A couple wanted a weekend retreat without spending a majority of their getaway in an automobile. Therefore, a lot was purchased along the Rocky River with the vision of creating a nearby escape less than five miles away from their home. This 1,300 sf 24’ x 24’ dwelling is divided into a four square quadrant with the goal to create a variety of interior and exterior experiences while maintaining a rather small footprint. Typically, when going on a weekend retreat one has the drive time to decompress. However, without this, the goal was to create a procession from the car to the house to signify such change of context. This concept was achieved through the use of a wood slatted screen wall which must be passed through. After winding around a collection of poured concrete steps and walls one comes to a wood plank bridge and crosses over a Japanese garden leaving all the stresses of the daily world behind. The house is structured around a nine column steel frame grid, which reinforces the impression one gets of the four quadrants. The two rear quadrants intentionally house enclosed program space but once passed through, the floor plan completely opens to long views down to the mouth of the river into Lake Erie. On the second floor the four square grid is stacked with one quadrant removed for the two story living area on the first floor to capture heightened views down the river. In a move to create complete separation there is a one quadrant roof top office with surrounding roof top garden space. The rooftop office is accessed through a unique approach by exiting onto a steel grated staircase which wraps up the exterior facade of the house. This experience provides an additional retreat within their weekend getaway, and serves as the apex of the house where one can completely enjoy the views of Lake Erie disappearing over the horizon. Visually the house extends into the riverside site, but the four quadrant axis also physically extends creating a series of experiences out on the property. The Northeast kitchen quadrant extends out to become an exterior kitchen & dining space. The two-story Northwest living room quadrant extends out to a series of wrap around steps and lounge seating. A fire pit sits in this quadrant as well farther out in the lawn. A fruit and vegetable garden sits out in the Southwest quadrant in near proximity to the shed, and the entry sequence is contained within the Southeast quadrant extension. Internally and externally the whole house is organized in a simple and concise way and achieves the ultimate goal of creating many different experiences within a rationally sized footprint. Photo: Sergiu Stoian

Joe Fletcher Atop a ridge in the Santa Lucia mountains of Carmel, California, an oak tree stands elevated above the fog and wrapped at its base in this ranch retreat. The weekend home’s design grew around the 100-year-old Valley Oak to form a horseshoe-shaped house that gathers ridgeline views of Oak, Madrone, and Redwood groves at its exterior and nestles around the tree at its center. The home’s orientation offers both the shade of the oak canopy in the courtyard and the sun flowing into the great room at the house’s rear façades. This modern take on a traditional ranch home offers contemporary materials and landscaping to a classic typology. From the main entry in the courtyard, one enters the home’s great room and immediately experiences the dramatic westward views across the 70 foot pool at the house’s rear. In this expansive public area, programmatic needs flow and connect - from the kitchen, whose windows face the courtyard, to the dining room, whose doors slide seamlessly into walls to create an outdoor dining pavilion. The primary circulation axes flank the internal courtyard, anchoring the house to its site and heightening the sense of scale by extending views outward at each of the corridor’s ends. Guest suites, complete with private kitchen and living room, and the garage are housed in auxiliary wings connected to the main house by covered walkways. Building materials including pre-weathered corrugated steel cladding, buff limestone walls, and large aluminum apertures, and the interior palette of cedar-clad ceilings, oil-rubbed steel, and exposed concrete floors soften the modern aesthetics into a refined but rugged ranch home.

A couple wanted a weekend retreat without spending a majority of their getaway in an automobile. Therefore, a lot was purchased along the Rocky River with the vision of creating a nearby escape less than five miles away from their home. This 1,300 sf 24’ x 24’ dwelling is divided into a four square quadrant with the goal to create a variety of interior and exterior experiences while maintaining a rather small footprint. Typically, when going on a weekend retreat one has the drive time to decompress. However, without this, the goal was to create a procession from the car to the house to signify such change of context. This concept was achieved through the use of a wood slatted screen wall which must be passed through. After winding around a collection of poured concrete steps and walls one comes to a wood plank bridge and crosses over a Japanese garden leaving all the stresses of the daily world behind. The house is structured around a nine column steel frame grid, which reinforces the impression one gets of the four quadrants. The two rear quadrants intentionally house enclosed program space but once passed through, the floor plan completely opens to long views down to the mouth of the river into Lake Erie. On the second floor the four square grid is stacked with one quadrant removed for the two story living area on the first floor to capture heightened views down the river. In a move to create complete separation there is a one quadrant roof top office with surrounding roof top garden space. The rooftop office is accessed through a unique approach by exiting onto a steel grated staircase which wraps up the exterior facade of the house. This experience provides an additional retreat within their weekend getaway, and serves as the apex of the house where one can completely enjoy the views of Lake Erie disappearing over the horizon. Visually the house extends into the riverside site, but the four quadrant axis also physically extends creating a series of experiences out on the property. The Northeast kitchen quadrant extends out to become an exterior kitchen & dining space. The two-story Northwest living room quadrant extends out to a series of wrap around steps and lounge seating. A fire pit sits in this quadrant as well farther out in the lawn. A fruit and vegetable garden sits out in the Southwest quadrant in near proximity to the shed, and the entry sequence is contained within the Southeast quadrant extension. Internally and externally the whole house is organized in a simple and concise way and achieves the ultimate goal of creating many different experiences within a rationally sized footprint.

A couple wanted a weekend retreat without spending a majority of their getaway in an automobile. Therefore, a lot was purchased along the Rocky River with the vision of creating a nearby escape less than five miles away from their home. This 1,300 sf 24’ x 24’ dwelling is divided into a four square quadrant with the goal to create a variety of interior and exterior experiences while maintaining a rather small footprint. Typically, when going on a weekend retreat one has the drive time to decompress. However, without this, the goal was to create a procession from the car to the house to signify such change of context. This concept was achieved through the use of a wood slatted screen wall which must be passed through. After winding around a collection of poured concrete steps and walls one comes to a wood plank bridge and crosses over a Japanese garden leaving all the stresses of the daily world behind. The house is structured around a nine column steel frame grid, which reinforces the impression one gets of the four quadrants. The two rear quadrants intentionally house enclosed program space but once passed through, the floor plan completely opens to long views down to the mouth of the river into Lake Erie. On the second floor the four square grid is stacked with one quadrant removed for the two story living area on the first floor to capture heightened views down the river. In a move to create complete separation there is a one quadrant roof top office with surrounding roof top garden space. The rooftop office is accessed through a unique approach by exiting onto a steel grated staircase which wraps up the exterior facade of the house. This experience provides an additional retreat within their weekend getaway, and serves as the apex of the house where one can completely enjoy the views of Lake Erie disappearing over the horizon. Visually the house extends into the riverside site, but the four quadrant axis also physically extends creating a series of experiences out on the property. The Northeast kitchen quadrant extends out to become an exterior kitchen & dining space. The two-story Northwest living room quadrant extends out to a series of wrap around steps and lounge seating. A fire pit sits in this quadrant as well farther out in the lawn. A fruit and vegetable garden sits out in the Southwest quadrant in near proximity to the shed, and the entry sequence is contained within the Southeast quadrant extension. Internally and externally the whole house is organized in a simple and concise way and achieves the ultimate goal of creating many different experiences within a rationally sized footprint.

A couple wanted a weekend retreat without spending a majority of their getaway in an automobile. Therefore, a lot was purchased along the Rocky River with the vision of creating a nearby escape less than five miles away from their home. This 1,300 sf 24’ x 24’ dwelling is divided into a four square quadrant with the goal to create a variety of interior and exterior experiences while maintaining a rather small footprint. Typically, when going on a weekend retreat one has the drive time to decompress. However, without this, the goal was to create a procession from the car to the house to signify such change of context. This concept was achieved through the use of a wood slatted screen wall which must be passed through. After winding around a collection of poured concrete steps and walls one comes to a wood plank bridge and crosses over a Japanese garden leaving all the stresses of the daily world behind. The house is structured around a nine column steel frame grid, which reinforces the impression one gets of the four quadrants. The two rear quadrants intentionally house enclosed program space but once passed through, the floor plan completely opens to long views down to the mouth of the river into Lake Erie. On the second floor the four square grid is stacked with one quadrant removed for the two story living area on the first floor to capture heightened views down the river. In a move to create complete separation there is a one quadrant roof top office with surrounding roof top garden space. The rooftop office is accessed through a unique approach by exiting onto a steel grated staircase which wraps up the exterior facade of the house. This experience provides an additional retreat within their weekend getaway, and serves as the apex of the house where one can completely enjoy the views of Lake Erie disappearing over the horizon. Visually the house extends into the riverside site, but the four quadrant axis also physically extends creating a series of experiences out on the property. The Northeast kitchen quadrant extends out to become an exterior kitchen & dining space. The two-story Northwest living room quadrant extends out to a series of wrap around steps and lounge seating. A fire pit sits in this quadrant as well farther out in the lawn. A fruit and vegetable garden sits out in the Southwest quadrant in near proximity to the shed, and the entry sequence is contained within the Southeast quadrant extension. Internally and externally the whole house is organized in a simple and concise way and achieves the ultimate goal of creating many different experiences within a rationally sized footprint. Photo: Sergiu Stoian

Whon Photography
Large urban underground carpeted staircase photo in Indianapolis with gray walls and no fireplace

A sculptural matte black freestanding tub anchors the space, its curved silhouette contrasting beautifully against the dramatic, veined stone slab behind it. The natural movement in the stone reads almost like a landscape painting, adding depth and quiet intensity to the composition. Two circular wall sconces glow like soft halos, casting warm light across the surface and heightening the moody atmosphere. To the side, backlit frosted glass panels create the illusion of a window, diffusing light through layered botanical silhouettes. Though the greenery is intentionally artificial, the effect is immersive and tranquil, giving the interior wall a sense of openness and calm. A minimalist black tub filler maintains the clean, contemporary language of the space. This primary bathroom soaking area blends artful materiality with architectural restraint, creating a deeply atmospheric retreat designed for restoration and pause. Inside the water closet, a geometric wood feature wall introduces warmth and texture, its repeating pattern adding sculptural interest to what is often a purely functional space. Soft, ambient lighting enhances the dimensional surfaces, creating a cohesive and elevated experience. Beyond the doorway, a glimpse of the dramatic vanity area and sculptural lighting maintains continuity with the rest of the primary bathroom design. Every detail, even within the enclosed water closet, reflects the same intentional, art-forward aesthetic. Functional, private, and visually impactful, this primary bathroom suite balances bold design with refined practicality.

Eichler X-100 Entry: A Threshold Between Architecture and Experience The entry to the Eichler X-100 is not a conventional front door—it’s an intentional transition, a carefully choreographed sequence that shifts you from the outside world into a fully immersive architectural environment. Designed by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons for Joseph Eichler, the entry reflects a core principle of Eichler design: arrival should be felt, not just seen. A Garden Before the Door Rather than approaching a traditional façade, visitors are guided into an entry courtyard—a private, inward-facing space that immediately softens the transition from street to home. This space acts as a buffer, both visually and emotionally, creating a sense of calm and separation. The path is often defined by concrete stepping pads set within planted areas, reinforcing the home’s circular and geometric design language. Movement becomes deliberate—slowed, grounded, and connected to the landscape. Light as a Guide Above, translucent skylights filter natural light into the entry sequence, creating shifting patterns of brightness and shadow throughout the day. This interplay of light transforms the entry into something dynamic—never static, always evolving. Rather than a single moment, the entry unfolds over time. Blurring Interior and Exterior The X-100’s entry challenges the idea of where the home actually begins. With interior gardens visible from the moment you arrive, the boundary between outside and inside becomes intentionally ambiguous. Glass, open sightlines, and planted spaces work together so that by the time you reach the front door, you are already inside the architectural experience. A Compressed-to-Open Reveal True to mid-century modern design principles, the entry creates a subtle sense of compression before release. The approach is quiet and modest—almost understated—before opening into the expansive, light-filled interior beyond. This contrast heightens the impact of arrival, making the interior feel even more dramatic. A Philosophy of Arrival The Eichler X-100 entry is not about grandeur—it’s about intention. It invites you to slow down, to notice light, material, and landscape, and to engage with the home on a deeper level. It’s a reminder that in great architecture, even the act of entering becomes part of the design itself.

Travis Mark
Inspiration for a contemporary straight staircase remodel in New York

HGTV Smart Home 2013 by Glenn Layton Homes, Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
Large island style wooden u-shaped staircase photo in Jacksonville with wooden risers

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Project by Studio H:T principal in charge Brad Tomecek (now with Tomecek Studio Architecture). This project tests the theory of bringing high quality design to a prefabricated factory setting. Enrolled in the LEED-Home Pilot, this residence completed certification. The modular home was conceived as two boxes that slide above one another to create outdoor living space and a lower covered rear entry. The passive solar design invites large amounts of light from the south while minimizing openings to the east and west. Factory construction saves both time and costs while reducing waste and using a controlled labor force. Built in a factory north of Denver, the home arrived by flatbed truck in two pieces and was craned into place in about 4 hours providing a fast, sustainable, cost effective alternative to traditional homebuilding techniques. Upgraded lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, doors, door hardware, windows, tile and bamboo flooring were incorporated into the design. 80% of the residence was completed in the factory in less than 3 weeks and other items were finished on site including the exterior stucco, garage, metal railing and stair. Stack-Slide-Stitch describes the conceptual process of how to tie together two distinct modular boxes. Stack refers to setting one modular directly on top of the other. Slide refers to the action that creates an upper southern deck area while simultaneously providing a covered rear entry area. The stitching or interlocking occurs with the upward extension of the lower volume with the front deck walls and with the rear two story vertical.

Tucked away in the backwoods of Torch Lake, this home marries “rustic” with the sleek elegance of modern. The combination of wood, stone and metal textures embrace the charm of a classic farmhouse. Although this is not your average farmhouse. The home is outfitted with a high performing system that seamlessly works with the design and architecture. The tall ceilings and windows allow ample natural light into the main room. Spire Integrated Systems installed Lutron QS Wireless motorized shades paired with Hartmann & Forbes windowcovers to offer privacy and block harsh light. The custom 18′ windowcover’s woven natural fabric complements the organic esthetics of the room. The shades are artfully concealed in the millwork when not in use. Spire installed B&W in-ceiling speakers and Sonance invisible in-wall speakers to deliver ambient music that emanates throughout the space with no visual footprint. Spire also installed a Sonance Landscape Audio System so the homeowner can enjoy music outside. Each system is easily controlled using Savant. Spire personalized the settings to the homeowner’s preference making controlling the home efficient and convenient.

Minimalist staircase photo in Seattle

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Peter Clarke
Staircase - small contemporary metal straight metal railing staircase idea in Melbourne with metal risers

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Exterior, brick, lime, limewash, painted brick, architectural finish