A large residential backyard divided into two distinct zones — one side finished with a pool and patio, the other side an empty canvas meant for something entirely different: natural, organic, and personal.
A year of planning went into this project before a shovel touched the ground. The organic half of the yard was built around three separate water features that each tell a different story. The centerpiece is a near-swimming-pool-scale ecosystem pond — roughly 18 feet wide and over 30 feet long, more than 4 feet deep — with two waterfalls (one feeding a 10-foot stream), a large intake bay for debris, built-in fish caves, and a large decorative urn creating visual and sound interest from one side. A planted spill bowl adds another layer of texture. The system is fully self-sustaining with heavy filtration and extensive underwater and landscape lighting throughout. Closer to the house, a separate set of spill bowls — lit, planted, and positioned for daily enjoyment from the patio — creates a second, more intimate water experience. The third and most personal element is a 9/11 memorial: a 5-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center recovery — brought by the client who worked the cleanup — set in a concrete base and surrounded by large boulders cored into bubbling rocks, with landscape lighting and planting completing the space. An antique brick pathway made from reclaimed Brixie bricks — stamped with city names and old manufacturer marks — winds through the yard to a dedicated sitting area. All surrounding landscaping ties the three features together into one cohesive property.
