The landscape for this Northville Township, Michigan custom residential home was inspired by its Prairie style architecture (low-pitched rooflines and extended eaves). The south lawn terrace extends from the home to retain the grade and create a level platform for the home. Large rectangular low-limestone planters project from the terrace and from the front of the home, creating bold, horizontal accents to the architecture.
Aerial photo: ProAirVideos

The Gorlin residence is a custom residential property located in Northville Township, Michigan. The home has low-pitched rooflines, extended eaves and makes use of natural stone.

The hardscape and landscape design complement the Prairie-style architecture of the home and extend that architectural aesthetic into the landscape. The outdoor living environment at the back of the house is characterized by a sequence of individual garden spaces or outdoor rooms. The size and variety of the outdoor spaces allow for many varied uses: gardening; outdoor dining; casual seating; free play on the lawn; and hosting fundraising events for charitable organizations.

The auto court features limestone planters with Arborvitae hedges and "Brussels Block' precast concrete pavers from Unilock. The auto court abuts an open lawn panel enclosed by the same hedges. The turf variety for the lawns is a Kentucky bluegrass blend.
Aerial photo: ProAirVideos

Natural materials are incorporated in the hardscape in combination with simple rectangular forms to reinforce the design tone and create varied surfaces for the outdoor garden spaces. Hardscape materials include bluestone walks, an ipe wood deck, an overhead mahogany pergola and decomposed granite paving. Plant materials are used to create the spaces, or as an accent within them. A grid of flowering pear trees provide shade and scale as the centerpiece for the dining court. White carpet roses and wisteria on the pergola provide a colorful accent to the ipe wood deck. Raised wood planter boxes house a vegetable garden adjacent to the outdoor bar.

Bluestone paving in random rectangular patterns form a raised entry court. The bluestone is also used for the walkways. The linear limestone planters offer colorful red geraniums and "Carpet' roses; low juniper shrubs lend a softening edge to the stone planter walls. A specimen dogwood tree flanks the main entrance.

The front yard landscape is structured by low horizontal-stone planter walls used to retain the grade, and to create a level platform for the house. Bluestone paving in a random rectangular pattern forms a raised entry court and is also used for the walks. Low yew hedges in combination with carpet roses in the linear planters reinforce the entry space. Low juniper shrubs were used as a softening effect on the base of the stone planter walls. A large cut-stone rectangular planter is used as a visual accent piece and framing element. It is decorated with red geraniums; a specimen dogwood tree flanks the main entrance.

The limestone theme is iterated in the base structure of the outdoor bar. The "floor" is decomposed granite. The bar looks across to raised wood planter boxes housing a vegetable garden.

The rectangular auto court, hidden by stone planter walls with thick linear courses of tall arborvitae hedges, provides maneuvering space adjacent to the garage and extra parking for visitors. The auto court surface has precast concrete pavers in a random rectangular pattern with subtle window frame accents.

The causal seating area offers an ipe deck and shade from flowering pear trees.

In contrast to the linear and rectangular hardscape forms adjacent to the house, the perimeter landscape transitions into a more natural landscape character by use of various size spruce trees against a backdrop of mature indigenous trees. A simple, large, flat circular lawn panel helps soften the architectural forms of the house and hardscape, while creating an open space for the house to comfortably sit.

The landscape design expresses a simple elegance through the use of rectangular forms and authentic materials. The incorporation of the outdoor spaces provides a comfortable indoor/outdoor living environment well suited for various uses.

The master bedroom looks out to a bluestone terrace with a mahogany pergola festooned with wisteria.

Design Team
Landscape Architect
Grissim Metz Andriese Associates
Architect
Saroki Architecture
Irrigation Design
Graber & Associates
Structural Engineer
Desai Nasr

Contractors
General Contractor: Mosher Dolan
Walls & Stone Paving: Albaugh Stone and Masonry
Landscape Contractor: WH Canon Company
Trellis, Deck and Herb Planters: Metz Building & Development