Houzz Landscape Tour: Back Bay Retreat

Today we are going to take a tour of a beautiful and thoughtful residential landscape, designed by Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture. This project took its cues from the region and the natural environment, creating an experience where the site can be best experienced while respecting its ecological processes.

This Back Bay Retreat reflects the regionalism throughout its landscape. The project draws on the curved shapes of the bay-line and estuary that can be seen winding away from the property’s edge. These gentle sweeps were then drawn into the hardscape walls and walk-ways. The use of space invites guests to meander through curving pathways to secluded benches where they can take in the beauty of the bay or watch the grasses and native juncus dance with the wind. While the ocean air can create cooler evenings, the fire-bowls and fire-pits are strategically placed to bring warmth and encourage the use of the outdoors regardless of the time of year. Thank you to Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture for sitting down to share this project with us.

What was the property like when you arrived on the scene?
When we first got hired, the owners had recently purchased the vacant lot adjoining
their property. Their lot and the vacant lot were very delineated. Decking and walls
were built up to the previous property line. While the owner was a garden
enthusiast, the plantings were disjointed and chaotic. The owners were very
concerned with their privacy and in doing so had designed a lot of closed off and
tiny spaces. The deck with the hot tub felt claustrophobic, but served a purpose in
creating intimacy and wind block from coastal winds.

What were did your clients hope to get out of the design? What were their
requirements?
Our job became to unite the two spaces. To make the existing yard expand into the
newly purchased vacant lot. We had to maintain the clients desire for privacy and
intimate spaces. By removing the large wall/wind block on the deck we had to provide
shelter or warmth in another way. The client did not actually have many
requirements, and let us really draw our own inspiration, and our inspiration came
from the surroundings.

What was your main inspiration for the project?
The surrounding bay, the fingers of water draining from the estuary into the back
bay, morro rock in the distance, and the sand spit that juts out toward the mouth of
the harbor. Of course we also drew inspiration from the native plantings growing
along the estaury, and the juncus and grasses along the sandspit. We wanted to
mimic native plant material and color pallet.

Please tell us about the process of choosing materials.
All materials were given special consideration. The Wills Residence almost seemingly transitions into the surrounding landscape. The project draws on the curved shapes of the bay-line and estuary that can be seen winding away from the property’s edge. These gentle sweeps were then drawn into the
hardscape walls and walk-ways. The form and sheen on the concrete bench wall mirrors
the still waters of the bay in the late afternoon sun. The main paving stone was
selected to mimic the colors in the distant sand-spit which help to define this
unique back bay setting. The fingers of water that drain into the bay are drawn into
the hardscape through the use of dark Mexican pebbles that fill the joints between
the flagstone. Morro Rock can also be seen abstracted in the distance by the use of
large boulders anchoring the stacked-stone bench walls and fire-pit. The Ipe decking
is reminiscent of the interior of an old-ship, fitting within the coastal harbor
theme. By incorporating these connections back to the site this landscape has a
sense of belonging and gives a spirit of place or “Genius loci.”

How does this design provide a transition from the built work to its natural surroundings?
Our desire for the project was to blend into the surrounding environment. We didn't
want the abrupt stop of a property line, but desired for the house to feel seamless
with its back bay setting. The architecture along the house is very modern,
structured and hard lined. As we move out toward the property line the forms become
more naturalized and organic. There are still strong lines that can be seen and
identified within the landscape with large drifts of plant materials and careful
transitions between different zones of planting as they spread down the bluff toward
the brackish waters of the bay.

The Wills Residence almost seemingly transitions into the surrounding landscape. The
project draws on the curved shapes of the bay-line and estuary that can be seen
winding away from the property’s edge. These gentle sweeps were then drawn into the
hardscape walls and walk-ways. The form and sheen on the concrete bench wall mirrors
the still waters of the bay in the late afternoon sun. The main paving stone was
selected to mimic the colors in the distant sand-spit which help to define this
unique back bay setting. The fingers of water that drain into the bay are drawn into
the hardscape through the use of dark Mexican pebbles that fill the joints between
the flagstone. Morro Rock can also be seen abstracted in the distance by the use of
large boulders anchoring the stacked-stone bench walls and fire-pit. The Ipe decking
is reminiscent of the interior of an old-ship, fitting within the coastal harbor
theme. By incorporating these connections back to the site this landscape has a
sense of belonging and gives a spirit of place or “Genius loci.”

Please tell us a bit about the plantings and how and why you chose them.
Creating the plantings was one of the most important aspects of this garden. The
native landscape of the estuary is predominated by native juncus, pickle weed,
yarrow, and coyote brush which were then pulled up into the landscape to blur the
line between nature and the home. Restios, dwarf coyote brush, hybrid yarrows,
artemsias, and many non-native grasses were used to draw relationships with the
existing natives in the estuary as well as provide year-long interest that is water
wise.

Obviously there are a lot of natural processes happening on the site -
wind, tidal changes, large ranges in temperature from day to night, etc.
How did your design address this environment?
Make note: temperatures do not change much between night and day. The large body of
water of the bay regulates these temperatures, so there is rarely more then a 10
degree shift in temperature between night and day. What brings cool temperatures is
the coastal winds and misty fog.
We wanted to make sure that the cool coastal temperatures would not be much of a
deterrent from enjoying the garden year round, hence the large use of firepits and
firebowls throughout. Whether entertaining a large group on the patio for dinner or
spending time relaxing in the garden, there is always a source of warmth close by.


Please walk me through a virtual tour of the site - what would my experience be like if I were to visit?

The front entrance is warm and inviting. The remodel of the entrance uses ipe
decking to tie in with the deck off the side yard. (see before and after)A pathway
leads from entrance toward large garden that was once the vacant lot.


If you look at the conceptual plan for the home you can see the different zones.

Thank you so much for sitting down with us today. Readers, to check out other projects from Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture, click here.