A Concrete Masters of Design Winner Floats on Layers

All in harmony: Dean Herald wanted to fit many spaces and amenities into this yardscape, including cooking, dining, lounging areas, and a pool with swim-up bar. But he strived to maintain a close connection with the garden. “It had individual spaces, yet they were linked and visible from all spaces,” says Dean Herald, managing director of Sydney-based Rolling Stone Landscapes. “If you felt like you wanted to go somewhere else, you could identify what it was for and make your way there quite easily.” As an accent, a spherical sculpture was chosen for its strong shape and intricate texture. Tiny metal pieces welded together create a transparent effect that gives the artwork different looks as the light changes.

Hovering effect: Despite all the incorporated elements, Herald wanted a sense of spaciousness. “There are so many things going on, yet I wanted you to have the feeling that you could literally float between all the different layers quite easily,” he says. For this effect, he created an illusion of floating planes, largely by cantilevering various surfaces. Wherever possible, he kept the horizontal surfaces visually separated from the vertical elements supporting them. For instance, the large pillars supporting the pavilion roof connect at the side for a maximum cantilevering effect. This required substantial support on the back wall and the steel beam on the roof’s underside. The use of horizontal timbers to veneer the pillars adds a sense of bulk and strength to subconsciously signal that they are strong enough to hold up the roof. The timbers were set with small plywood spacers in between, leaving larger-than-normal gaps to make each piece more pronounced and enhance the horizontal layered feel. The cooking space is suspended from the ceiling so it appears to float as well.

Stippling effect: A simple rectangular pool blends well with the hardscape elements. The blue glass mosaic tile blend adds a texture that fits well with the softscape. “When you look at the garden space, you have the mottled element of greens in the garden — not every plant is the same color green, so you have the elements of different color greens and other interesting textures and flowers,” Herald says. “I think there’s an interesting opportunity there.” The incorporation of aqua tiles helped pick up the surrounding greens. “If we had one plain color that made just a block of blue, then you miss the opportunity of having shifting colors and tones, which I think works quite well in a pool color,” he says.