The walk-out basement of this home originally constructed in the 1860’s had always been in use as an apartment, but the home was structurally sagging and in need of stabilization starting from the foundation on up. We needed to gut the basement to expose the structure to strengthen, shore up, jack up and stabilize the building. Seeing the basement in the demo’d state, exposed down to the dirt, was a horrifying and scary moment for our clients, but it was necessary. Sometimes, it’s just gotta look worse before it gets better! And now that it’s all put back together, it looks as good as new!

CORE Gravel, permeable, accessible and stable gravel patio
Deck - coastal side yard ground level deck idea in Vancouver

This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Minneapolis.

Market Center Station Grass Pave Fire Lane Kansas City, Kansas. A grass pave project designed by AMR Architects Inc out of Little Rock, Arkansas and developed by Houston-based The Morgan Group Inc., Market Station is the largest new construction project erected in Downtown Kansas City since Quality Hill in 1984. AirPave was chosen as the solution for porous flexible paving in the 7,100 square foot grass pave fire lane. AirPave is a synthetic porous paving and drainage system for grass fire lanes, flexible porous paving and swales. With over 400 installations AirPave is 233psi unfilled, 6747psi sand filled and is made of 100% recycled content which can contribute to LEED™ points. AirPave can ship more than 91,000 sqft per truck load and 798 sqft per pallet with each part weighing only 3.1 lbs. AirPave can save the owner up to $0.80 per square foot or more over our competitors. Benefits of an AirPave Grass Paving System Include: Incredible load bearing strength Protects plant root systems Slows stormwater runoff Filters stormwater pollutants Captures airborne dust and pollutants Safely consumes moderate engine oil drippings Reduces uncomfortably hot surface temperature Increased oxygen production Reduces or eliminates costly stormwater structures Applications Overflow Parking Fire lanes Event Parking Driveways Employee Parking Utility Access On-street Parking Pedestrian Access Handicap Parking Emergency Access Infiltration Basins To discuss your grass pave construction project, call AirField Systems at (405) 359-3775.

Island style home design photo in Vancouver

susan teare,
Inspiration for a transitional landscaping in Other.

GAIA ENGINEERED SOLID POLYMER CORE COMPOSITE (eSPC) - BLACK SERIES Multi-ply eSPC features the best quality of embossing with depth and definition that is state of the art. The level of definition and quality in the texture and laser aligned film makes this the most realistic luxury synthetic floor to date and it's proprietary composition is industry leading. Gaia Engineered Multi-ply Solid Polymer Core Composite (eSPC) combines advantages of both SPC and new engineered Multi-ply luxury With IXPE cushioned backing, Gaia eSPC provides: a quieter, warmer vinyl flooring and, surpasses luxury standards for multilevel estates. Waterproof and guaranteed in all rooms in your home and all regular commercial environments. UV Cured Ceramic Bead Finish With Stain Resistance This protective finish is a UV cured ceramic bead finish that is scratch resistant and stain resistant. Wear Layer at 0.5mm/20mil Thickness This wear layer is 20 mil to ensure longevity and residential and commercial environments. Laser-Aligned High Definition Film With Realistic Texture The decorative film has multi-layer depth in color to provide a similar realism to real wood. Stabilizing eSPC Layer This SPC component layer is a proprietary composition to maintain the benefits of an SPC but provide stability necessary on a thick plank. High Density Skeleton Core This core provides luxury thermal and luxury sound insulation with a high tensile strength. The bone structure keeps insulating pockets strong and light. Balancing Solid Polymer Layer This is a proprietary composition layer that combined with the SPC component layer provides leading waterproof stability for a 10mm product. High Density IXPE Antimicrobial Underlayment The underlayment is a high density antimicrobial virgin vinyl padding to provide warmth and a luxury feel.

GAIA ENGINEERED SOLID POLYMER CORE COMPOSITE (eSPC) - BLACK SERIES Multi-ply eSPC features the best quality of embossing with depth and definition that is state of the art. The level of definition and quality in the texture and laser aligned film makes this the most realistic luxury synthetic floor to date and it's proprietary composition is industry leading. Gaia Engineered Multi-ply Solid Polymer Core Composite (eSPC) combines advantages of both SPC and new engineered Multi-ply luxury With IXPE cushioned backing, Gaia eSPC provides: a quieter, warmer vinyl flooring and, surpasses luxury standards for multilevel estates. Waterproof and guaranteed in all rooms in your home and all regular commercial environments. UV Cured Ceramic Bead Finish With Stain Resistance This protective finish is a UV cured ceramic bead finish that is scratch resistant and stain resistant. Wear Layer at 0.5mm/20mil Thickness This wear layer is 20 mil to ensure longevity and residential and commercial environments. Laser-Aligned High Definition Film With Realistic Texture The decorative film has multi-layer depth in color to provide a similar realism to real wood. Stabilizing eSPC Layer This SPC component layer is a proprietary composition to maintain the benefits of an SPC but provide stability necessary on a thick plank. High Density Skeleton Core This core provides luxury thermal and luxury sound insulation with a high tensile strength. The bone structure keeps insulating pockets strong and light. Balancing Solid Polymer Layer This is a proprietary composition layer that combined with the SPC component layer provides leading waterproof stability for a 10mm product. High Density IXPE Antimicrobial Underlayment The underlayment is a high density antimicrobial virgin vinyl padding to provide warmth and a luxury feel.

Flagstone walkways in stabilized DG--decomposed granite and a unique emblem made of river rocks with a gravel symbol in the center.

Over the years, the deck of this large executive home had been slowly pulling away from the house. Many of the 2 ft. x 2 ft. masonry support piers had begun to sink and lean in various directions. Unfortunately, the problem wasn’t isolated to just the deck support columns. An inspection of the columns supporting the adjacent Sunroom confirmed that the same structural failures were occurring to all of them. An excavation of one of the piers and its concrete footer revealed that the Sunroom and half of the Deck columns had been built on soil fill, and were slowly sinking and tilting away from the house. The only permanent solution to keep the Deck and Sunroom from collapsing was to replace the piers and the underlying footers. The Sunroom and a portion of the Deck were jacked up and supported by wooden cribs until new 2 ft. x 2ft. solid masonry columns could be built to replace the failed ones. In order to create enough bearing support under the footers, galvanized steel helical screws were driven under each column footer to an average depth of 26 feet. Concrete footers were poured on top of the screws, and each footer was tied into the adjacent footer and eventually back into the foundation of the home by a series of stabilizing rebar and concrete cross-tie footers. Once all 14 of the failed columns were rebuilt, the Sunroom was lowered onto the new support piers. A new deck was built to replace the compromised section, and the rest of the original decking and railings were removed and replaced. After the new wood had been acclimated to weather for several months and allowed to dry out and stabilize, the deck and railings were stained and sealed.

This is an example of a tropical landscaping.

Inspiration for a shabby-chic style deck remodel in Vancouver

susan teare,
Design ideas for a transitional landscaping in Other.

Located on a steep hill above downtown Ventura, this modern Spanish house features panoramic views of town with the ocean and Channel Islands beyond. While the views are amazing from a large front deck, the steep slope presented some constraints on the landscape design. Although the property is about a third-of-an-acre, the only useable and open garden space is a small (about 500 square feet) area to the West of the house. The house sits at the back of the property, and another steep hill on the neighboring property behind is held back by a tall retaining wall, leaving just enough room for a narrow, hardscaped patio in the back yard. Bright plantings along the back of the property delineate the home from the neighboring property, and we chose plantings to help stabilize the soil and further develop the Spanish garden look while creating a lush, inviting feel. Additionally, we added 52 pieces of pottery to soften and add interest to the back garden and patio areas. Succulents, herbs, and California natives fill the pottery along with bright, sweet-smelling, tropical-looking, and climate-appropriate plants. Slope stabilization was paramount for the front hill. Beyond that, finding plants that would thrive on the steep slope was the next obstacle. Finally, the aesthetics could be addressed, and we worked to find plants that meshed with the architecture—blending plants with white and orange to play off the red-tiled roofs and white-plastered walls that are emblematic of the Spanish style of this house as well as the predominate style of the neighborhood. The flattish area to the West was designed with the idea of creating a contemporary take on the parterre garden. Reminiscent of Mediterranean gardens, this vegetable and herb garden substitutes formal hedges with formal Corten steel planters to honor the modern Spanish architecture of the house. The citrus, herbs, and vegetables serve the foodie clients well.

A detailed view of creekside rocks adorned with native plants, some blooming with vibrant purple flowers. The plants growing directly on and around the existing rocks help stabilize the soil while enhancing the natural beauty and ecological health of the creekside environment.

susan teare,
Photo of a transitional landscaping in Other.

Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Los Angeles.

Located on a steep hill above downtown Ventura, this modern Spanish house features panoramic views of town with the ocean and Channel Islands beyond. While the views are amazing from a large front deck, the steep slope presented some constraints on the landscape design. Although the property is about a third-of-an-acre, the only useable and open garden space is a small (about 500 square feet) area to the West of the house. The house sits at the back of the property, and another steep hill on the neighboring property behind is held back by a tall retaining wall, leaving just enough room for a narrow, hardscaped patio in the back yard. Bright plantings along the back of the property delineate the home from the neighboring property, and we chose plantings to help stabilize the soil and further develop the Spanish garden look while creating a lush, inviting feel. Additionally, we added 52 pieces of pottery to soften and add interest to the back garden and patio areas. Succulents, herbs, and California natives fill the pottery along with bright, sweet-smelling, tropical-looking, and climate-appropriate plants. Slope stabilization was paramount for the front hill. Beyond that, finding plants that would thrive on the steep slope was the next obstacle. Finally, the aesthetics could be addressed, and we worked to find plants that meshed with the architecture—blending plants with white and orange to play off the red-tiled roofs and white-plastered walls that are emblematic of the Spanish style of this house as well as the predominate style of the neighborhood. The flattish area to the West was designed with the idea of creating a contemporary take on the parterre garden. Reminiscent of Mediterranean gardens, this vegetable and herb garden substitutes formal hedges with formal Corten steel planters to honor the modern Spanish architecture of the house. The citrus, herbs, and vegetables serve the foodie clients well.

Tropical exterior home idea in Vancouver