Excellence in Landscape Judges’ Award Scott Byron & Co. — A Lakefront Retreat

A Lakefront Retreat

by Heather Prince

When clients purchased this property in

Glencoe on a busy road, they desired a private retreat on their new piece of Lake Michigan bluff and were inspired by seven existing mature oak trees. They tore down the existing house and built a modern contemporary home, hiring Scott Byron & Co., Inc. at the beginning of the process to ensure the landscape meshed seamlessly with the home. We spoke with Stan Seianas, landscape architect; Ethan Lindsay, client relations manager; Tony Wendt, production manager; and Maurilio Zamora, field manager to explore the development of this wooded retreat on a very special part of the lakefront. Designed in 2013, installed in 2014 and completed in 2016, Scott Byron has continued to maintain the property.

Start at the beginning

Among the client needs identified were a new driveway approach linking the home and road that also included a paved courtyard for offstreet guest parking. Privacy from the busy street was important. Surrounding the home in a garden setting with pathways that allowed for free movement between the different areas was also a priority. “We have a process with our clients to develop a design program so that we can monitor and record the needs that the clients have at the outset as well as the style of the home, challenges on the site, etc.,” stated Seianas. “Some of the things we first identified were straightforward. We needed to rebuild the steps and the walls along the path to the bluff to make them safe. We wanted to reuse some of their existing wall stone and flagstone, removing some of the old timbers that were quite dangerous, and giving it a fresh look. We also wanted to remove some of the brush and the scrub from the bluff, but only as necessary. The goal was to work with the qualities of the site and add our aesthetic to it. The client also wanted to utilize

Preconstruction—

the most important vista of Lake Michigan by having both a midway point or an observation area, but then also have a place of destination at the shoreline.”

The Scott Byron team was involved from the initial planning stages. This allowed necessary drainage work to take place during the home’s construction so that stormwater management was interconnected to the structure. Because this is a large suburban lot that sits high on a bluff, water management was a top priority. “The drainage along the slope was uncertain. We wanted to make sure whatever we were building was not going to continue to erode the bluff, but direct water to its natural flow and relieve some of the pressure that water built behind the bluff’s retaining walls,” commented Seianas. “It’s a moving earth. We had to include a structural engineer to develop this project.” Lindsay added, “We included (continued on page 32)

(continued from page 30) irrigation to keep proper moisture at the top of the bluff to support the conditions there. We have to be careful, though, with our changing climate it seems we have so much water during the early part of the spring. We have to really keep on top of, from a maintenance perspective, managing irrigation and managing stormwater drainage. We have to monitor how that is affecting the bluff. Tony and I put together a drainage plan, and among other projects we installed a dry basin at the top of the bluff just to help slow down the velocity of stormwater.” Wendt oversaw the site management and shared, “When we came on site, we started with the drainage to get it connected. They were stuccoing the house at the time and we needed to work with the other subcontractors to access what we needed. We started work on the front perimeter, the rear southeast side and along the bluff, wherever the building contractors weren’t working. It was a great job, but when there’s other subcontractors involved you have to learn to work together and move things around so you don’t get in each other’s way.”

Another construction challenge was the mature oak trees. “We fenced them off and made sure the other subcontractors stayed out of the area and no one could park there. We babysat those trees. The clients’ whole focus was those beautiful oaks. They made it through and the client loves them,” remembered Wendt. Lindsay added, ““We’re dealing with large oaks that need a lot of moisture underplanted with pachysandra that sometimes in that competition will suffer. We’re constantly adjusting to find the right recipe of water so that we’re not floating one thing or drying out another.” Working on a confined lot on a busy road presented its own challenges, as well. “Parking and access were difficult at times. It was on a busy road in Glencoe and there’s not much room to maneuver and get heavy equipment in. Plus neighbors kept a very watchful eye on any vehicles out of compliance,” commented Lindsay.

Today, the maturing evergreens, shrubs, and trees offer a backdrop of rich green layers that wrap the house offering privacy and serenity. Several varieties of hydrangea including Tardiva, Little Lime, Annabelle, and oakleaf provide long-blooming sweeps of white flowers. Clipped boxwoods offer structure tucked in among the flagstone retaining walls as layers of perennials provide months of color and texture. Serviceberries anchor the courtyard and offer sprays of silvery white flowers in spring (continued on page 34)

(continued from page 32) followed by vivid orange fall color. Bluestone stepper paths arc softly around the home encouraging the homeowners and visitors to slow down and savor the journey. Pachysandra, hosta, and astilbe soften the walkways and beds. Splashes of burgundy are artfully incorporated with specimen Japanese maples. “We used vernal witchhazel, too, which is a native and Norway spruces to screen from the road. We wanted to keep the feel of the woods intact where we could. There’s a lot of layering in the plantings so that it’s lush and yet it’s simple. And because it’s somewhat shaded, we have a variety of hydrangeas and shade tolerant perennials. We also put in occasional specimen plants like a structured pagoda dogwood and a fastigiate beech,” commented Seianas.

The north side of the home is the clients’ library with a large bay window. It is a favorite place for them to relax. It also has provided a privacy challenge that the team has solved with a line of Green Giant arborvitae softened by layers of hydrangea and boxwood and anchored by a specimen paperbark maple. At the northwest corner, an Exclamation! London plane tree is featured for shade in the summer and beautiful bark for winter interest. “Most of the materials that we used were to try and match the home. It was a very modern, contemporary home, but yet we wanted to give it a very naturalistic feel,” observed Seianas. Lindsay agreed, “She likes to keep things loose pruning and maintenance-wise, so selecting plants that allow for that in the design was crucial for her.” The clients love the design and spend hours enjoying the landscape. “There’s a spot that she loves in the front under the oaks where she’s placed a bench as a little retreat. She’s got three areas in that whole site, one in the front and two in the back, where she’s got benches placed for enjoyment. She loves to sit out there and watch the nature,” observed Wendt.

The team at Scott Byron strived to balance the style of the home with the wants of the client. “We wanted to use strong formal lines to imitate the style of home, including some of the hardscapes that are just breathtaking. We try to evoke a sense of motion in the way that we design. If you see everything right off the bat, there’s no sense of mystery, of investigation. We want to draw you through the property and into the site so that you have a sense of place, a sense of surprise, and a sense of design and flow throughout so you’re not abruptly ending at one point. It’s about not just getting to your destination, but how you’re getting from A to B,” recalled Seianas. This is a favorite project of the team. Seianas observed, “One of the things that I like about – you have the broad strokes of what the landscape as its first impact, but as you slow down to take in the design you’ll notice the little details like the columns being tapered and (continued on page 36)

(continued from page 34) built with exquisite masonry work. When you walk down the bluff, you’ve got to have safety, but you don’t want to put in an overbearing railing, so we used a wire and post railing which disappears within the setting. The ipe wood that was used down at the shoreline which is very resistant to weathering, has that soft woodsy feel to it. Even the structure of the masonry walls up front almost act as a living edge for the plants to soften. I love all these elements. There’s so many little details that I just adore about it.” Wendt agrees, “For this job, since we maintain it, I get to visit every year and I love being able to see the trees mature and how everything has grown together. It makes you feel good when your work is noticed and to get an award like this – it’s very special.”