Just as a residential architect must be aware of the integrity of a home’s foundation, the landscape architect must be concerned with the integrity of the land that the home’s foundation will rest upon. When we are simultaneously engaged at the beginning of the project with the residential architect, the client can rest assured that the structural planning and construction of their home will remain sound for a very long time to come. 

In this project, Pat Ford was the architect, and David Cadwalader was the interior designer. We set all the grades in establishing what is known as the “finished floor of the house.” Often builders will overlook this critical step in pre-construction planning and cause expensive problems to emerge later after the home is completed. For example, when grades are set to too high or too low in the front, it affects the grades and outcomes in the rear. Without having a comprehensive plan and a clear understanding of these grades and elevations, opportunities are lost for connectivity to the gardens and access to the property. Additionally, it can create costs for retaining walls and other mitigation efforts that might well be avoided if the property was set on the correct finished floor from the outset. 

While it is apparent from the photo that the outcome of this home was quite beautiful, it is important to note the process that we went through to get to this point. For two years, we had weekly production meetings from the day it began until the day the last pansy was planted. Most clients want to participate in these meetings, which we welcome. What the client gets with this level of attention is an exterior that is as beautiful as they had imagined and managed with a minimum of cost overruns.