2013 ALE: Collegeville Manor

Holly Days Nursery and Landscapes http://hollydaysnursery.com Project Entry: Collegeville Manor 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential Hardscaping $15,000 - $30,000 Project Description: Located on a hilltop in rural Collegeville, Montgomery County, this three-story single-family residence creates a bold silhouette when viewed from the road below. Built on a 2-acre lot in 1997, the home has undergone several upgrades — a lovely stone façade, a pool and bathhouse, an extensive paver patio for entertaining guests, and a gazebo to enjoy quieter times. However, despite attempts by others to improve upon the builder's original design, the front entry remained unwelcoming and therefore underused. The original front entry included a portico stretching three stories above a narrow porch. The porch steps were of uneven length with one step situated two feet off-center. The portico columns, only 8" in diameter, rested on the lowest step, further highlighting the off-centered step above. The landing and walkway were installed using small pavers, while minimal plantings occupied narrow beds. At a later date several planting beds within the entry area were enlarged to make space for a more complex planting plan, yet the overall design remained out­of-scale. The clients were most unhappy with the space and were at a loss as to how to remedy the situation. Here, in this beautiful countryside, sat this big bold three-story house that demanded an equally bold front entry. The design solution was to remove all the under-scaled distractions and make the portico, with the door at its center, the focal point it was meant to be. The key elements required to make this transformation would include: Install wider portico pillars and visually anchor them on an elevated base; Center the porch steps; Pay particular attention to size, color and pattern with regard to stone work and pavers; and Create a sense of space using sitting walls, formal plantings and outdoor lighting. The original 8" diameter portico columns looked like toothpicks straining to hold the weight of the roof above. The columns were replaced with 14" square pillars set on a 32"H base using flamed West Mountain Pier Caps (30"x30"x3") and rock face edge. The steps were recreated; being of equal length, they now sit snuggly between the pillar bases. The portico elements (steps, porch, door, pillars and roof) now function as one architectural feature with the door at its center. The original design included a small landing area that appeared even smaller due to the size and pattern of the pavers. An expanded landing area and reconfigured walkway was installed using Rinox Palazzo, Panama Beige pavers set in a random pattern with a sailor bond edge. Two sitting walls flank the entrance to the landing to create a formal courtyard. The sitting walls were capped using Architectural Stone's 2" West Mountain Flagstone. The beige pavers and West Mountain stone more closely match the color of the stone façade of the house. Architectural lighting was installed on the sitting wall piers to light the walkway, while spotlighting and backlighting are used to accent trees and taller shrubs within the courtyard. Formal plantings of hollies, boxwoods and laurels provide structure to the courtyard while a few larger shrubs provide color and texture. The homeowners chose not to add many perennials to the courtyard's planting plan, preferring instead to focus more on the structure of the plants and how they compliment the larger features of the house. However, the formal lines of the boxwoods and hollies are softened by the informality of Knockout roses and Oakleaf Hydrangeas. What makes this project special is the sense of accomplishment everyone felt when the project was completed. The homeowners, the designer and the stone mason knew the space had great potential; however, its beauty was overshadowed by so many distractions — the scale of the original portico; the uneven steps; the missing focal point and mismatched hardscape components. As testament to the success of the design, the clients tell us that guests now approach the front entry and courtyard on a regular basis, no longer choosing to knock at the side- door entrance. Photo Credit: Holly Days Nursery and Landscapes