Words by Adrienne Dyer. Photos by Sama Jim Canzian.
Designed by Architect Franc D’Ambrosio of D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism and built by Matthew Jardine and RyanGoodman of Aryze Developments, the 3,500-square-foot, five-bedroom dwelling consists of three levels arranged around a wood-clad staircase and concrete fireplace. Surrounded by mature laurel hedging andunder a canopy of mature oak and maple trees, the Rockland property was an ideal canvas for Bianca Bodley of Biophilia Design Collective
to create a lush modern landscape that appeals to all the senses.
“The rooms and spaces of the house were conceived as private and semi-public zones,” says D’Ambrosio, whose design capitalizes on natural light, views, and the family’s flow of daily life between indoor and outdoor spaces. The basement is for recreation and on the main floor, the kitchen and great room open onto cascading outdoor terraces. There are four bedrooms on the upper floor, including a master bedroom cantilevered over the terrace, which, Jardine says,
“is a sight to behold.”
“The backyard is a particularly incredible space,” says Jardine, “and it’s all nestled under an exposure you would normally have a hard time finding anywhere but a sprawling farm.” Three terraces start with a barbeque area gradually descending to the lounge area around a large fire vessel, then down to the hot tub and pool overlooking a bocce court set into the lawn. A mature crimson maple tree Bodley carefully transplanted from the front yard is placed as a focal point, visible through the house from the front door, with salvia, lavender, nepeta, and rosemary for scent and colour.
“The clients wanted a classic garden that is lush and cohesive, and requires minimal maintenance conducive to their growing family’s active outdoor lifestyle,” says Bodley. A layered palette of evergreen plants of varying heights and textures stand in vivid contrast against the charred, Shou Sugi Ban exterior siding, milled locally from western red cedar and framed with steel fascias, eavestroughs, and rainwater leaders pre-finished in rustic zinc grey.
“The sense of arrival was an important feature of this design,” says Bodley, who created privacy and a sense of intrigue to the grand front entrance with a winding basalt stone path through a mature rhododendron forest with an understory of native ferns and ground covers that echo a forest floor. Eventually passing under a 20-foot Japanese snowbell tree to a landing flanked by bamboo and ferns, the entire garden is set beneath mature, existing trees. Viewed from inside and out, the feature maple trees are a key focal piece that serves to tie the front and back landscape together as a mirror reflection.
“We cherish opportunities to team up with companies like DAU, Biophilia, and Bidgood & Co. Interiors,” says Jardine. “Our scope was to take the striking design and figure out how our incredibly talented team of carpenters, painters, and electricians could realize this vision.” The collaboration exemplifies design, construction, and landscape in flawless harmony.
