Lakeview Residence
Seattle
Practical. Native. Impressive.

The challenge: These young homeowners wanted a usable landscape that maintained some privacy for their first home purchase. The architecturally contemporary home sat on a steep hill that abutted a Native Growth Protection easement at the rear of the property. It was virtually impossible to navigate the topography of the hill. In addition, all the native trees had been cut and left in place, and their debris made it difficult to fully appreciate the contours of the hillside.

The street-level garage connected to the house on pilings by a breezeway. Some formal landscaping had existed at one time; however, any maintenance program had been abandoned long since. It was a jungle. The house and hill posed logistical problems that made scheduling critical. Before any construction could start, we had to assess all potential problems. Limited property access made delivery of materials another issue.

The Johnson Associates solution: We began by removing all the downed trees and limbs, weeds, and overgrown native vegetation from the property. Six ornamental cherry trees and ten poplars were kept.

Next we studied the contour of the hill. By grading, we were able to smooth out the lumps and bumps. The challenge was to finish and get the heavy machinery off the hill before the fall rains started—otherwise, we would have had to leave it there until spring!

To provide level, usable tiers on the hill, we built numerous, curved retaining walls. A bluestone patio was installed to provide a comfortable space for relaxing and entertaining. A small lawn was added to complement the patio and walls. We linked several of the tiers with timber, back-filled staircases and added a timber staircase to connect the driveway to the patio below (and admit the utility meter readers).

Jute netting was installed on the north side yard to control erosion until the plant material matured. Imported virgin soil amended the native soil. All drains were connected to an existing drainage system that helped divert water off the property. Low-maintenance, drought tolerant plant materials were planted throughout the property, and privacy was provided by the careful placement of the trees and plant materials. To cope with the limited access and staging of materials, we staggered the delivery of all materials and so avoided the problem of blocking traffic on a residential street.

Now numerous, tiered Garden Rooms provide privacy, a staircase transects the rooms to give access, and a relaxing patio area at the bottom provide lovely views of the lake.