A flat, buildable lot without significant trees or an existing home to seek demolition approvals for in this established Wellesley neighborhood is rare and valuable. Despite the existing yard’s limited character and almost non-existent ecological function, the property was perfect for this family: an accomplished couple with two sports-loving children and a lovable Labradoodle named Louie. The parcel was minutes from schools, work, family and friends, and the blank slate presented endless opportunities to design and build the ultimate dream home filled with many luxuriant amenities. Given the parcel’s suburban context, they desired a masterplan that successfully blended the modern architectural forms with an expressive landscape that nestled the property into context. In short, the active family envisioned a vibrant lifestyle that blurred the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living, and gardens that felt artful and alive.

Strict design, zoning, and stormwater management bylaws guided by Wellesley’s rigorous Large House Review permitting process helped minimize the impacts of the new home on its surroundings. Despite being only a few hundred square feet over the minimum LHR requirements, the clients chose to commit to the rigorous permitting process which drove building scale, lighting, open space, landscape preservation, drainage, and site circulation strategies for the whole design team. As a result, the new buildings (primary home and accessory structure) are positioned to prioritize as much sun-filled open space as possible. A single curb-cut, new asphalt driveway, and parking court are modestly scaled to allow safe access in and out of the property. Fine grading efforts direct stormwater into a subterranean drainage system without giving the landscape an “engineered” appearance. The site’s modest changes in grade encourage the use of vegetation to shape a multi-seasonal sense of place.

The planting design is structured in its organization, but looser and lusher than a traditional landscape that may be found elsewhere in the neighborhood. Durable native and drought-resistant plantings conserve water and nourish wildlife. A new River Birch allée composed of single-trunked specimens creates an elegant vegetative threshold between the street and private domestic areas of the property. The shade beneath their canopies creates the perfect environment for colonies of viburnum, fothergilla, and fragrant sumac, underplanted by robust, textured carpets of carex, hakonechloa, and tiarella. The second floor of the home overlooks a sedum roof, and the birch canopies form a leafy green barrier to the streetscape below. Masses of hydrangea and lilac, the client’s favorites, create scale and soften the building’s edges. Many thoughtful screening and buffering strategies that utilize deciduous and evergreen plants exhibiting a wide array of multi-seasonal characteristics are incorporated into the site’s perimeter.

Gathering spaces and activity zones are positioned in the heart of the property, and linear stonework patterns that accommodate gatherings at many scales complement the structured architecture. An inviting bluestone staircase and walkway guides guests to the front door, and a single vertical step connects the home and garden on multiple sides. A new stone path forms a crisp edge between an organically maintained activity lawn and loose, bird and pollinator attracting buffer plantings along the street edge. The accessory sports barn forms an internal courtyard where a gas fire table and BBQ are positioned for convenience and function. To the south of the structure stands a spacious and inviting sports court surrounded by western red cedars; the active family spends endless hours together outdoors. The modern home fits elegantly and artfully into the surrounding neighborhood, and the family’s connection to their yard is enhanced by enduring masses of durable plants that provide rewarding displays of multi-seasonal color and structure all year-round.

Collaborators: Curl – Simitis Architecture + Design, David Walsh Builders, Phil Mastroianni Landscape Construction, Studio H Design, Karyn Millet Photography

2020 International Gold Award from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers