CASE STUDY
When you stand on Park City’s mountains at an elevation of 8,500 feet surrounded by breathtaking scenery it becomes apparent why Utah’s state motto is “Life Elevated”. Park City boasts the best views you’ll find in Northern Utah. Its gorgeous views attract people from across the world, eager to call the Wasatch Mountain paradise their home. One of our clients who loves nature partnered with us to design and build their Park City luxury landscape. Building a luxury landscape at an 8,500-foot elevation in the mountains presents a variety of challenges during the design and construction process.
Our designs are inspired by our client’s vision, our designer’s expertise, and the site conditions.
Because this Utah luxury landscape is located in the mountains, we wanted to design a landscape that reflected being outdoors among nature, similar to the feeling that you might experience when you are on your favorite hike.
Our design needed to meet the following requirements:
Informal
No strict lines
The design is intended to feel fluid and blend in seamlessly with the captivating mountain backdrop.
The design is natural and soft on your eyes
The plant and hardscape material are hand-selected from a curated list of species that are suitable to the elevation.
“Nature is powerful. You can’t fight it, you have to embrace it into your design” -Jason Jasperson
We also had to innovate to overcome a variety of specific challenges to build this luxury landscape including:
Transporting heavy plant material up the mountainside, including trees that weigh thousands of pounds.
Steep inclines and uneven terrain that required extensive grading
Inclement weather conditions– including frequent rain and snow– required robust irrigation systems so that water could drain properly.
A substantial retaining wall was required to contain the mountainside surrounding the home.
The plant material used had to be deer and elk-resistant to ensure longevity
Our crew had to be flexible and communicate well to adapt to changing site conditions and geography
If you’ve ever planned an elaborate event, you know that even the best plans are always subject to changing conditions. Although challenging circumstances can frustrate existing plans, skilled designers will leverage this opportunity for creative inspiration.
When we started building the mountainside retreat, the original plan included a grass area next to the back patio. At the same time that our crew was building the landscape, their homebuilder was also building the client’s house. As part of the construction process, the homebuilder had to grade a large area near the driveway so that the home could rest against the side of the mountain. This resulted in a steep decline near the back patio.
Although a waterfall was not in the original plan, our team decided to creatively showcase this elevation change and draw visitors’ attention towards it by building a natural stone waterfall.
“We thought it looked nice to build the waterfall on the declining grade to take advantage of the elevation change and highlight it. This was a perfect place to put the water feature to emphasize the change in slope from the driveway to the basement,” Jasperson elaborates.
This mesmerizing focal point looks, feels, and sounds like the outdoors.
“The waterfall reflects light, gives off white noise, and is relaxing. It creates an intimate feel with nature because you see and hear it.”
Working on uneven terrain is a part of every luxury landscape project in Park City. In our client’s case, their house was built extending back into the side of the mountain.
To accommodate the construction of the home, the landscape design required a massive retaining wall to contain the exposed mountainside. This retaining wall serves a vital safety function for our client. The challenge also presented an opportunity for our team to enhance the beauty of the landscape design by adding layers and framing the property.
“I worked closely with our client on this project to not only meet the existing challenges but also seize new opportunities,” Landscape Design Operations Manager, Daniel Berger describes. “We adjusted their design to enhance its functionality and aesthetic appeal. Through doing this, we delivered a solution that exceeded their original vision while ensuring the project’s success in the changing landscape.”
“Due to the location of the property, we had to visualize, plan, and build a wall large enough to retain the surrounding mountain. There are a lot of tasks that go into this, including stability, irrigation, drainage, and erosion control. To do this well, we had to schedule and plan well with our subcontractors and work efficiently with our teams that handle plant material,” Jasperson explains.
1. To build the retaining wall, our crew spent dozens of hours selecting boulders of the correct size and shape. After selecting the boulders, they excavated the site and prepped for the installation of the material.
“This process is like a puzzle,” Jasperson recounts. “We select each boulder one at a time, and it takes a keen eye to know where these rocks that weigh hundreds of pounds fit so that we can rotate them into position.”
2. Once the initial material was installed, the team spent significant time building the drainage system. Irrigation pipes are also run inside the wall to ensure that the dozens of trees and plant material get adequate water.
3. Finally, the plant material is installed.
“Because of the size of the plant material and the size of the wall, we needed special equipment to lift the trees high enough. We used a telehandler forklift, to lift these massive trees on the wall,” Jasperson describes.
The plant material was hand-selected to meet the following requirements:
It had to be deer and elk-resistant so that it doesn’t become the local wildlife’s next meal
The trees on the retaining wall had to provide privacy for the client
The trees surrounding the house were placed to enhance the landscape and surrounding mountain views without obstructions
“We decided on blue and green spruce, Douglas fir, quaking aspen, and maples”, Jason Jasperson, project manager explains. “Our plant selection team worked with our clients to help pick trees appropriate for the elevation and make sure that they can grow for the local area.”
There are many Spruce on the property flanking the house, which is ideal for creating privacy. These trees form a “mountain trail” or “deer path” because they hide the crusher fine trail leading to the back patio with the natural stone waterfall running alongside it.
As you approach the property and descend the trail, it feels as organic as walking along a hiking trail.
Note: When we’re selecting plant material for a landscape, we always want to achieve balance. Our client personally likes Aspens so we included a significant number of Aspens in the design. Aspens were chosen for their aesthetic appearance because they are tall, white, and their leaves turn yellow.
A ten-foot berm provides seclusion and privacy
The waterfall and retaining wall weren't the only features of the design that needed to change. Our client also desired privacy on the side of the house opposite the retaining wall.
To meet this need, we created a ten-foot berm on the roadside and brought in a couple hundred yards of soil in order to build it. The berm was shaped to give it a natural appearance and hide the house so that it wasn’t visible from the roadside.
“When unexpected site conditions arise, I work closely with the client to turn challenges into opportunities. First, I clearly explain the issue and its potential impact on the project. Then, collaborate to explore creative solutions, adjusting the design to suit the new conditions while staying true to their vision. By being flexible and transparent, we can refine the design together” -Daniel Berger
Change is a remarkably opportunistic force in luxury landscape design because it allows creativity to flourish.
Premier landscape design adjusts for change by anticipating how a site will evolve over time. One must always consider factors like plant growth, site conditions, and shifting client needs to create flexible and resilient designs.
At Sunline Landscapes, when you partner with us to design and build your luxury landscape we turn challenges into new opportunities. Just like this breathtaking mountain retreat we built in Park City, we promise that your new landscape will exceed your original vision and expectations.
