Arrival Flow

Based upon an initial site visit, the goal was to create an aesthetically engineered landscape master plan for the property that could be employed by the owners to complete future construction projects on the site.  The main objective was to employ a sculptural landscape artwork to first develop a stormwater management system that solved the variety of soil erosion and gravel washing issues that existed on the site by slowing down stormwater runoff and second to enhance the visual quality of the entrance to the residence.  The steps included creating an existing topographic map of the site, developing a rainwater budget with stormwater runoff calculation, suggestions for alternative aesthetically engineered stormwater design solutions, and completing an environmentally creative master plan for the site with drainage system solutions along with additional hardscape and native/cultivar plant recommendations.

Although the whole residential plat was surveyed and existing site elements were located on a whole site topographic map, the focus of the design work was on the North and East sides surrounding the house as these were the critical areas for the desired stormwater management system solution.  The final design was based upon slowing water down by locating a new S-curving entrance driveway from roadway to parking area.  The design also created a sculptural drainage collecting swale (ephemeral stream) with ponds and connecting rills that would run along the whole length of the North edge of the property. This swale system would collect all of the stormwater runoff from the entry area including the driveway thus solving the downhill washing of gravel and soil during heavy stormwater events.

This final stormwater management scheme included a revised entry drive, surrounding fence, improved visual entry gardens, parking area designed to accommodate children’s autos, parking area for travel trailer, tree and shrub plantings, shop working yard, and the sculptural water feature (ephemeral stream with potential addition of recirculation pumps to create a permanent water feature), all to support both stormwater and aesthetic goals.