Grass stairs, edged with Corten steel risers, follow a steep incline along the side of the house leading from the driveway to the backyard.
A 1980s build near Turkey Run Park in McLean had water drainage issues, so the owners called landscape architect Scott Brinitzer to devise a solution. One thing led to another and over the course of 12 years he completely reshaped the grounds, most notably the back gardens. Working with an area no more than 30 feet wide, he filled in and terraced the yard. A long, narrow pool celebrates its linear dimensions, and a sitting area with a fireplace lives near a canopy of clipped hornbeams, inspired by the owner’s love of formal French landscapes. A Corten steel bridge connects the pool to a garden with a ping-pong table, and allows stormwater run-off to pass underneath. “It looks like the gardens have always been there, but it’s all found land that we created by terracing the property,” says Brinitzer. “The simplicity of design belies the technical challenges that went into it.”
Landscape Architecture: Scott Brinitzer, PLA, ASLA, Brinitzer Landscape Architecture, Falls Church, Virginia.