Native sabal palms frame the beautiful coastal architecture while native understory plantings soften the home.

Opening the kitchen up to the garden is a morning ritual. The Balmoral House is located within the lower north-shore suburb of Balmoral. The site presents many difficulties being wedged shaped, on the low side of the street, hemmed in by two substantial existing houses and with just half the land area of its neighbours. Where previously the site would have enjoyed the benefits of a sunny rear yard beyond the rear building alignment, this is no longer the case with the yard having been sold-off to the neighbours. Our design process has been about finding amenity where on first appearance there appears to be little. The design stems from the first key observation, that the view to Middle Harbour is better from the lower ground level due to the height of the canopy of a nearby angophora that impedes views from the first floor level. Placing the living areas on the lower ground level allowed us to exploit setback controls to build closer to the rear boundary where oblique views to the key local features of Balmoral Beach and Rocky Point Island are best. This strategy also provided the opportunity to extend these spaces into gardens and terraces to the limits of the site, maximising the sense of space of the 'living domain'. Every part of the site is utilised to create an array of connected interior and exterior spaces The planning then became about ordering these living volumes and garden spaces to maximise access to view and sunlight and to structure these to accommodate an array of social situations for our Client’s young family. At first floor level, the garage and bedrooms are composed in a linear block perpendicular to the street along the south-western to enable glimpses of district views from the street as a gesture to the public realm. Critical to the success of the house is the journey from the street down to the living areas and vice versa. A series of stairways break up the journey while the main glazed central stair is the centrepiece to the house as a light-filled piece of sculpture that hangs above a reflecting pond with pool beyond. The architecture works as a series of stacked interconnected volumes that carefully manoeuvre down the site, wrapping around to establish a secluded light-filled courtyard and terrace area on the north-eastern side. The expression is 'minimalist modern' to avoid visually complicating an already dense set of circumstances. Warm natural materials including off-form concrete, neutral bricks and blackbutt timber imbue the house with a calm quality whilst floor to ceiling glazing and large pivot and stacking doors create light-filled interiors, bringing the garden inside. In the end the design reverses the obvious strategy of an elevated living space with balcony facing the view. Rather, the outcome is a grounded compact family home sculpted around daylight, views to Balmoral and intertwined living and garden spaces that satisfy the social needs of a growing young family. Photo Credit: Katherine Lu

Tamara Alvarez

over 400-year-old pub was in a dilapidated state and no longer a viable business. Mark designed the conversion to one bedroomed homes for the property developer and they were snapped up.

All the water that drains off the roof comes out to a Water Retention Pit and in keeping with the Watershed Approach.

Stunning contemporary coastal home which saw native emotive plants soften the homes masculine form and help connect it to it's laid back beachside setting. We designed everything externally including the outdoor kitchen, pool & spa. Architecture by Planned Living Architects Construction by Powda Constructions Photography by Derek Swalwell

Grade II listed building renovation and extension in Notting Hill. EMR successfully managed to get planning for a basement under the front pavement and make alteration to this Grade II listed building. The client wanted to create 2 bedrooms with maximum storage space in the top floor which was a real challenge that we achieved. We also dealt with the Council, the Heritage statements, the arboricultural specialists, the Party wall, structural etc. The house was featured in the July edition of Living etc. https://www.livingetc.com/features/pastel-power

Kim Rooney

Leigh Castelli Photography

A unique blend of cast cement and Techno Block Capstone. was used to create this walkway from driveway to front door.

Mike's attached pictures of his "basketball themed" half court were taken in the front yard of his residence in Columbus, Ohio. The dimensions of the high school sized half court are 44 feet wide and 30 feet deep. It includes a home and away bench, player drinking fountain, night light and drench drain. All done in local high school colors, black and gold. Landscaping is not completely done yet. This is a Hercules Platinum Basketball System that was purchased in June of 2012. It was installed on a 44 ft wide by a 30 ft deep playing area in Columbus, OH. Browse all of Mike C's photos navigate to: http://www.produnkhoops.com/photos/albums/mike-44x30-hercules-platinum-basketball-system-573/

In the countryside not far from a popular west coast beach, this inter-generational family home is comprised of a main residence and three small individual buildings as the secondary residence. Following the strong lines of the architecture, and using the buildings as shelter from the wind, we designed a stepped fence to create an enclosed outdoor living area, linking a series of courtyards and decks together to manage the level changes of the site. While each small building has its own intimate outdoor space, these spaces combine to connect the three buildings into a whole home, providing space for the extended family to gather. The courtyards also incorporate a spa pool, barbeque, clothesline and utility area and outdoor shower for the grandchildren after those sandy visits to the beach.Referencing the colours of scandinavian coastal country homes, each of the three entry gates was painted a different feature colour, making it easy to guide guests and other visitors to the appropriate entrance. This palette was then repeated through the plantings and outdoor furnishings used. The plants chosen also incorporate a selection of New Zealand natives suitable to the site, a number of edible plants, and a selection of 'old favourites' that the clients had loved from their past gardens in Christchurch ... including photinia 'red robin', flowering cherry trees, wisteria and Compassion climbing roses.Outside of the protected courtyard, planting is minimal to allow the beautiful view over the wetland and wider landscape to capture full attention.This garden is still under development, the lawns are developing well and the next round of planting is about to begin. Photos : Dee McQuillan

Colorado Vista Landscape Design, Inc.

The built form is kept low to share views with the street. The Balmoral House is located within the lower north-shore suburb of Balmoral. The site presents many difficulties being wedged shaped, on the low side of the street, hemmed in by two substantial existing houses and with just half the land area of its neighbours. Where previously the site would have enjoyed the benefits of a sunny rear yard beyond the rear building alignment, this is no longer the case with the yard having been sold-off to the neighbours. Our design process has been about finding amenity where on first appearance there appears to be little. The design stems from the first key observation, that the view to Middle Harbour is better from the lower ground level due to the height of the canopy of a nearby angophora that impedes views from the first floor level. Placing the living areas on the lower ground level allowed us to exploit setback controls to build closer to the rear boundary where oblique views to the key local features of Balmoral Beach and Rocky Point Island are best. This strategy also provided the opportunity to extend these spaces into gardens and terraces to the limits of the site, maximising the sense of space of the 'living domain'. Every part of the site is utilised to create an array of connected interior and exterior spaces The planning then became about ordering these living volumes and garden spaces to maximise access to view and sunlight and to structure these to accommodate an array of social situations for our Client’s young family. At first floor level, the garage and bedrooms are composed in a linear block perpendicular to the street along the south-western to enable glimpses of district views from the street as a gesture to the public realm. Critical to the success of the house is the journey from the street down to the living areas and vice versa. A series of stairways break up the journey while the main glazed central stair is the centrepiece to the house as a light-filled piece of sculpture that hangs above a reflecting pond with pool beyond. The architecture works as a series of stacked interconnected volumes that carefully manoeuvre down the site, wrapping around to establish a secluded light-filled courtyard and terrace area on the north-eastern side. The expression is 'minimalist modern' to avoid visually complicating an already dense set of circumstances. Warm natural materials including off-form concrete, neutral bricks and blackbutt timber imbue the house with a calm quality whilst floor to ceiling glazing and large pivot and stacking doors create light-filled interiors, bringing the garden inside. In the end the design reverses the obvious strategy of an elevated living space with balcony facing the view. Rather, the outcome is a grounded compact family home sculpted around daylight, views to Balmoral and intertwined living and garden spaces that satisfy the social needs of a growing young family. Photo Credit: Katherine Lu

Photos by Cameron Botfield Using porcelain paving, rendered walls, artificial grass and cedar screening we have transformed this unusable garden to create a beautiful space for the whole family to enjoy. Using the very best materials that offer long guarantees, this garden will be extremely easy to look after and will remain looking great for years to come.

A small courtyard garden in San Francisco. • Creative use of space in the dense, urban fabric of hilly SF. • For the last several years the clients had carved out a make shift courtyard garden at the top of their driveway. It was one of the few flat spaces in their yard where they could sit in the sun and enjoy a cup of coffee. We turned the top of a steep driveway into a courtyard garden. • The actual courtyard design was planned for the maximum dimensions possible to host a dining table and a seating area. The space is conveniently located outside their kitchen and home offices. However we needed to save driveway space for parking the cars and getting in and out. • The design, fabrication and installation team was comprised of people we knew. I was an acquaintance to the clients having met them through good friends. The landscape contractor, Boaz Mor, http://www.boazmor.com/, is their neighbor and someone I worked with before. The metal fabricator is Murray Sandford of Moz Designs, https://mozdesigns.com/, https://www.instagram.com/moz_designs/ . Both contractors have long histories of working in the Bay Area on a variety of complex designs. • The size of this garden belies the complexity of the design. We did not want to remove any of the concrete driveway which was 12” or more in thickness, except for the area where the large planter was going. The driveway sloped in two directions. In order to get a “level”, properly, draining patio, we had to start it at around 21” tall at the outside and end it flush by the garage doors. • The fence is the artful element in the garden. It is made of power-coated aluminum. The panels match the house color; and posts match the house trim. The effect is quiet, blending into the overall property. The panels are dramatic. Each fence panel is a different size with a unique pattern. • The exterior panels that you see from the street are an abstract riff on the seasons of the Persian walnut tree in their front yard. The cut-outs illustrate spring bloom when the walnut leafs out to autumn when the nuts drop to the ground and the squirrels eats them, leaving a mess of shells everywhere. Even the pesky squirrel appears on one of the panels. • The interior panels, lining the entry into the courtyard, are an abstraction of the entire walnut tree. • Although the panel design is made of perforations, the openings are designed to retain privacy when you are inside the courtyard. • There is a large planter on one side of the courtyard, big enough for a tree to soften a harsh expanse of a neighboring wall. Light through the branches cast playful shadows on the wall behind. • The lighting, mounted on the house is a nod to the client’s love of New Orleans gas lights. • The paving is black stone from India, dark enough to absorb the warmth of the sun on a cool, summer San Francisco day.