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Exterior Worlds
was recently involved in collaboration with renowned
Houston architect Gary
Chandler.
Mr. Chandler was hired to remodel a home for a resident who
spent considerable time entertaining business clients at his
residents. The new space was intended to function as a dining
terrace and lounging for clients.
Mr. Chandler designed this terrace as a grotto with a
distinctively classical tone.
It consisted of the dining space itself, a fireplace, and
seating areas. Exterior Worlds was contracted to develop the
surrounding outdoor space with a landscape and garden design
that would support the vision and structure of the grotto.
The primary support element we created was a garden.
Its design was abstract, being characterized by only a few
elements distinguished by very simple forms. Gravel was used
profusely throughout in order to provide plenty of walking
space. Vegetation was kept to a minimum to ensure
low maintenance.
Antiques were then placed in the garden as decorative focal
points. This created a color scheme that alternately
complimented and contrasted that of the grotto. To ensure the
privacy of visiting clients, we screened the garden off from the
neighboring residence by planting an alley of trees.
The near side of the alley functions as a walkway that provides
visiting guests with a sweeping tour of the garden. The backside
of the trees presents an attractive, albeit impenetrable screen
that prevents anyone outside the property from looking into its
interior.
Our team further developed the landscape as a whole by
planting a backdrop of trees.
These trees, when illuminated with artificial moonlight, created
silhouettes that bathed the surrounding yard, and the garden
within it, in an ambient blend of light and shadow.
Transition in and out of space was another important support
element in this project.
In order for guests to comfortably enjoy the dining area, and
then move with ease into the landscape at will, it was necessary
to create simple and inviting transition areas. We decided that
gravel would be the best material to use in building pathways
through the garden.
We based this on several factors. Gravel has a Zen-like quality
to it that makes it very calming to the mind. Guests walking
through the garden in the evening would feel more relaxed and
comfortable discussing business.
The aesthetic of gravel is also a curious blend of classical and
modern tones, so it is the ideal complement to anything with
classical architectural elements. It is also an excellent
material to use for planting trees in the hardscape because it
facilitates irrigation and drainage. One of the pathways we
built in this project, in fact, doubled as a concealed drain.
Additional visual interest was created with sculpture and
dwarf mondo mounds.
The irregularity of green forms and pottery contrasted with the
rectilinear forms of the classical hardscape. When viewed in its
entirety, the final scene took on the dimensions of a painting.
Landscape lighting was done by a partner company,
Illuminations
Lighting and Design.
ILD uplit the trees and feature lit the sculptures. They also
created functional, artificial moonlight with mercury vapor tree
lamps. Transition spaces throughout the property were
illuminated with path lighting.
Since 1987,
Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's
fine neighborhoods.
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