Outdoor Rooms with a Mountain View

by Karen Stretch, regional editor

Landscape Architect Shawn Burch of STB Architects utilized every inch of this 8,000 sq. ft. suburban backyard by designing a series of outdoor rooms. Paving throughout the site is exposed aggregate in the accent areas with a washed, stained and 2' square sawcut pattern elsewhere. The large tree is a floss silk (chorisia speciosa). Pond skimmers were upsized to allow for the heavy litter producing aspects of this tree.

Nestled against the beautiful San Bernardino mountain range in southern California is the city of Highland. The city is flanked by the often snow-capped peaks of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains and is located only 45 minutes from the desert resort town Palm Springs. Highland?EUR??,,????'???s original townsite was founded in 1891, and the community soon became an important contributor to the southern California citrus industry. Highland is now a thriving community which focuses heavily on education.

Creating a Sense of Calm and Well-Being

When Shawn Burch of STB Landscape Architects (a firm based in Redlands, Calif.) was called on to redesign the backyard of a residence in Highland, he wanted to create a quiet place where the homeowners could escape and relax after a typically long, hectic day in southern California, to find a sense of calm and well-being. And while the site is rather small at 82?EUR??,,????'???x130?EUR??,,????'???, it has been developed into several distinct outdoor ?EUR??,,????'??rooms?EUR??,,????'?? which make it appear much larger than it actually is.

The waterfalls are a combination of natural stone and a panel type faux rock from Rock Formations, tied to a rebar frame and backfilled with 50 tons of gunite. The Koi pond is a gunite and rebar construction similar to a standard pool with the addition of a 40 mil rubber liner and fabric underlayment to provide added protection from the seismic activity of Southern California.

Koi Fish Out of Water

The project began by finding a temporary home for the homeowners beloved Koi collection while their landscape was being created. After a fish sitter was found at a local pet store, work could finally begin. From start to finish, the project took about nine months to complete. The Koi fish are more than just an attractive addition to the backyard, they are pets that the owners love. So much so that the owners initially chose the lot because of the small up-slope in the back yard that could be utilized to incorporate a stream and waterfall into their pond, which would be the new home for their Koi.

The 20?EUR??,,????'??? x 14?EUR??,,????'??? Koi pond and two waterfalls totaling 60 lineal feet, were located so that they divided the yard into the separate rooms and provided spectacular views from every room at the rear of the house.

Outdoor Rooms

Burch broke up the design of the yard by creating separate outdoor spaces or ?EUR??,,????'??rooms.?EUR??,,????'?? While giving the homeowners all the spaces they desired was the most challenging aspect of the project for Burch, it was also the most rewarding.

?EUR??,,????'??The most challenging part of this project were the varied spaces throughout the site and of course, the Koi pond,?EUR??,,????'?? said Burch. ?EUR??,,????'??This was a small site and we were able to create several intimate spaces without it feeling busy or cluttered. You can move from one area to another and it seems like you are in different rooms with the pond and the waterfall being the connecting element.?EUR??,,????'??

A large 16?EUR??,,????'??? shade structure made out of Douglas fir was designed for the backyard. A hammock was then installed under the structure, which transformed the area into the raised ?EUR??,,????'??outdoor bedroom.?EUR??,,????'??

Bedroom

Burch designed a large 16?EUR??,,????'??? shade structure made out of Douglas fir for the backyard. A hammock was then installed, which transformed the area into the raised ?EUR??,,????'??outdoor bedroom.?EUR??,,????'?? This is a place where the homeowners can come to cuddle up and sway in the breeze as the sounds of the waterfalls lull them to sleep. Burch also had hooks installed into the shade structure to accommodate individual hanging hammock chairs that the residents are fond of. This area provides the homeowners with a view of the valley and the 4th of July fireworks.

The outdoor kitchen and barbeque area is 12?EUR??,,????'??? long and features a 48?EUR??,,????'?? long DCS barbeque grill, giving the homeowners plenty of space to feed and entertain their guests while cooking for them. The stonework in the kitchen was done using a cultured stone from El Dorado-Sawtooth in a rustic ledge color.

Kitchen and Dining Room

The outdoor kitchen and barbeque area is 12?EUR??,,????'??? long and features a 48?EUR??,,????'?? long DCS barbeque grill, giving the homeowners plenty of space to feed and entertain their guests while cooking for them. The stonework in the kitchen was done using a cultured stone from El Dorado-Sawtooth in a rustic ledge color. A small brass outdoor fireplace lends warmth to the chilly Highland nights where the nighttime temperature can fall to below freezing during the winter months.

The soft lighting effect on this bronze statue from Henri Studios has been created by using multiple light fixtures. The retaining walls on site are a combination of a mortorless stacked block from Angeles Block; Precision block with a Saw-toothed rustic ledge cultured stone veneer from El Dorado Stone; and the panel type faux rock from Rock Formations.

House Plants

The plant materials were chosen in order to fit the homeowners desires to create a very naturalistic style and feel, frame views and screen the adjacent neighbors so that when the homeowners are in their backyard retreat, it will feel give them the feeling of being in their own private resort.

Burch chose a variety of flowering trees to provide beautiful color at varying heights. The trees chosen were: silk floss (chorisia speciosa), rusty leaf fig (ficus rubignosa), bronze loquat (eriobotrya deflexa), redbuds (cercis canadensis) strawberry guava (fejoia sellowiana) and redspire flowering pears (pyrus c. ?EUR??,,????'??redspire?EUR??,,????'??).

The shrubs were chosen to complement the tree choices and provide contrasting textures and colors while minimizing the maintenance.

Burch explained his decision to use trees that produce heavy litter so close to the water features.

?EUR??,,????'??It is a little unusual to use a heavy litter producing tree near a pond (the silk floss),?EUR??,,????'?? said Burch. ?EUR??,,????'??But since the homeowners were adamant that the tree be used, we oversized the pond skimmers to help off-set the debris load in the pond.?EUR??,,????'??

To transform the yard at night, Burch used low voltage lighting to create an entirely different environment.

The entire site, front and back, is 10,700 sq. ft. The back yard alone is a mere 8,000 sq. ft. in size. In such a small space on a standard size suburban lot, there is quite a bit going on!

?EUR??,,????'??With this much happening it could easily have become cluttered,?EUR??,,????'?? said Burch. ?EUR??,,????'??But by creating the division of spaces we created, truly works on this project.?EUR??,,????'??