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In the recent
past we undertook a very complex and multi-dimensional
landscaping project in River Oaks that involved the
replacement of an old
outdoor kitchen with a new landscape arbor. This new
structure was very technically and aesthetically unique in
several different ways. To start with, it was not made of cedar
as are many landscaping arbors. Rather, it was constructed
entirely of pressure-treated, rough cut pine that was stained to
look like cedar. The advantage of using pine lay in the both the
lower cost and in the longevity of the wood—up to thirty years.
The landscape arbor was built for comfort. We installed fans
and lights so that it could be enjoyed by the occupants at any
time of day or night. This created a challenge from an aesthetic
perspective, however. When installing anything electronic in a
landscaping arbor, most contractors have to run conduits up the
sides of the beams. This detracts from the appearance of the
structure, and was something that we wanted to avoid in our
project.
There was no easy way to work around this, however, simply
because the wires themselves had to be run through interiors of
the beams in the arbor. Because they could not be wired in this
fashion after the fact, what we had to ultimately do was erect
the beams and joints, notch each one individually, and then take
them down to run the wires through. Not only did this enable us
to conceal the wires, but it also added considerable strength
and stability to the arbor itself. After the landscape arbor
was reassembled, the routed areas were then covered with wood
and the wires were completely hidden from view. Lighting
controls were installed in the interior bottom portions of the
beams, where they would not be seen by anyone but the person
operating them.
The importance of taking these extra steps in the arbor’s
construction cannot be overemphasized. While it was considerably
more labor intensive—and thus more expensive—it was an
investment that the homeowners insisted on making. The elegance
of the wireless design contributes to the visual effect of the
arbor rising from the landscape’s background vegetation like a
natural form in its own right. The beams were also slightly
arched to compliment the arc of the pool, and the entire arbor
was backed by a yew hedge that provided a silhouetted of green
just behind the structure.
 Finally, to fully complete the unity of the arbor with the
surrounding landscape in both actuality as well as appearance we
also made OGEE custom cuts in the beams to allow for a pathway
for vines to grow up the sides. In the years to come, the vines
will intertwine with the arbor beams, completing the sense that
the arbor is a part of the green landscape that sprung from the
ground as if the earth itself had somehow conceived of a perfect
outdoor structure for man.
At night, the arbor dominates the landscape without overpowering
it. A ceiling fan in the top of the structure keeps the interior
cool even on the hottest Texas summer nights. Down lights on
either end spot light urns on either side of the arbor, linking
it visually to the pool in front. In the back, mercury vapor up
lights illuminate the Japanese yew, blending the colors of wood
and greenery together in the ambient mystique of emulated
moonlight.
If you are
interested in any high-quality landscape services,
Exterior Worlds has
been providing the high-end
residential landscape services and garden design services
discussed above for the Houston and the surrounding areas
including memorial villages (Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill
Village, Hunter Creek Village), Tanglewood, River Oaks, West
University and the greater Houston (Hou), area since 1987.
Contact us at 713-827-2255
For more the 20 years
Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's
fine neighborhoods.
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