SRQ Magazine | Home of the Year 2020

BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGN - PLATINUM WINNER

SEATHRU HOUSE

BORDEN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Oriented to capture the sunsets across Sarasota Bay, this modern gem embodies coastal living. The exterior design concept was based on the modern lines of the home and allows the elegant forms to transfer onto the ground plane. The driveway design and connecting pedestrian paths were formed concrete pads with a simple broom finish, a “piano key” effect with long linear pads in various lengths. The 6-inch gaps between the pads are neatly topped with crushed gray granite and allow rainwater to flow through, minimizing runoff onto the street. As you approach the front of the home, you’ll enter an almost hidden courtyard, which is bounded by the guest suite and main residence. The pockets of plantings within the courtyard contain sculptural accent plants such as dracaenas, agaves, succulents and some variegated dwarf primrose and ornamental grasses. Native limestone slabs create an elevated path across the space with white beach pebbles between them, adding a whimsical detail. The royal poinciana is placed as an anchoring shade tree that will help cool the space in the summer in a very beautiful way. One of the notable design challenges, as with many homes, is proximity to neighboring properties and balancing openness while retaining privacy. We achieved this by planting a combination of traveler’s palms and podocarpus to screen views outside of key windows along the property line, without the need for any fencing. The crushed stone path along the eastern side is flanked by an attractive combination of fountain grasses, dwarf fakahatchee grass and native muhly grasses, with an attractive yellow tabebuia tree outside the main guest window.

Architect: Sweet Sparkman Architects Builder: Josh Wynne Construction Landscape Design: Borden Landscape Design Landscape Bodhi Tree Landscape Photographer: Ryan Gamma. Photography