House By A Pond is located between a North Dallas street and a pond situated in the center of a quiet neighborhood. The residence sits squarely in the middle of the property with its long front facing the road. The backside operates to calm, peaceful views of naturalness.

The homeowner grew up on the property as a child and especially remembers the pond. Years later when the property became available, the homeowner acquired it. She is a patron of Architecture and wanted a place that spoke of how she lives today and her particular interest in the Japanese philosophy of architecture and garden design.

The Architects concept of the residence was to connect the structure with the pond and to reveal nature's water cycle. This was achieved by collecting rainwater in large half-sized gutters that spill water into a cistern-like pool with an overflow running down into a channel down to the pond. He wanted to link sky to earth and city to nature. The Landscape Architects role was critical to support this connection. The landscape design around the residence worked in conjunction with the architecture to provide the homeowner and visitors a harmonious experience between the interior and exterior.

The Landscape Architect collaborated with the Architect and assisted in developing the overall site plan. The scope of services included exterior hardscape design and detailing, planting, irrigation and exterior lighting design, advice on outdoor sculpture location and administered the installation. The intensive work done on detail drawings, material selection, grading and mock­ups of all elements of the design insured near perfect detailing.

The landscape design approach for the project was to work with and preserve the existing site conditions, integrate the landscape with the residence and provide a lush, natural environment. The intention was to maintain simplicity and to remain respectful of nature. The simple use of materials allowed nature to occupy the rest of the palette.

The Landscape Architect helped identify what landscape features were most important and beneficial to the project. All of the large trees needed attention but were beautiful specimens worth saving. A spectacular large Wisteria in the front was also preserved. There was also an old stone retaining wall along the bank of the pond that the homeowner was particularly fond of. The wall was restored and slightly raised to fit the new grading design.

The plan is composed of four components; the forest in the front, the residential center court, the Buffalo grass prairie lawn in the back and the pond in the distance. Site corridors and avenues of circulation are extended through the landscape focusing towards the pond in order to help reinforce the connection between the front and the back, city with nature. A forest of Cedar Elms and loosely planted evergreens provide privacy from the street while embracing the front of the property. The existing wisteria provides a vivid display of color and texture in the early spring. A simple mulch path allows for a stroll through the forest without calling attention to itself. Plantings hop down the wall into the gravel court. The sides of the drive become open joint panels in order to soften the required width and to once again blur the line between nature and man-made.

The center court and surrounding perimeter of the residence are gravel to benefit the existing large trees and add a soft appearance. The half circular form shaped by the concrete wall in the front is mimicked in the back by grading the form into the buffalo lawn. The forecourt uses hard materials to receive visitors while the rear uses soft materials for a more private, natural setting. Nature exists beyond the wall. A simple planting of groundcover and a variety of Japanese Maples dance across the front of the residence providing vivid spring and fall color. The front entry walk of roughback leuders limestone stretches from the gravel motor court to the cut leuders limestone entry. The use of the same material in a more natural state reinforces the connection of nature with city. The stone module is twice the size used on the entry paving. The stone path picks up again on the backside of the entry and takes the visitor down into the garden beside the runnel.

The back of the residence is held in place with a concrete retaining wall. This wall is broken with gravel steps to allow for access from the opposite end of the residence. The top edge of the wall and steps are detailed with a thin 4" wide exposed edge. Mahogany wood planters are placed on the sunny side for cut flower gardening and by the back kitchen door for herb and vegetable gardening. The back planting bed is a rich combination of plantings of grasses and burgundy and grey colored plants.

The Buffalo grass was chosen to represent the prairie. It is left un-mown in its natural state and allowed to wave in the wind. A subtle path is mowed around the perimeter allowing for a stroll around the property without calling attention to itself. The waters edge is planted with Inland seaoats, Iris pseudocarus, Pickerel weed and Water Lilly.

The House By A Pond residence uses the rigorous geometry of man as a juxtaposition to the existing natural features of a very special site in North Texas in a way that shows both the structures and the existing landscape to their best advantage. In this residence, the landscape architect has helped the client realize her dream of returning to live in a fondly remembered landscape with designed elements that reflect her evolution as a person and her tastes.