The Galts wanted a ?EUR??,,????'??Garden House?EUR??,,????'?? built on an empty lot in Medford, Oregon. And, with the help of Landscape Architect, John Galbraith, that is exactly the type of landscape that was designed for them. This ASLA merit award-winner sits on a steep 1/2-acre lot sloping down from the street ?EUR??,,????'??+ the homeowners wanted it to appear as inconspicuous as possible, which was conducive with the low-pitched roof of ?EUR??,,????'??craftsman?EUR??,,????'?? style architecture. The entry courtyard is a focal point of the home since its the first impression on entering the home. The property features a pond, lush vegetation and a swimming pool. Landscaping and placement of the house were extremely important to the Galts; therefore, they consulted with Galbraith before construction on the home ever began. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The entry courtyard is situated between the home and the garage. Being one of the first things seen on the property, the courtyard naturally became a focal point. The courtyard design went through several stages with elaborate crafsman-style arbors and gates along with craftsman lights. The final design had a simple look with powder coated tubular steel, a water feature and lush vegetation. The entry was excavated and a shotcrete pond was installed, running the length of the walkway. The shotcrete was used for the shell of the pond, allowing rock to be artistically applied with unseen mortar. This swimming pool-type construction was used for structural purposes, ensuring that the dwelling for the water feature would be waterproof and free of leakage. To further create a solid foundation for the pond, it rests on a base of compacted, decomposed granite. A waterfall was then placed near the entrance, just left of the gate. At the end of the waterway, nearly fifty feet away, is a sizeable pond where water is pumped, recirculated with a biofilter and collected for the waterfall. Once the water feature was completed, the entry walk was incorporated with concrete bridges spanning the length of the pond. The concrete bridges were then hidden beneath flagstone imported from Sedona, Arizona. The pond, which weaves its way under the bridge, eventually became a fish pond, further adding to the allure of the residence. The next step was incorporating vegetation into the entry courtyard. Vertical water plants were chosen as the primary foliage and placed throughout the area. To ensure safety in places like the end of the entrance stoop to the house, larger areas of flagstone paving were used rather than plants. POOLING RESOURCES The Galts also wanted a sizeable swimming pool with a free-flowing with English and Asian influences. Furthermore, the homeowners wanted the pool on the same plane as the house and the decking. The Galt residence rests on an area known for its highly expansive clay soil. A soil engineer determined that there was a layer of expansive clay soil approximately three to four feet deep. After considering the report, the Landscape Architect determined that the Galts could still achieve their goals. The swimming pool would need to be placed on the stable soil beneath the expansive clay. The hardscape around the pool would need to be placed on compacted fill. Because the grade sloped down and away from the house and the pool was going to be placed on an axis aligned with the house, the grade would simple be raised around the pool. Ultimately, the pool would be level (or almost level) with the entry area. As the pool was being excavated, it was discovered that the developer and the contractor had placed excavated clay over the existing layer of native clay. This meant the pool excavation would need to be deeper and the bottom of the pool would then have to be resting on imported compacted rock. The footings of the retaining wall around the pool would have to resting on this compacted fill as well. Costs for excavation, hauling, and importing compacted fill would be much more than originally anticipated if the Galt?EUR??,,????'???s chose to continue with this route. Rather than building up the original area, it was determined the best choice would be to build the pool at a lower level of the site. The end result meant less soil needed to be excavated and less fill needed to be imported, substantially reducing the cost of the project. Additionally, the change revealed better views for the homeowners and a warmer and more comfortable feeling around the pool. It also created an opportunity to use flagstone steps leading down to the pool, creating a point of interest from the pergola above. Perennial and annual areas were designed around the rock wall that was now needed at the edge of the pool and on the slope from the level above.