Summer Getaway in Lake Geneva

This lake house was used a summer retreat for many years.  But as the family grew, so did the demands of not only the interior spaces of the house but the landscape as well.  The landscape design team worked in close collaboration with the architect who was responsible for the house renovations.

The main objective of the landscape project would be designing a walkway connection from the driveway courtyard to the renovated rear terrace that overlooked the lake.  At the time, the only way to the lake was either through the house or traversing a steep lawn path along the side of the house.

Having the house situated on a steep hillside made for a big challenge since the access route in the front of the house to the back was only 12’ wide. Another challenge was that the house was still being used by the family as construction progressed.  Therefore, the crews were very considerate making sure that the site remained not only safe but tidy.

The general contractor did an excellent job compacting the gravel that was used to backfill the promenade retaining wall.  However, the design called for a planting buffer to avoid a handrail on the retaining wall.  The installation team had to remove the unnecessary gravel and bring in proper planting medium to create an ideal planting bed.  Drainage and weep-holes were also designed in the planting bed to avoid excessive water retention.