PROJECT: Residential. Front yard landscape renovation for a contemporary home located on the Lake Erie coastline.
DESIGN OBJECTIVE(S): Develop a unique (yet budget-sensitive) solution for the outdated landscape.
DESIGN INSPIRATION: Water.
CONCEPT: Incorporating a “water” theme into the entrywalk design seemed only natural given the home’s location. My first bold inclination was to utilize a series of flowing lines that would capture the feeling of moving water. The small circular spheres located within the walk are intended to imitate “bubbles” in the water.
DESIGN NOTES: Before settling on a design concept, I like to test the idea first by examining it from multiple angles. I place my eye close to the drawing paper and visualize myself walking through the space. This low angle view approximates what a guest might experience approaching from the driveway:
And here is the view from the front porch looking back toward the driveway:
I added some shading to the sketch to further define what the walk would look like. The shading gives the pavement depth and helps me get a better feel for the look of the “bubbles”.
I am anticipating the “bubbles” would essentially be plantable voids in the pavement, perhaps illuminated with blue, fiber optic lights set into their inside edge. Here are a few planted “bubbles”:
Even though the walk is uniquely shaped, it still needed to be practical and functional. I kept the primary circulation route straightforward (keeping the width of the walk to a 4 1/2 ft minimum)
and strategically placed the “bubble” planters at turning points in the walk to direct pedestrian travel.
I also made the arrival point of the walk (as it intersects the drive) generous so that it would:
* be in proportion to the scale of the drive
* call attention to the walk & direct the eye to the front door
* accomodate guests getting in and out of their vehicles
Concrete would be my first choice for the paving as it is easily manipulated into curvilinear forms. Note how all of the line intersections meet at a right angle (or greater)
maximizing the strength of the concrete.
Cutting concrete is a necessary proceedure that manages and contols its inevitable cracking , but nothing can visually ruin a concrete job more than poorly placed relief cuts. I like to specify cut lines before the job starts to ensure that they are functional and aesthetically pleasing. Here is where I anticipate the cuts being made:
I like the general direction this sidewalk design has taken. I will be exploring decorative color, stain and texture options that will further capture the feeling of water with the finished product.
Sidewalks don’t have to be boring and predictable. With just a little imagination, they can be a vibrant, exciting and welcoming element in your new landscape.
How can your front sidewalk be reimagined?
