Hardscape Design

A recent project that we did for the Friedman family demonstrates just how important hardscape design and variation of grade changes are to creating zones of interest and comfort in a vast Houston landscape. The size of the home and the property at large demanded that outdoor elements be very large as well. For example, the pool patio alone had to be 2,000 square foot to compliment the size of the house and to provide sufficient space to entertain an average of 40-50 people.

We decided we could break up the sense of an overwhelming structure by creating three changes in elevation. These grade changes were the pool patio itself, an upper terrace between the pool fountain and the spa adjoined to the outdoor kitchen, and an arbor overlooking the Houston landscape from a vantage point above.

We built the pool patio out of Pennsylvania blue stone and provided a nice dark surface area that set the gathering area apart from the surrounding vegetation. It featured custom drains and special water jets that sent water into the lighted depths of the pool at night. The stairs leading up to the terrace are broad and wide, and they create a feeling of a very gradual, gentle ascent to a higher realm where one can view the surrounding Houston landscape from the comfort of a rocking chair, or the sheik luxury of a heated spa sunk into the terrace.

The upper terrace was also constructed using Pennsylvania sandstone. It is also the first entry point for guests when they enter open space. It gives them a choice between the spa and the arbor above. Rocking chairs position the viewer for panoramic visual intake of the Houston landscape, swimming pool, and parterre garden. A retaining wall that rises behind the terrace aesthetically frames it and adds emphasis to its border. It also functions on a practical level to hold back the soil and the grade.

Perched above both the terrace and the pool, we built a traditional style arbor built with ornate columns and a solid roof, built in the style of a luxurious outdoor living room, and overlooking the entirety of the pool, the garden, and the Houston landscape beyond. In many respects, this was the grand finale to the Friedman project. It is built on an axis with the pool and provides us with as an entry point to the upper terrace through a series of steps very similar to those built along either side of the pool waterfall. Each two-inch step is built upon a concrete base hidden in the grass, with veneered sandstone risers and treads. Each top stone is flat and thermal finished.

The treads are also constructed with a very rich tread to prevent slippage. They are gauged at 18 inches in width to give you a generous step and uniform descent to the terrace. This reinforces the feeling of controlled drama that you feel when you walk out into the open space of the Friedman back yard, and it helps pause the visitor just long enough to make choices as to where to go next.

Climbing the steps creates an even greater sense of grand finale, because the arbor itself is decorated as an outdoor living room overlooking the Houston landscape, complete and living room furniture overlooking. The rear of the arbor is covered by a group of Japanese yew trees that create an organic wall and frame the Houston outdoor living experience with a sense of controlled vitality.