Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.

Home Improvement Professionals , Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers
5 Reviews
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Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.
5 Reviews

Casey Key Pagoda Garden

This project was special in every sense of the word. A designer’s dream come true, this waterfront acre was transformed, through careful collaboration and research, into a cultural oasis for a worldly family. The result is a marriage of east and west, of exotic and native, of intimate and expansive. The Casey Key Pagoda Garden is our most award winning garden to date. We designed and coordinated the installation of every element within this special project, including an English Rose Garden, a custom glass conservatory, a zen garden and yoga deck encircled by bamboo, a series of traditional Chinese Pavilions anchored by a pair of moongates, a Koi Pond and refugium, the creation and siting of several art pieces, and a plant palette comprised of over three hundred species, with over a hundred edibles. The materials were chosen for their success in Southwest Florida, yet their application transports guests to other worlds. The Casey Key Pagoda Garden is a magical place.
Project Year: 2012
Country: United States
From the upper story windows of their Gulfview home, the owners are beckoned to their private oasis just across a narrow roadway. The iron entry gate detail nods to the Moongate beyond, framing views of the Pedestrian Terrace and Conservatory.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Inside the gates, the user experiences the color, symmetry and fragrance of the traditional Rose Garden. Defining this space that incorporates over twenty rose species is a series of knee walls with playful iron butterflies inlaid with handblown glass accents.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
A simple arbor in scale with the Garden’s structures begins a series of edible landscapes. Fruiting vines climb the ipe wood members, herb and vegetable boxes line the path below, and fruit and nut trees await on the other side.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden - Greenhouses
The clients wanted a greenhouse to allow them to collect tropical plants. What evolved was a custom designed Conservatory that houses not only exotic flora but stunning artistry and craftsmanship. The building sits atop a 30,000 gallon cistern and reservoir.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Guests can enjoy the Conservatory deck views or its climate-controlled intimate interior while admiring exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail. Tiger-striped sapele wood shimmers in the natural light. Handlaid mosaic work shines in the marble floor and glass peacock backsplash.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
The heart of the Conservatory is a living wall flanked by two custom-designed, sandblasted, handpainted glass panels with protruding lampworked cherry blossoms. The panels and wall work together to tell the story of the land that inspired the Pagoda Garden.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
The first of two concrete Moongates signifying entry into the Pagoda Garden offers a glimpse of the oasis inside. The cobalt glazed roof tiles hint to the structures beyond, while the golden Chinese characters warmly welcome one into the “Mother’s Garden.”
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
The Pagoda Garden was inspired by the Chinese concept of creating scenes. Vignettes and views are framed among hand-selected rocks shaped by the alluvial force of the Mississippi River, paying homage to the prized, erosion-sculpted Taihu Shiji rocks of China.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Nestled between the Conservatory and the Pagodas is a Bamboo Garden. Several species seclude a private space that incorporates a gentle water feature’s white noise, a meditation deck, and a focal “Scholar’s Rock” centered in a traditional sand raking circle.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Several pedestrian experiences are made possible throughout the Garden by changing the scale and texture of hardscape elements. Transitions between cobblestone paths, lined walkways of epoxy coated aggregate, hand-laid rock walks, and smooth tile help adjust one’s sense of place.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Anchoring the Garden is a series of three Chinese Pagodas. While typically built of wood, these structures demanded an innovative poured-in-place concrete construction method to withstand Gulfcoast winds. Traditional roof tiles, wood detailing and symbols of luck adorn the Pagodas.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
When one enters the three Pagodas, the invitation to sit and relax is omnipresent. Seatwalls, soft lighting, white noise, and the warmth of rich wood surround the structures and their walkways. A sense of destination, intimacy and arrival is achieved.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
The Pagodas appear to be floating atop a Koi Pond, where the Garden’s residents swim through rocks, waterfalls, and flowering reflections. A specimen rock bridge, said to confuse evil spirits, connects the Pagodas to the aggregate walkway behind the waterfall.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
The walkway through the Pagodas separates the Koi Pond from this Refugium, designed to showcase aquatic plants fertilized from the natural biowaste of the fish. These plants are limited in the koi pond to avoid a harmful excess of nitrogen.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
Casey Key Pagoda Garden
All axes and views within the Garden are subtly dictated by its relationship to the home; yet only as one exits is he or she reminded of this context. Owners and guests alike leave the Garden feeling transported and refreshed.
Casey Key Pagoda Garden