Drawing Board – April 2012

Location: Midcoast Maine
Landscape Architect: Ann Kearsley Design
Architect: Attardo Pondelis Architecture
Builder: TBD
Landscape Contractor: TBD
Acreage: 8.5+
Construction Start: Spring 2012

A homeowner’s desire for privacy within a landscape designed around the patterns and materials of the Maine coastline created opportunities for place-making on a larger scale. Using landscape forms of forest and glade, a phased planting expands an existing native woodland and frames the light-filled wildflower meadow surrounding this Maine residence. The palette of trees and shrubs in the proposed western woods transition from upland to shoreline species, in a series of broad bands, a pattern revealed during seasonal displays of flowering shrubs and brilliant fall color. The meadow planting flows into the entry garden, where wildflower and native grass species mingle with ornamental varieties of perennials and ground covers.

The gravel driveway cuts across the new site geometry at an oblique angle, bringing visitors through groves of oak and red maple and offering glimpses along pathways leading to interior woodland spaces. A network of trails winding throughout the 8.5-acre site gives the homeowners access to the incredibly rich and varied landscape just outside their front door. The building, designed in 2004 by Van Dam Architecture and Design with proposed 2012 additions by Attardo Pondelis Architecture, steps down toward the shoreline, and the interconnected garden spaces immediately around the house are on multiple levels. Terrace, patio, screened porch, and lawn accommodate a range of entertainment options, from intimate family suppers to elegant summer cocktail parties.

Ann Kearsley Design: annkearsley.com, 207-756-8899
Attardo Pondelis Architecture:
attardopondelis.com, 207-221-0801