COMPANY: Lifescape Colorado
LOCATION: Boulder, Colo.

This landscape design strikes a balance between contemporary and traditional French design elements, influenced by the clients’ travels through Europe. As a new build, this project needed to meet Boulder County’s green building standards. The county sets strict limits and guidelines on permeable surface areas, high-efficiency irrigation, shade trees, mitigating light pollution and more.

To meet those goals, more than 84 percent of the site is permeable. The permeable paver circle driveway at the front of the property surrounds an existing maple tree. Irrigated turf makes up 18 percent of the 34,000-square-foot lot’s green space.

“There’s the dark sky requirement in Boulder so we had to downlight everything,” says LeAnn Ostheimer, executive vice president of design/build for Lifescape Colorado. “Any up lights had to be tight against the house and had to have cowls on them.”

Another challenge to the project was the site’s location in a floodplain. The property’s 100-year flood drainage needed to remain intact.

“We designed a cobbled street dry stream, and we planted layers of perennials among it,” Ostheimer says. “There’s a path that meanders through it with bridges that go over the swale.”

The project won Lifescape Colorado a Gold Award from the 2021 National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence program.

 

Clean lines define a modern look for the functional and accessible indoor/outdoor living space in the backyard. Every room in the house opens to the back of the home.

 

In the back courtyard, 3/4-inch Belgard Mirage tile and tight grout lines in the seating areas create a more intimate scale. Three rows of larger tile with a granite chip grid highlight the open space of the lawn, which frames a custom fountain.

 

Sand-finish concrete steps break up the green space of the lawn between the courtyard. The lines highlight the firepit and add lighting to the terraced downslope.

 

The fire pit features a mix of textures and seating. The artificial turf offers guests the ability to sit on the ground around the fire if desired. Built-in seating provides a view of the entire property.

 

The back courtyard offers both dining and lounge seating. The large wall of glass doors provides a clear view into the interior living room. The stacked stone carries themes from inside the home to the outdoor space.

 

This view from inside the living room looks out to the patio and lawn. The custom fountain centers the opening between the indoor and outdoor living areas. Also in view is the natural trail area in the back of the property.

 

The trail area, complete with flagstone slab bridges over rock creek beds, highlights an area designated to mitigate drainage swells of a 100-year flood.

 

This view shows the entry fountain focal point and courtyard coming from the property’s cutting garden. The stacked-stone wall separating the cutting garden is also seen in design elements throughout the home’s interior and exterior.

 

The permeable circle driveway highlights the property’s European influence. The driveway wraps around an existing maple tree. Layers of shrubs, grasses and blooming roses and hydrangeas follow the lines of the home and the driveway.

 

This before photo looks out from the back courtyard toward what will be the lawn area through to the natural trail and dry stream bed.

 

The backyard construction in progress before hardscape installation. These photos show the area covering the client’s hidden underground garage.

 

The original 1970s suburban home on the property with an inset of the grand entry courtyard for the new home.

 

A close-up shows the courtyard entrance with a custom fountain. This entrance continues the theme of bringing the outdoors in with its large windows and glass doors. The path lighting meets the area’s light pollution restrictions.