Asian Cottage

by Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

This 37.5’ wide lot provided a narrow and tight canvas to work on. A 45 degree twist was incorporated to lengthen sight lines and give the garden room a greater sense of width. The entry approach was redesigned to down play the garage by breaking the driveway with a drive on turf which incorporated a subsurface structure to support cars. A seating room with a fire pit was designed unconventionally in the front yard utilizing the house as an effective wind break from the nearby Pacific winds to further the entertainment options on windy days. The backyard space incorporates a hot tub as a focal point fountain and an in-ground fire pit creating contrapuntal elements of fire and water. These elements are surrounded by the arc of an ipe bench with a concentric ring of Mexican weeping Bamboo. This helps disguise the typical bowling ally of property line fences.