Wyoming Snow Fence to California Beach Cottage
Balance Character Organic
These were concepts I wanted to integrate into the landscape design of a newly constructed home in Laguna Beach, California. Maintaining the existing and historic character of the neighborhood was essential to getting this project approved. The residence was entirely new, so how to make it look like it wasn’t?
Traversing the state of Wyoming during my first summer as a resident, I was flummoxed as to why random sections of ten-foot high horizontal wood fences dotted the plains. One day, when I came across a raised road closure gate in the middle of nowhere (at least from an ex-Californian’s perspective) with a sign noting winter closures, it dawned on me. These fences were to keep the blowing snow at bay. Over the ensuing years I heard about a company that was the ultimate in “repurposing”: Centennial Woods builds these fences new, then reclaims the aged wood and sells it. As noted on their website, “Wyoming's intense weather conditions are ideal for producing stunning and sustainable weathered wood. Wyoming climate is so intense that our wood skips the energy-intensive process of kiln drying, making our reclaimed wood a carbon-negative product."
HERE WAS MY ANSWER!
Back to the beach. The new cottage home had a non-traditional landscape plan, placing the outdoor dining space in the front of the home. In addition to keeping in kids and dogs, a low front fence was a key element to create a sense of privacy for the dining area, yet still be inviting to a very neighborly street. Using the snow-fence material in a horizontal pattern mimicking the actual snow fence accomplished this, providing excellent air flow and interesting shadow patterns while satisfying the original goals of adding character to the streetscape with a nod to sustainable design. The design decision to have the fence tie into the elements of the front landscape as opposed to pulling from the architectural details of the residence was intentional. Using rustic fence material in a contemporary design reflects the architectural character of the beach cottage but is a clear departure from the ubiquitous white picket fence. Complementary gray tones in both the fence and the house bring the overall design together. The posts and ipe (a teak-like wood) boardwalk will weather to a similar gray in a year, blending the wood materials and completing the “been there forever” beach feel.
Balance Character Organic.
Architect: Scott Laidlaw, Laidlaw Schultz Architects
Landscape Design: Cathy French Design
