Project Description
One wouldn’t expect to find such a contemporary home in Georgetown. The design was to follow the minimalist design of the home. The client wanted a patio that could be used for sunning or dining, a spa for two, lawn for the dog and privacy from the alley behind. The garage was a very dominant feature and would need to played down. The space was very limited. A cubist design style was chosen and the patio spaces a large square place at a 45 degree angle to create triangular planting pockets. The lawn panel would mimic this shape and would be framed with flagstone to create an equally strong design element. The fence became an extension of the garage creating a walled garden.Plantings was chosen more for their architectural form, color and texture then for their seasonal characteristics. To complete the goal for privacy the neighbors were solicited to allow us to plant in their yards. A grove of four cherries frame the garage and screen the ally. A grove of three single stem birches block the view of the neighbors from the upper level terrace.

Problems and Challenges:
Construction of this Washington, D.C. property started off as difficult as they come. The garage was an existing structure and prohibited access to the backyard. Access to the property was granted by the neighbor for exchange for the landscaping of their yard. As the existing soil was extremely compacted from the construction, the top two feet of soil was removed and replace it with a well amended soil. A 1’ retaining was necessary on the east side of the property to create a level garden. This wall also allowed us to redirect the water from the neighboring property to the alley.  To keep the design simple 5’X5’ flagstone would need to be craned in. A spa was installed into the patio and adjacent to the lower level lanai. In order to accomplish this, a masonry vault was constructed with drain system that tied into the homes sewer lines. Stainless steel access panel doors were installed in the existing wall to allow for access to the spas operating system.