Home & Design

A bluestone path leads to the renovated bungalow; hidden storage is integrated into the wooden fencing.

A hornbeam hedge encloses the garden and dining area, concealing views of nearby apartment buildings.

A firepit animates the lounge area, which features a custom bench built by Gassman Construction. A steel fountain fabricated by Planterworx introduces sound, movement and a focal point to the garden.

Grand Award - Less Than One Acre

FORM Garden Design
Grand Award Less Than One Acre
FORM Garden Design

Once the dust settled on the renovation of a bungalow in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, the owners enlisted FORM Garden Design to transform their urban lot into a functional, private and visually engaging outdoor retreat. The landscape architects elevated the compact site with a bluestone dining terrace, a fire pit with built-in seating and a sculptural water feature. Mitigating poor soil drainage, the team also orchestrated sunken rain gardens to manage runoff.

Layered plantings, from ferns and grasses to flowering perennials, offer texture, movement and seasonal color all year. Fencing, a hornbeam hedge and raised steel planters filled with bamboo screen views while contributing to the garden’s structure and rhythm.

Renovation Architecture: MODE4 Architecture. Builder: EET Construction. Landscape Architecture: Kevin Gaughan, ASLA, PLA, principal; Thomas Haley, landscape architect, FORM Garden Design. Landscape Contractor: Planted Earth Landscaping.

“Great hierarchical detailing and use of planting.”
Jennifer Horn, jurist

 

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