Hollin Hills
Alexandria, Virginia
The Residential Issue of Landscape Architect & Specifier News saw many firms submit their projects for feature consideration. This project was not chosen for a Feature in the issue, but we at LandscapeArchitect.com thought the project deserved to be showcased online . . .
The clients of this Charles Goodman house envisioned a midcentury garden similar to those that accompany Eichler houses in Southern California. Fulfilling that vision in an East Coast climate is more challenging - hot humid summers and cold winters limit plant selections and make large format, concrete pavers less practical. Instead, the landscape architecture team focused on thermal bluestone pavers in a stacked bond pattern and board form concrete walls as materials that are sympathetic to this design style.
Goodman houses also pose a circulation challenge. They often are set at an angle to the lot, creating smaller, triangular 'back yards' and front doors that are not immediately identifiable. In this instance, the logical spot for gathering was the courtyard space formed by the original house, the breezeway that connects to the addition, and the addition itself, which is an added challenge as the primary suite. The clients wanted to create a gathering spot that took advantage of the space behind their bedroom but did not necessarily invite lounging in those areas too close to their private spaces.
The design team responded by creating a long but narrow paved column that runs through the breezeway from the front and back gardens. The space behind the primary suite is paved with gravel and planted with a quintet of trees. For small gatherings, the gravel garden is a beautiful, sculptural element. For larger events, it is available space for additional furnishings.
The planting emphasized broad-leaved evergreens and textural herbaceous plants, in addition to the native hornbeam copse. Species include magnolia, holly, aucuba, various ferns, equisetum, and hellebore. Pyracantha, with its brilliant orange berries, is planted on a Jakob trellis system on the original CMU wall of the main house.
Hollin Hills won a Merit Award from Home & Design's Design Excellence Awards in 2022.
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