Desert Landscape

Landscape Architecture by In2it Studio

A suspended rectangular copper fire pit is attached and braced to the upper tier pool. The fire element, with an ignition system, was fabricated and installed by bobé. The pool's interior finish is a ''Tahoe Blue'' pebbled surface that creates a nonslip surface.

Richard Ferrero, RLA, ASLA, the founder of In2it Studio www.in2itstudio.com, in Chandler, Ariz., received the commission to landscape a home in a new residential development in
Maricopa, Arizona.

The owner of the home indicated he wanted a backyard that ''felt like an extension of the inside of the house, one that would continually call me to be outside.'' To that end, the owner judges his new backyard ''a spectacular success.''

''Not many clients give carte blanche on design and full, creative license,'' explains Richard Ferrero, RLA, but that was just what he was given.

This was a typical new-build construction site, which is to say a blank canvas. The lot had a north-south orientation with a gently sloping yard. The most significant characteristic and inspiration for the lot was the backyard looks out on the development's man-made body of water. Maricopa, Ariz., just south of Phoenix and just east of the Sonoran Desert National Monument, has an abundance of sunshine and thus endless opportunities for enjoying a home's outdoor living area. The home's floor plan and interior layout gave the landscape architect suggestions for the elements and look for the landscapes, and the placement of some of the key components.

The tiered pools are stacked Arizona flagstone. ''Select boulders'' (We Rock AZ) on the patio are positioned near seat blocks/seat walls of ''Desert Varnish'' over CMU using flagstone and motar.

Special consideration was given to the home's central axis, front door position and foyer orientation, the placement of the patio doors, the placement of windows and their vistas, the interior layout, circulation patterns, visual intersecting points, sun exposure and proximity to the adjacent homes.The exterior design included a water feature, a fire pit focal element, plus a fire pit functional element, entertainment spaces, outdoor kitchen, a landscape of seasonal color, shade and heat protection, circulation and convenience of access and connectivity. With those design elements in mind, the challenge was to find the appropriate positioning for highest impact and optimum view angles.

The lower patio offers a more traditional fire pit with a ''Spanish Lace'' stucco finish that matches the house. The capstones are Arizona flagstone.

''I had to consider the geometries of the spaces so that all the components would speak the same language in the composition, therefore eliminating the potential or the isolation of any one element,'' explains the landscape architect. The water feature, he noted, being the most significant and single-most expensive component, had to be positioned so it could be appreciated from any angle within the backyard. Careful consideration was given to the plant palette, given the climate extremes and respect for low-water consumption. The plants (Waldron's Farm) are primarily locally grown, indigenous, require little water and yet establish a lush desert garden feel.

Water Feature
The water feature design began to take shape after the view angles were examined. A circular water element seemed most appropriate as a center point of attention from which the other elements would radiate, specifically a raised fire pit connected to a round water feature with a water basin extending toward the home.

The hardscape around the water feature is brick pavers (''Fuego'' by Phoenix Brick) with rowlock, radial brick pattern banding. The plants are a desert garden of primarily locally grown, indigenous species that require little water.
1 Mediterranean fan palm
2 'Valentine' bush
3 'Fortnight' lily
4 'Prostrate' Rosemary

Each of the adjacent spaces were defined simply by the placement of contrasting colors and textures, such as the hardscape changing to turf and the radial and concentric lines defining planting pockets and perimeter landscape areas. Also in this way, the brick pavers used on the hardscape (with rowlock, radial brick pattern banding) demonstrate the outwardly extension of the water feature. ''The composition was based on the play of contrasting materials,'' explained the landscape architect. ''The water feature layout and fire element, set in a very 'contemporary' fashion, are juxtaposed with the more rustic/earthy feel of the anchoring elements, thereby helping to ground it. Using the heavier masonry elements and natural stone helped to elevate and lighten the more dynamic elements of the fire and water,'' he added.

As the jutting fire pit was such a significant element in this composition, the water feature lighting needed to highlight, but not overpower the fire pit. ''To accomplish this, we used fiber optic lighting throughout with an operational color wheel so that the mood of the water feature could play off the evening atmosphere (all the while playing a supporting role to the significance of the fire),'' explained the landscape architect. In ''entertainment'' mode, the wheel can rotate automatically and simply change colors at random, adding an entirely new dynamic to its impact.

A Cercidium hybrid 'Desert Museum' Palo Verde was among the landscaping materials craned into position.

Construction
Designers are creative by nature, but it's how that design is implemented on the ground that makes a project a success. The contractor has to translate and execute the designer's intent. And it's the attention to detail that will ultimately leave a lasting impression. That's why the landscape architect chose Red Rock Contractors as the general contractor. With their extensive construction experience in pools and water features, Red Rock assisted in solving many of the technical challenges. In addition, the combination of the professional networks of the landscape architect and contractor provided the means to overcome a very aggressive construction schedule and many of the logistical issues, such as the unique fire pit's copper construction and structural requirements, larger landscape materials having to be set by crane and the enormous manpower requirements.