New World Associates, Landscape Architects

The Orangerie:
Landscape Sketch Gracht Detail

The design of the gracht, a linear space between the two parallel apartment complexes was designed around the central axis and the twisted building grids.

This interesting combination of juxtaposed forms provided an opportunity to use both line types in the same space with a zigzag or sawtooth design used on the inner wall.

The challenge with this scheme was to bring the two levels of the ground plane and the first floor gardens together. This was achieved using two planter walls, one straight and parallel to the building edge, and one sawtooth parallel to the tilted building grid.

Using both forms integrated the inherent architectural pattern and footprint and brought it into the landscape thus integrating both building and garden.

The Orangerie:
Landscape Sketch
West Detail

The counterplay of the two lines of the buiding footprint and floor plan was used on the west side of the scheme also.

Care was taken to ensure that there was no undesigned "back" side to the project. This highly viewed area as seen from the glazed corridors to the apartments uses paving and pot details to add interest to what would otherwise be a linear strip.

The principle tree types can be seen in the key at right which were citrus, cherry, olive and plane trees; all traditional garden plants reflecting the character and history of the area.