2012 NJASLA Design Award

The property located in the Hop Brook Valley in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts consist of 500 acres of woods, streams, ponds, meadow, lawn and several buildings.  The design encompassed creating a natural landscape setting surrounding the house that would complement the architecture and respect the natural topography and hydrology of the valley.    We were also required to provide extensive wetland mitigation with selections of native riparian plantings along the pond. A series of gardens wrap around the back of the house terraced into the hill.  Following around the master suite garden down a stone stair, we designed a new spa set into the slope just a short walk from a backyard entrance of the house.  The spa area, set into the hillside is approached from the house with a fieldstone path.  Rocks and boulders were selected from wooded areas of the property to blend in with the spa and stone coping and is surrounded with lush new woodland plantings including ferns, mountain laurels, pines, hemlocks and birches.