5 Clever Landscape Designs That Transformed Tricky Sites
See drain pipes, awkwardly shaped lots, formidable rock faces and other challenging landscapes that became great designs
Lauren Dunec Hoang
25 November 2018
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
When wanting to renovate an outdoor space, homeowners are often faced with existing – and sometimes undesirable – features that can make it nearly impossible or prohibitively expensive to change. In the following five projects, skilful landscape designers created design assets from site challenges, such as a craggy rock face transecting a backyard to industrial air vents sticking out of the middle of a roof terrace.
1. A challenging rocky slope becomes a dramatic backdrop
A mass of steeply sloped serpentine rock running through this backyard could have been enough to throw a wrench in a family’s backyard gardening plans. But with the direction of California-based landscape architect June Scott, homeowners Alyssa and Erik Reponen were able to turn this challenging feature into an integral part of their redesigned Los Angeles backyard.
A mass of steeply sloped serpentine rock running through this backyard could have been enough to throw a wrench in a family’s backyard gardening plans. But with the direction of California-based landscape architect June Scott, homeowners Alyssa and Erik Reponen were able to turn this challenging feature into an integral part of their redesigned Los Angeles backyard.
The rock face both took up a large proportion of backyard space and presented a challenging growing environment: mineral-rich but very rocky soil, with light exposure that ranged from deep shade to baking heat as the sun shifted throughout the day. The homeowners’ interest in native plants helped guide the plant choice for their garden, and Scott selected a mix of natives, tough succulents and perennials that could thrive in the challenging conditions.
Scott’s design uses the steep slope as a backdrop to show off the plants as well as other garden features, such as a fountain made from a hollowed stone planter and built-in bench seating. “The face of the rocks that had formerly been one of the owner’s biggest complaints about the yard, became a huge accent for lighting,” says Scott. “They are magical at night when up-lit.”
2. Towering concrete walls transformed into vertical gardens and fountains
Taking one look at this ‘before’ shot of a sunken backyard in a Brooklyn home in New York, one might think it looks more like a gaol yard than the site for a garden. But the landscaping team at Outside Space NYC Landscape Design saw the backyard’s potential and proposed a design to make the most of the space.
Taking one look at this ‘before’ shot of a sunken backyard in a Brooklyn home in New York, one might think it looks more like a gaol yard than the site for a garden. But the landscaping team at Outside Space NYC Landscape Design saw the backyard’s potential and proposed a design to make the most of the space.
Post-renovation, the once imposing 6.7-metre-high concrete walls have become vertical surfaces that show off a recirculating waterfall. Two types of wisteria (Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria frutescens), chosen for their staggered bloom times, frame the water feature.
The waterfall, constructed from cement board, helps cover up an unattractive air conditioning duct that runs the height of the wall. “We covered everything in polished concrete,” says Edward Jones, one of the two landscape designers behind the project. “It creates very interesting texture when water goes over it.” The soothing sound of trickling water also helps improve outdoor acoustics and mask the noise of the surrounding city.
The waterfall, constructed from cement board, helps cover up an unattractive air conditioning duct that runs the height of the wall. “We covered everything in polished concrete,” says Edward Jones, one of the two landscape designers behind the project. “It creates very interesting texture when water goes over it.” The soothing sound of trickling water also helps improve outdoor acoustics and mask the noise of the surrounding city.
Other areas of the backyard include a curved seating area anchored around an outdoor fire pit and an area for outdoor dining, tucked out of sight to the right.
Going Green: How to Decorate Your Bare Courtyard From Scratch
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3. A narrow slice of yard turned into a cosy seating nook
Sometimes the most challenging part of an outdoor design is dealing with an oddly shaped lot. Take this skinny, pie-slice shaped London backyard that tapers almost to a point. It would have been tempting to wall off the pointy section and round it out into a more typical layout, but doing so would have cut down on the already limited floor space. Instead, designer Charlie Borthwick of Cue & Co of London transformed the corner into an intimate seating nook with built-in benches that are conducive to conversation.
Sometimes the most challenging part of an outdoor design is dealing with an oddly shaped lot. Take this skinny, pie-slice shaped London backyard that tapers almost to a point. It would have been tempting to wall off the pointy section and round it out into a more typical layout, but doing so would have cut down on the already limited floor space. Instead, designer Charlie Borthwick of Cue & Co of London transformed the corner into an intimate seating nook with built-in benches that are conducive to conversation.
4. Air vents and light well covers become quirky rooftop garden art
Rather than trying to cover up the existing industrial elements on a Brooklyn apartment building’s roof, landscape designer Brook Klausing, who also calls the building home, worked them into his overall garden design. The result is a wild urban garden that embraces its industrial features.
Rather than trying to cover up the existing industrial elements on a Brooklyn apartment building’s roof, landscape designer Brook Klausing, who also calls the building home, worked them into his overall garden design. The result is a wild urban garden that embraces its industrial features.
Klausing used a mix of ornamental grasses, vines, lavender, Russian sage and fragrant herbs to soften the appearance of the air vents and glass light-well covers on the rooftop.
He also put together a makeshift outdoor shower by balancing a rain wand attached to a garden hose above one of the air vents, with a galvanised tub beneath it to catch the water.
He also put together a makeshift outdoor shower by balancing a rain wand attached to a garden hose above one of the air vents, with a galvanised tub beneath it to catch the water.
In large planters surrounding the terrace, Klausing grows tomatoes, beans and culinary herbs. On warm evenings, he’ll even host outdoor movie screenings where guests can sit on floor cushions and watch films projected onto a portable outdoor screen.
8 Hottest Outdoor Design Trends for 2019
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5. A second-storey deck becomes a basketball play area
It can be challenging to integrate an elevated deck and a lower-level garden, and it’s easy to let shadowy under-deck areas go to waste. New Eco Landscapes turned that challenge into an opportunity when designing this New York City garden behind a family of four’s multi-storey home.
The upper railings of the deck became a mount for a basketball hoop for the family’s two children, while a swing chair now hangs below the deck providing a place for the parents to relax.
The brick and cut-stone paving pattern was designed to suggest a basketball court and create a dynamic design when viewed from above.
It can be challenging to integrate an elevated deck and a lower-level garden, and it’s easy to let shadowy under-deck areas go to waste. New Eco Landscapes turned that challenge into an opportunity when designing this New York City garden behind a family of four’s multi-storey home.
The upper railings of the deck became a mount for a basketball hoop for the family’s two children, while a swing chair now hangs below the deck providing a place for the parents to relax.
The brick and cut-stone paving pattern was designed to suggest a basketball court and create a dynamic design when viewed from above.
The yard’s efficient use of space also makes room for a barbecue and open space for play.
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Struggling to transform a tricky landscape? Outsource the challenge to a pro and find a local landscape architect or designer near you.
Have you turned a challenging site into a garden design asset? Tell us how in the Comments below, like and save this story, and join the conversation.
More
Struggling to transform a tricky landscape? Outsource the challenge to a pro and find a local landscape architect or designer near you.
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kgbrn That was my first thought also. The repeated reverberating "pok-pok-pok-boing" would drive me nuts.
I really love the sunken garden in New York. I can imagine it being a real haven. I'm assuming that drainage was taken into account so that it doesn't become and underwater haven after a lot of rain, and some sort of greenery around the railings at the top to keep it more private.
Design constraints are what push us as creative proprietors, problem solvers and landscape architects! We have had a number of projects that were presented to us for the very reason that some natural obstacle, drainage issue or municipal constraint was present and beyond the know how of the property owner. Having the opportunity to provide budget conscious solutions and change an undesirable feature into a great asset for the client is why we can stand back some days and say, "Wow, we did it!"