Located in the Edgewood neighborhood of Atlanta (approximately 3 miles east of downtown), our client’s lot fronts a relatively quiet neighborhood street, situated amongst other 1920’s bungalows. However, the neighborhood is directly adjacent to a busy 5-lane roadway peppered with tall newly-constructed homes on predominantly impervious lots. The lack of pervious surfaces at higher elevations combined with the persistently-sloped grade of the project site created a major erosion issue in our client’s rear yard, which was itself covered in patchy turf grass and bare red clay.
The landmarks of home are the signs that one is welcome.
The signs in the landscape are there to read, and they can tell
us that we are, after all, home.
David E. Sopher, The Landscape of Home
Our client, John, is a chef with a background in hospitality management. He is part of a large Italian family, who all work together running their family’s Southeast-based restaurant group. They are a lively and hospitable bunch, often gathering on Monday evenings with friends for dinner and outdoor games. And thus the programmatic development of the rear yard began– with an emphasis on dining, entertaining, and relaxing from the hard work of running restaurants.
Based on the programmatic requirements and site conditions, we developed a design strategy of creating outdoor rooms surrounded by forested areas to imbue a sense of shelter and lushness, and to mitigate the noise, erosion, and imposing character of the neighboring architecture along Moreland Avenue. We adapted the elements outlined in Travis Beck’s book, Principles of Ecological Design, to a residential setting, including: a xeriscape landscape, all pervious materials, tree plantings and preservation.
Working carefully with existing trees, we lightly re-graded an area towards the rear of the yard to form the primary entertainment zone. It is located on an axis with the back door, and is accessed by generous terraced-earth and weathering steel steps. This area contains a custom-built black flagstone and terrazzo bar with an Argentine grill, flanked by a large custom-made black locust dining table for ten on one side and a black flagstone hearth with a weathering steel chiminea and lounge seating on the other. This gentle division of space allows for both intimate dinners as well as lively large gatherings with friends and family (a balance which we prioritized throughout the design). Smaller lounge and game areas in the rear yard are also defined with a similar material language of black flagstone, weathering steel edging, and a crushed slate mix.
The palette was derived from the client’s preference for a simple black/white/grey scheme, which we layered with warm rust and terracotta to to tie in existing red brick from the base of the screened back patio. The existing wood fence was painted black, creating a backdrop for the new plantings and materials to stand out from and fade into (a somewhat uncanny effect). Shredded red oak mulch was selected as the primary ground material, providing a visually warm layer and stabilizing and enriching the soil health throughout the forested areas. The plant selections prioritize biodiversity, featuring primarily native, low-maintenance and drought-tolerant species. The palette provides year-round interest, with a focus on whites, greens, burgundy, and silver.
In addition to the design work led by our all-female team, we collaborated with other local small businesses, including: a female-led landscape contractor, blacksmith, carpenter, and furniture-maker. Concerned about the ecological impacts of specifying tropical hardwoods commonly used in exterior furniture, we introduced the furniture-maker to regional alternatives. We selected black locust for its durability and beauty, embracing the silver patina that will continue to develop over time. Through careful study using drawings and mock-ups, the table and benches were scaled and detailed with large eased edges to emphasize their gentle comfort. Other furnishings were selected with consideration for durability, flexibility, and comfort– all contributing to the warm palette. Even the bird feeders were considered for their aesthetic contribution.
Serviceberry, Silver Smoke Arizona Cypress, Weeping Nootka Cypress, River Birch, and Eastern Red Cedar now form a shady canopy over an understory of Lenten Rose, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Climbing Hydrangea, Creeping Rosemary, Creeping Fig, Pennsylvania Sedge, White Cloud Muhly Grass, and Dwarf Yaupon Holly. The rear yard has now been transformed from an eroded, impervious, open area to a place we lovingly dubbed “John’s Forest.”
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Design year: 2021
Year Completed: 2022
