INSPIRE
HOME SWEET HOME HJT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
HJT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS CREATES AN OUTDOOR OASIS IN SUGAR LAND, TEXAS
F
or a big family just southwest of Houston, Heath Thibodeaux designed an enticing and livable outdoor space totaling 7,500 square feet. Architect Paul Brow was working with the family on a major home renovation in a high-end subdivision and asked HJT Landscape Architects to design a backyard retreat to complement his work. “My first step is always a fact-finding mission to determine how my clients like to live,” says Heath. “Our client has five children, from elementary school to high school, and she wanted a yard not just to entertain but draw them outside. The end result is a garden that is lived in, not just seen from the curb.” Heath looks at his projects as a sequence of spaces, considering the context of the home and the surrounding architecture. Once a loose diagram is complete with the client’s vision, Heath dives into the details.
“Not only are we creating space but also giving subtle cues as to how these spaces should be approached, moved through and used,” he says. To invite the homeowners into the backyard, Heath created a step down from the house into the garden, a small gesture that helps define the space.
THE END RESULT IS A GARDEN THAT IS LIVED IN, NOT JUST SEEN FROM THE CURB “Whether it’s a grand lawn, pool garden or an approach through a side garden, we should always understand the value that these spaces add to the property as a whole and to the client’s experience—not an inch should go
34 Pro Landscaper USA South July/August 2021
unconsidered,” says Heath. From there, he puts the initial concepts into a context where the contractor can price it. “Until that point, it’s all roses and cherries and the client loves everything,” jests Heath. “But before we move forward we have to talk price. It’s time for reality.” For this job, Heath worked with AP Builders who was already on site for the house renovation, to work on the hardscaping. Heath says the job of a landscape architect is to see everything the client may not even notice—the sun, prevailing winds, drainage patterns, existing vegetation and soils. “There are a lot of numbers involved in making sure the things are correct,” he says. “The layout, various heights, property elevation, amount of planting and rock. My job is to make sure everything is done correctly.” Heath likes to start with the hardscape and then determine the best plant material to
south.prolandscaperusa.com
