A year and a half of hardscape work by a number of outfits completely transformed this Park City, Utah, mountainside residence. Dennis Loomis Construction handled the excavation and the structural concrete. Greg Gust Concrete did all of the flatwork including the recessed driveway. Rose Concrete Coatings saw-cut the design in the driveway and then acid stained it. C & R Stone did most of the stonework including the patio floor, the retaining walls and the columns. The floor is mortar-set cut red and blonde sandstone. The stone columns with custom-designed hood lights and the walls are veneered with Heber red flagstone matched to the existing flagstone facing on the columns supporting the residence's second floor deck. The large boulders were placed with a crane.

The homeowner of this Utah residence, built in 1990 on a steep hillside above "Old Town" Park City, wanted an upgraded landscape that would be so impressive that passersby would be mesmerized to the point of distraction.

Besides the head-turning factor, the clients wanted to be able to enjoy new outdoor living areas all year with spaces for personal use and for entertaining guests.

The Game Plan
The team on this extensive build included Northland Design Group as the landscape architect, Bratt Landscaping as the landscape contractor, Dennis Loomis Construction as the general contractor, C&R Stone as the project masons, Greg Gust as the flatwork contractor and Rose Concrete Coatings as the flatwork finisher.

Plans were drafted to maintain the look and feel of the existing architecture, while improving on the exterior design with a variety of defined, detailed spaces that didn't overwhelm the outdoor views. When selecting the materials for the project, the team took their clues from the client's front yard, which had large stone columns faced with a red flagstone locally quarried in Heber City by Delta Stone. This Heber red stone, was complimented by cut blonde Park City gold sandstone.

Game On
Dennis Loomis Construction started the action by directing the excavation of the site and the concrete work for the footings and vertical structures. Next up was Greg Gust, who poured the patio sub-base and the long driveway. Rose Concrete was then brought in to saw-cut the intricate patterns on the driveway and stain it with an acid wash.

C & R Stone, a masonry/landscape company owned by brothers Corey and Rhett Robison, took over from there.

With the help of a mini excavator and mini skid steer, their eight-man crew mortar-set the real stone patios and veneered the walls and columns. They also installed stone caps, pillars and stairs, including steps from the street up to the driveway. Along the driveway, large boulders were set with the help of a construction crane.

For the expansive patio spaces, large red flagstone pieces were used to create wide banding. Smaller pieces of cut blond sandstone lightened up the floors. In all, over 4,000 square feet of stone patio was laid. Radiant heaters were installed to make the patios accessible year-round.

Bratt Landscaping got the call to do the softscape, and additionally, some of the dry stack walls and flagstone walkways. Also, they set the numerous artistic planting pots throughout, creating a softening effect to balance the abundance of hardscape surfaces. Overseeing most of the work was the crew at Northland Design Group who enjoy getting into the mix. For much of the hardscape, the stone would be laid out dry then reviewed by Northland to make sure it was as per drawing before being mortared in.

The fire pit, with its custom-cut stone cap, was installed close to the home. The fire garden and seatwall (left) were installed on the edge of the patio to draw users out into the space to enjoy the view.

Many planting pots were placed throughout the hardscaped areas to help soften and balance the overall look.

Getting Fired Up
Four fire features were included in the build to produce an inviting outdoor atmosphere. Closest to the house is a traditional fire pit surrounded by stone seatwalls with recessed lighting. To create it, C & R Stone installed block work in a circle, then veneered stone on to the blocks, cut and set a stone cap.

A fire garden was located on the periphery of the patio. It consists of boulders surrounding a gas burner. Northland directed the precise placement of the boulders.

The red flagstone was used as large, wide banding and created what became known as the "tiger tooth" pattern around the focal point areas. Blond sandstone, cut into six, nine, and 12-inch pieces, was used to create a lighter feel for the large patio spaces.

Park City gold sandstone was another of the quarried stone used during construction. More than 4,000 square feet of stone was laid on the patios and stairs.

A half circle fire trough was located just outside the spa to provide some additional warmth. The client runs these most nights, sometimes just to look out the windows and see them ablaze.

In addition, a steel and copper fire sculpture was built and installed on the dramatic entryway that greets arriving guests.

After a year and a half of construction, the project was completed in the summer of 2012. The team's efforts produced winning results that clearly draw attention.