Rossen Landscape, based in Great Falls, Virginia, was tasked with creating a space for major entertaining. The end result was a sleek, modern outdoor living space.
On top of winning a Silver Award of Excellence for the overall project, Rossen Landscape also received an Exceptional Feature Award for the outdoor lighting complimenting the stonework.
Previously, the backyard was unusable due to a hill and parts of the lawn would remain wet. The clients held multiple fundraisers yearly but it was difficult to host anyone without any level space.
The topography of the site was the most challenging aspect of the project. Over 9 feet of grade was over the pool and another 12 feet dropped towards the opposite end of the house.
To craft usable spaces for the homeowner, the Rossen team added a series of retaining walls, boulders and stepped patios that led from one area to the next. The retaining walls also helped create separate ‘rooms’ for guests to enjoy.
These parties feature anywhere from 50 to 100 guests, so the retaining walls pulled double-duty as additional seating.
The existing deck was narrow, and the screen room attached to the house didn’t offer a lot of flow from the kitchen to the rest of the yard. The new design uses the house as a background, and the screen room was modified with a phantom screen on both sides leaving the space open to all sides of the yard.
Also, a galley counter kitchen keeps the pathway open for flow and accessibility to all areas. Rossen Landscape also included a cantilevered pergola to keep a large open area where tables can be moved around.
Rossen Landscape worked with a civil engineer to design the country-required drainage to be a containment system instead of a trench. This freed up additional space and allowed them to keep a running track of turf around the pool for the family dog, per the client’s request.
Throughout the project, the outdoor lighting is strategically placed to extend the usability of the space and highlight the linear design of the project.
This article was published in the Jan/Feb issue of the magazine. To read more stories from The Edge magazine, click here to subscribe to the digital edition.
Interested in participating in the Awards of Excellence? Be sure to enter your projects when entries open in early 2025.
