Landscape Architect Articles

A Quintessential Layered Landscape01-01-09 | News

A Quintessential Layered Landscape
An Interview with Glen L. Craig, BLA, RLA of the Craig Design Group

By Leslie McGuire, managing editor

This estate home in Tennessee had been designed through three generations of drawings that evolved over a seven-year period. When Glen Craig first did the design, the homeowner wanted to change the pool to make it larger, but unfortunately there was an error in the house construction. Therefore the designs were all off by about a foot and had to be redone.
Photos courtesy of Craig Design Group.

This estate home is on Chickamauga Lake in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In designing the project Glen L. Craig, BLA, RLA of the Craig Design Group, was faced with the key task of resolving how to incorporate the numerous amenities requested by the owner into the challenging slopes on the site.

In addition to the intense slopes and the defining stonework, this project also features magnificent water features. A negative edge swimming pool, spas, fountains, waterfalls, and an Italian temple, a grotto with a children?EUR??,,????'?????<

A circular spa cascades into the kidney shaped, vanishing edge pool. The negative edge of the main pool then cascades into a lower sump. From the lake, the waterfall is seen on the left side of the house. The limestone balusters, coping stones and other edgings were designed on site, and the designs were carved in Texas, then sent back to Tennessee.

Layer Upon Layer of Elevation

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The house itself had been designed through three generations of drawings that evolved over a seven year period. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The kidney-shaped vanishing edge pool is tiled with custom glass and, depending on the time and the season, the color of the pool conforms to the color of the lake. The water splashes down into the catch basin and ultimately to the sea wall, which is about 10 to 12 feet off the elevation to the river.

Looking up the driveway on the left are Dwarf Leaf English Laurels, and on the right, Mountain Fire Andromeda, some mixed azaleas with Hosta borders, Tree Form Tardiva Hydrangea, Heuchera (coral bells) and big leaf Hosta. A community park on the left of the driveway was cleared by the owners of the property so it would be nice for their neighbors. On the right of the driveway is what the lady of the house calls her ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The second stream of the two streams constructed on the property goes from a pond in the garden at the top, and was terraced down to a lower pond. Craig created several check-downs using a crane that set boulders. This enabled them to strategically catch and collect water in this pool, which was designed using a 45 mil EPDM liner. The flowering plants in the foreground are Olga Mezzitt Rhododendrons.

Multiple Water Features

There are two major waterfalls. One starts at the very top of the roundabout, and is visible from the whole front of the U-shaped house. The main house waterfall comes down from two sets of walls with about 86 feet of elevation change from the lake. The water is recycled out of the lake. Two 10 HP submersible pumps are out in the lake, which required a permit from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to install.

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Leuder stone steps negotiate a three-foot grade change from the front to the back of the house. The planter placed behind the scroll fence on the right has a trellis custom built for the space so the climbing vine can hide air conditioning units underneath the window.

According to Craig, the owner loves waterfalls and water features. As you come in the main entrance past the arbor, bridge and pergola?EUR??,,????'?????<

This seven-acre property is the last on the cul-de-sac, and the driveway runs 231 feet from the entry gate to the roundabout. Looking up the driveway on the left are Dwarf English Laurels, and on the right, mountain fire, some mixed azaleas with Hosta borders, tree form ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Limestone Themed Hardscapes

A paved stone path leading to a catering kitchen is actually a side driveway off the main drive. Since this road isn?EUR??,,????'?????<

The steps at the front of the house and to the left of the waterfall are made of Leuders stone placed in individual ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The two pumps that run the waterfalls and streams are placed in Chickamauga Lake. There is a skid system holding the pumps off the bottom of the lake with a 1/8-inch sieve screen that is required by the TVA. The pumps are cycled. One pump runs on odd months and the other pump runs even months. The water is pumped from the lake to the top of the property, then over a wall and down into the koi pond which is dammed up. From there, it cycles back down to the lake through many waterfalls and terraces.

The Leuder stone steps on the side of house feature plinths graced by urns. The custom wrought iron gate was added later because the owner wanted to keep the dogs in. These steps negotiate a three-foot grade change from the front to the back of the house. There is a planter behind scroll fence on the right that has a trellis custom built for the space. The vine is hiding the air conditioning units underneath the window.

One of the larger challenges was having all the stone carved and the lead time could be almost a year. By the time they created the templates and went through approvals, it often took two to three months for initial design while carving took three to five months. The consistent theme throughout is the limestone. Most of the homes today are using cast product, but there was no casting in this project.

Large, flat random slabs of limestone were used to create a paved stone path leading to a catering kitchen, which is actually a side driveway off the main drive. Since this road isn?EUR??,,????'?????<

A Plethora of Plantings

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Plantings have become a real part of residential landscape design in recent years?EUR??,,????'?????<

A community park is on the left of the driveway, and it was cleared out by the owners of the property so it would be nice for their neighbors. On the right of the driveway is what the lady of the house calls her ?EUR??,,????'?????<

There are even television ads, which is something we have never seen before. It?EUR??,,????'?????<

The roundabout is paved with Travertine banded with natural stone, using 1' X 2' and 2' X 2' random patterns. Looking out the front door one sees the base of the waterfall, which cascades down a slope with an 18-foot elevation change.

Landscape architects are being challenged because our consumers are becoming quite knowledgeable. However the up side is that this is helping the landscape architecture field because people want to have something that looks like what they see?EUR??,,????'?????<

Rustic steps at the front of the house and to the left of the waterfall go up to a small sitting area. Made of Leuders stone, they are placed in individual ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Over the course of the seven years of installation, the project scope changed and evolved. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The main house waterfall comes down from two sets of walls with about 86 feet of elevation change from the lake. The water is recycled out of the lake by two 10 HP submersible pumps. The owner can run both pumps at the same time, which creates such a volume of water, according to Craig, ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Planting Palette

Mixed Azaleas

Dwarf Leaf English Laurel
Prunus laurocerasus

Dwarf Mondo Grass
Ophiopogon japonicus

Encore azalea ?EUR??,,????'?????< Attracts butterflies

Heuchera (coral bells) ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Heuchera (coral bells)

Big leaf Hostas
Hosta halcyon

Hostas
Hosta ventricosa

?EUR??,,????'?????< Pieris japonica

?EUR??,,????'?????< R. carolinianum + R. dauricum crossed

Tree Form Tardiva Hydrangeas
Hydrangea paniculata tardiva

Periwinkle
Vinca minor ?EUR??,,????'?????<