Reemergent

A design completed for Studio Nocturne’s rebuild of a mid-mod ranch home in Seattle. For this project, we got to play with a few very different zones around the house, all tied together with a warm, bronze-y pallette that pops against the new wood siding.

First, in keeping with the architect’s desire to showcase the new facade against the ground plane, we created long massings of grasses along the foundation to reinforce the horizontal lines of the house. In the backyard, we planted coppiced cotinus, yarrow and verbascum among vertical boulders: early succession species beginning to re-emerge and cover the ground of the recently disturbed site.

Next, we created a lush native perimeter around existing cherry trees, added lots of edibles (huckleberry, currants, etc.) and herbs. The dense fence line of the backyard serves as a counterpoint to the minimal aesthetic at the house facade.

To top it all off, being inspired by their existing palm, we designed a shade garden around a small side patio to bring a lush, tropical feel to the intimate space. The garden, situated off the dining room windows, can be enjoyed from inside all year long.

This planting design highlights the resilience of ruderal plant species and natives on a site completely changed by development.