Builders Association of Northwestern PA Awards of Excellence
Category: Landscape Makeover $25,000 - $50,000
Winner: Dahlkemper Landscape Architects & Contractors
The replacement of the foundation of this home, built as a summer cottage opened up the possibilities to make over the landscape of this Chautauqua getaway.
The lifting of the home to install the new basement involved much of this small lot. With a plan in mind and refinements thru the design process we planned the installation in a two-step process to fit into the Chautauqua Institution contracting season. The owners wanted the grounds to feel old. The landscape to be casual and colorful. And, as environmentalists, they wanted the landscape to be as green as possible.
The renovation included a pervious driveway, in this case, a gravel drive, that would serve as a base possibly for future pavers. Also, a walkway to a open patio with a connection to the deck and the street. On the front side, a formal front walk and a casual walk to the area where they park the bicycles. Crushed washed gravel in 2 gradations worked for the drive and the casual walkways. A recycled brick, Jamestown pavers, laid in a pervious manner make up the formal walks and patios.
The need for a low retaining wall allowed us the use of recycled barn foundation stone to add to this hardscape. The planting was phased for the next year, and in the spring of 2014 the plantings were installed for that casual color that a cottage in Chautauqua deserves. Playing off the dark brown siding, bright colors of whites, yellows, pinks an blues deliver a mosaic of summer color thru the whole of the Chautauqua season.
The combination of the aged hardscape and the happy landscape plantings make this a combination that the owners are very happy with. We have met their landscape goals!
