Congratulations to Arentz Landscape Architects for Woodside Farm and their Merit award in the Design – Built category.

A long drive meanders through the woods and arrives at a gravel courtyard contained by the house and woodland edge. Once inside the house, a perfectly framed view of the Blue Ridge Mountains is revealed, further drawing one into the landscape. This arrival sequence resulted from numerous conceptual studies.

Along with siting the house and designing the gardens, the landscape architect worked closely with the architect and owner to develop the house inspired by a Belgian nunnery. Local limestone buildings were studied to inform stone patterning and details.

The garden spaces respond to the character of their immediate surroundings. The intimate allee garden, tucked into the woods and the pool garden contained by gently rolling topography. The breadth of this landscape is fully realized in its rear facing garden where a lawn contained by a clipped boxwood hedge acts as a foil to measure the panoramic view across the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.

The jury comments that this is “A breathtaking display attuned to the character of place. Woodside Farm demonstrates the power of collaboration between the landscape, the architect, and the landscape architect.”