OUR SPANISH RETREAT

Hello!

First of all, this was a very beautiful and challenging site.

I had lots of ideas and found it very difficult to settle for one … So I blended in a few concepts in such way that the project is flexible, allowing changes without losing its identity. For example the passage way, linking the house and the garage, may be transformed in a covered walkway, or even just a simple bridge ad the house could keep its other characteristics. The screened porch may be closed with windows, but I thought it would be nice to hear the nature so I only put a light wood bris-soleil. Pergola acts as a view filter from the north and helps define the inner court space, and could be replaced with vegetation alignments.

A big challenge is the driveway because, from the survey provided, from the lowest point on the road (925.7) to the minimum building level (918) there is a 8' drop. That is way I started the driveway from the lowest point on the road.

Regarding the landscape and the solutions for acquiring more visual privacy, I proposed fast growing, easy maintenance, shrubs and trees. Before deciding which trees would be kept, a detailed survey of the tree types and their health would be needed.
In the landscape there are a few anchor points, the entrance with a evergreen, conifer cluster garden, the fern and boulder creek area, the colorful inner court yard. Adding climbing evergreen honeysuckle to parts of the walls and pillars would not only improve visually but, with their sweet perfume would greatly add to the houses identity.
Thank you!