeavor to this project.

The stability of the slope required a impressive skeleton of steel reinforcement together with soil nails and other anchoring systems and shot create.  All shotcrete surfaces were carefully formed not only to provide stability but to create future planting areas.

Because the subterranean system was unpredictable with daylighting water in many locations we innovated an approach of steep slope water interception systems that collected water from various locations even if it moved.

We also provided several sources of sediment catchment and clean out so that the subsurface drains could be maintained and rerouted via a pump system as necessary.  The clear subsurface water was also collected and used to proactively to create a waterfall and pond system behind the house and at the bottom of the hill.  The picture with the trickling water over large interconnected boulders was designed and executed with textured and painted shotcrete to look identical to stone formations.

Our role was to design, manage, supervise and install all aspects of the slope reconstruction and restoration with soil and plantings.   Certain trades were subcontracted as in the case of geotechnical soil nails and shotcrete.

The design of the shoreline involved a serious of sinuous and curved terraces retained by handpicked boulders.  Even though permit regulations prevented adding more shoreline further into Puget Sound our choice was to decrease a small percentage of  square footage of property in exchange for an increase in linear footage by adding a curved beach heading inland.  The   functional outcome of this is actually an increase in usable space directly at the shore. The perceptive outcome is equally huge. The design and feel of the land from house to shore feels much bigger with many more opportunities to experience the estate.

A design challenge throughout the site was to enable the small spaces to feel large and graceful. This was accomplished by using stone to “warp” the experience of space, as well as using considerable detail in the planting, wood details, and stone patios.

The design of the masonry walls involved old craftsman skill to fit together the stones to make precision walls that still blended in with natural outcroppings.

The patio around the barbecue structure was inlaid with black saw-cut thermally treated hexagonal stones cut from the columnar rocks. The barbecue structure itself features a custom-made riveted copper pyramidal roof with tiny hidden gutters. The gutters in turn transported runoff into copper pipes that blended with the design of the structure.

The grade changes were one of the construction’s primary challenges and were solved by the innovated use of stone in multiple functions. Some of these grade changes involved 13 foot vertical drops. The approach was not to build concrete walls or rockeries, rather to use mammoth, tall stone slabs as retainers. These stone slabs needed to fit and wedge together precisely in combination with geotextile fabric in order to create the necessary stability.

This project was a classic challenge in logistics, mobilization, and construction of a major water feature. Design demanded considerable civil engineering in anticipation of future site development as the waterfall monument was built prior to anything else, including roads, parking and other structures.  Fortunately the overall site was expansive and allowed the staging of nearly 750,000 tons of stone that were hauled across the country for this special project.

Because of codes and requirements, an innovative approach was used to keep the exposed lower pond less than 3 feet deep when the hydraulic and temperature requirements needed much deeper water.  Large natural slabs stones were placed from side to side to mimic a natural stone bottom keeping the appearance natural and deep while creating safety for the public.

Highly diverse sizes of granite rock were used to create an exaggerated perspective and the illusion of depth and height.  The tallest rock was over 20 feet tall and placed near the waterfall.  However, very short cut-off columns, less than 2 feet tall, were used near the bottom of the falls to appear as though they were full length columns as the water flowed over and around them.  This gave the illusion of depth at the base of the waterfall.

A pathway was designed and built that circumnavigated both the lower and upper pond, which was visible from the Dell Webb office.  In contrast to the lower pond, the upper pond was designed with an infinity edge that created a reflection pool as seen in the photographs reflecting the gorgeous transplanted red Maple.

Local resources were found to create our EssentialSoil blends in order to avoid erosion problems, accelerate plant growth, and accommodate the severe east coast rains.

Initial site development by building construction of this site left the natural creek in highly erosive deplorable condition.  Restoration of the creek and shoreline was one major challenge.  An additional shoreline beach was installed along with integrating all facets of the landscape, which ranged from detailed bridge stone masonry to planting.

Aesthetic challenges involved reinforcing the adjoining salmon stream,that experiences high winter fluctuations, with stone “armor” that contributed not only to fish habitat but the aesthetics of the entire project due to its high visibility. Major boulders were used to reinforced stream bank walls and support a brigade over a large culvert.

A single stone bridge was installed both for access and visual drama in a key part of the stream. The car bridge was built partially from stone masonry to remain in keeping with an old third world style and feel of the architecture.

Site management was provided to carefully manage waterfront work both for the sensitivity of the shoreline and the Eagle nesting spots in a single Doug fir tree on the shore line.  The combination of EssentialSoils and organic maintenance strategies created a toxin free, sediment free condition.

A diverse assortment of planting types was used for habitat and visual expression of color contrast and texture.  In some cases special field transplanted contorted pines were used to fit into specific spots between stones to appear windswept.