The carport and large black walnut tree at the rear of this yard made it challenging for the owners to have a green and spacious garden: the paved driveway that leads to the carport takes up much of the middle of the yard, and a black walnut’s roots release a natural herbicide that prevents many plants from growing within their reach.
By inserting a new deck immediately behind the house, we were able to make the yard feel more expansive and meet the client’s request for a shaded dining area, while retaining both the tree and the carport. The emphatic horizontality of the fence – constructed from standard-size boards – ‘lengthens’ the deck. Through a combination of staining and illumination, the fence glows from within in primary colours. A gate in the fence connects the owners’ yard with that of their good friends living next door. Weathered steel planters on the deck and by the driveway create a garden foreground, while the deck opens up long-range views to the black walnut and other trees in the vicinity.