St. Andrews Country Club
Interview with Krent Wieland, ASLA

by Leslie McGuire, managing editor

“The challenge” says Wieland, “was to keep the water surface still enough to match the lake yet still have enough volume to create a significant waterfall coming toward the house without having a lot of surface disturbance. There’s a curved stone wall that’s a water wall and that has cascading water that goes right down to the beach entry. The serpentine wall combined with the straight edge of the upper pool is what creates the vanishing edge which is the correct height to be seen from the living room.
Images courtesy of Krent Wieland Design, Inc.

This is a Krent Wieland design for custom residence in St. Andrews Country Club. The basin behind the raised rock waterfall creates a horizon edge providing a seamless transition between the pool and lake beyond. Grassy areas and planting spaces are interwoven with intimate flagstone patios. Thick stone steps transition from flagstone to grass. Part of a master planned community in West Boca, it was created on a double lot of less than one acre, yet gives the sensation of a much bigger space.

Since the back of the property is so long and narrow, the pool has a unique proportion. At its narrowest, the pool is 13 feet wide and because it meanders with soft edges one doesn’t feel the tightness of the lot. The pool is about 50 feet long, and at its widest, it’s about 17 feet. The average width is about 14 to 15 feet.”

Founded in 1984, Krent Wieland Design is an innovative and award winning design firm experienced in a wide range of landscape architecture projects that include master planned communities, streetscapes, resort clubhouses, amenities and commercial parks.

Part of a master planned community in West Boca, this double lot was less than one acre. The client wanted a yard that would appear to be organic in nature, design wise. It was a given they wanted a lot of stonework and textures which wouldn’t fight too hard with the architecture of the house. But there was very little room behind the house. “Basically, we had to squeeze the pool in, which gave the impression that there was of a lot of depth back there, but that wasn’t the case.” That led Wieland to several design elements. “One was to play up the organic shape of the pool and therefore we were able to wiggle around the setback line so the space wouldn’t look so pushed.

“We pushed the pool right up to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the house and placed stepping pads following the radius of the house so they seem to float in the water. The water flows around the stones right up to the house and creates an illusion of more space. The client wanted all the bells and buzzers, including being able to a have a ‘beach entrance’ to the pool. The flagstone path leads right down to the pool entrance.”

LED lights are placed under the rock ledges so they also appear to float at night. “We created a raised water area that allowed us to make an infinity edge at the proper height so that it fuses the pool visually with the lake beyond it, as you look out from the living room. The water flows around the rock ledge and causes the infinity edge pool to spill over the boulders towards the living room. That upper pool area is where the kids love to play. The rock ledge faces the living room glass.”

There’s a curved stone wall that’s a water wall and that has cascading water that goes right down to the beach entry. The serpentine wall combined with the straight edge of the upper pool is what creates the vanishing edge. is the correct height to be seen from the living room.

The spa is cradled by the rock and gives it a very deliberate, perfectly round shape, which makes it look more embraced. A lot of the stone is masonry work which is not a natural form. It’s more architectonic than the pool’s organic, wiggly, meandering shapes.

The three bowls or basins large enough to create a pretty good volume of water, and makes it possible to handle the turbulence as it falls toward the house. Behind it, the calm water is facing the lake side and that is what holds the turbulent water away from the calm water.

“We were careful to transition the stone to the lawn by letting the flagstones start to deconstruct where grass grows between each stone. It goes from wider strips with more grass to narrower and narrower strips. Finally turf steps mix with stone edges to make an important transition. We used a flagstone called Pennsylvania sandstone, also called cherry orchard. We chose it because it has lighter colors that complement the stone the architect picked for the house. It’s tricky mixing architectural stone, flagstone and carved stone. The landscape becomes a cacophony.”

The client didn’t want steps because they are anticipating the years when steps will be more of a bother than an attraction. “One of the unique aspects of the landscapes you see in the open lawn area is you can see pockets of view and pockets of privacy. With the golf course behind them, the clients wanted to feel secluded but still have wonderful views. Rooms of open space intertwine with rooms of seclusion and one can move from one to another and therefore have privacy as well as views.”

In this shot, a closeup of the spa which spills into the lower pool, you can definitely see above the rocks, however, you can barely see the seam and that’s the horizon edge.

“We used a flagstone called Pennsylvania sandstone, also called cherry orchard. We chose it because it has lighter colors that complement the stone the architect picked for the house. It’s tricky mixing architectural stone, flagstone and carved stone.

We used a dark pebble deck finish in the pool called Tahoe blue, but it’s a deep rich blue that complements the lake. The darker the finish, the more reflective it is of the sky. The client didn’t want black. The darker it is, the hotter it becomes in the sun.

“The receiving basin of the horizon edge has a collection basin which is five feet deep. There are removable, structural, perforated trays that hold Mexican beach pebble. That makes it less dangerous for their kids. The ledge holds the trays so only a couple of inches of water visually show. The edge holds the trays in place.”

As an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team, Krent Wieland Design synthesizes creative expertise with that of other disciplines to create cost effective, innovative design solutions which meet every client’s unique requirements.

“Rooms of open space intertwine with rooms of seclusion and one can move from one to another and therefore have privacy as well as views.”

About the firm:

Krent Wieland Design is an innovative design firm experienced in a wide range of landscape architecture projects that include master planned communities, streetscapes, resort clubhouses, amenities, commercial parks, and the design of private estates and luxury homes. KWD’s work extends from their base in South Florida to California, Texas, North Carolina, The Caribbean, Mexico, and the Middle East. Founded in 1984 by Krent Wieland, the firm is proud of its many longstanding client relationships that are based on the quality of services rendered and the dedication to continued performance.

Vendor List
• Nexxus Lighting
• Island Stone Pebble
• Delos Mosaic Pebble Collection
• Exterior Expressions (Water Feature)

Builder
• Paskoski Construction, Inc.
Steve Paskoski
Kevin Brooks
Jim Watson

Architecture
• Colestock and Muir Architects, P.A.
Jay Colestock
Mark Muir

Interior Design
• Shuster Design Associates, Inc.
Louis Shuster
Clayton Weidner

Landscape Architecture
• Krent Wieland Design, Inc.:
Krent Wieland
Beth Dawson
Kris Walters
Joslyn Schmidt