When you’re an architect, your job is about creating all the right lines. So when architect Chris Pfaeffle and his wife Sally purchased their Towson home in 2003 and saw that all of the lines of their new backyard were-in a word-wrong, they knew a major overhaul of the space was imminent.
The couple was only a third of the way finished with the home’s interior remodel when they decided to tackle the backyard, which was not only on a slope, but was tightly configured and all of the elements of it were situated at awkward angles to one another. The 1950s pool also had to be completely gutted and reworked. The main goal for Pfaeffle, the founding principal of the Baltimore architectural firm Parameter, Inc., was to create a cohesive space that flowed with the architectural lines of his newly remodeled home. “He has a great modernist sensibility,” Jeff Schnabel, the landscape architect for the project (who recently moved to Oregon), says of Pfaeffle, “so it was an opportunity to bring that modernist sensibility into the landscape.”
BEATING THE HEAT
Of primary concern to the design team was how to position various components of the yard so that the layout would be both aesthetically appealing and utilitarian as well. In other words, the backyard had to work with the region’s sometimes-temperamental climate conditions.
“The backyard is oriented quasi-east, but also south, so it catches the early sun, then the midday and late afternoon sun, which is brutal in Maryland,” explains Pfaeffle. So, he and his team planned the outdoor space around the sun and how it travels so that even during the hot summer months he and Sally-and their now 8 and 10-year-old sons-could enjoy their backyard all day long, starting with breakfast on the lanai. “The structure blocks the driving east sun midday, then we can go out to the pool deck and swim,” says Pfaeffle.
After a leisurely day at the pool or over in the “side yard” playing croquet or other yard games, the enclosure for a stainless steel grill makes it possible to cook dinner while still playing. “It functions just like the kitchen…you’re still interacting with people, participating in the social scene.”
The enclosed porch-which was added during the interior remodel-provides transitional indoor/outdoor space throughout the year. The custom fireplace makes it a particularly cozy destination in the cooler months. To get the look he wanted, Pfaeffle worked with Matt Ludwig of Baltimore’s Ludwig Design to create a custom stainless steel firebox structure. Ludwig’s minimalist approach allows it to provide warmth while still maintaining the room’s light and airy feel. “We wanted to create a sense of enclosure in certain areas where there might be an evening chill,” remembers Schnabel, “so that it can still be comfortable for the family to be out there at night. Otherwise, the landscape, instead of becoming useful space, just ends up being decorative.”
The Pfaeffles' new indoor/outdoor patio provides transitional space.
PRACTICAL TRANSITIONS
“I don’t know that I have a personal style-it’s more about living,” Pfaeffle imparts. Part of creating an outdoor space that was practical was considering the durability of the materials used in the area. Aside from establishing landscaping that would complement the geometric lines of the house, Pfaeffle “wanted it to be functional,” says Glen Thompson of GE Thompson Landscaping, who installed the planting materials. “It couldn’t be a tender landscape that couldn’t be traversed, especially with two young boys.” The pool deck surface, made of sustainable Trex material, is made to look like exotic Ipe, while the articulated railings are made of durable and stain-resistant Azek.
In addition to giving the kids a place to play, the team wanted to provide Chris and Sally with a relaxing environment. In the previous backyard, says Schnabel, “there was no sense of any outdoor space. Plants were placed arbitrarily, and we wanted to create outdoor rooms and spaces so that when [Chris] and Sally get home from work and go outside, they feel like they are enclosed in this really spa-like setting.”
Establishing that setting was achieved, at least in part, by crafting transitions from the indoors to the outdoors. The biggest challenge was making the sloped terrain gently step down in a way that looked like it had done so all along. As the professionals moved from the house out into the landscape, they were sure to allow for a gradual softening of the hardscaping elements. “By moving from a concrete building material to concrete pavers and gravel, and then just gravel into planting, it provides this nice transition from the hardscape into the landscape,” explains Schnabel.
The original 1950s pool was reconstructed to bring it up to date mechanically and mesh with the yard's modern aesthetic.
STRUCTURAL PLANTINGS
The plantings in Pfaeffle’s backyard provide visual interest and have strong structural qualities about them. Ultimately, Schnabel and Pfaeffle decided upon using large swaths of monocultures (”big areas of the same plant”) to fit with the bold architectural lines of the home. “That helps you to reinforce geometries, and it allows for the overall mass of the plantings to provide the interest as opposed to the individual character of the plant,” says Schnabel. “The danger in that,” he continues, “is if you lose a plant out of that massing, it looks like there’s a tooth missing, so…you have to go with plants that you know are hardy.” So, he chose sturdy plants like laurel, nandina, and potentilla.
Mixing other elements in with the plantings gives added visual interest. “The ornamental grasses between the concrete pavers are a nice touch within the hardscape, providing interesting color and texture,” says Thompson. “The effect really brought the area to life.”
A particularly gallant plant choice was the bamboo installed around the pool, which instantly creates vertical lines that are both rhythmic and offer a degree of enclosure while still allowing light to filter through.
DESIGN ENRICHMENT
“Chris and Sally live, eat, and breathe design,” Schnabel says. “They fundamentally believe that good design enriches people’s lives. When they’re hosting clients or guests, they’re living what they believe, and the landscape contributes to that effort.”
The new backyard is a room in and of itself. The family uses it most months out of the year, as it has become a natural extension of their home. “We went from just going for a quick swim and going back into the house and now we’re able to really live outside in a whole different kind of way,” Pfaeffle affirms, “so it really was a radical, life-changing transformation.”
Annliese Scott is an Editorial Assistant for ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
G. E. Thompson Landscaping: 410-366-8565
Jeff Schnabel: 503-360-6909
Ludwig Design: ludwigmetals.com or 410-491-5883
Parameter, Inc.: parameterinc.com or 410-539-5800
