The family of this Upper West Side townhouse wanted a new entertaining space for hosting parties, barbecues, and everyday recreation, but rather than have it be an extension of the house, they wanted to divide the space in two and create an area that felt entirely separate from the home. No easy task in the relatively tight confines of Manhattan. To achieve this vision we left the forepatio mostly untouched and excavated around the far half of the yard. Once excavation was complete, we built a raised thermal bluestone patio screened in by a row of camellias. Once seated on the patio, residents feel as though they are floating above their surroundings, surrounded by their own private forest. We also installed a new horizontal slat cedar fence with black steel posts with a custom laser-cut dahlia motif on one of the panels.
To complete the scene we installed a moongate to add to the sense of transition between spaces. Keeping with the Japanese principle of “borrowed views” from the surroundings, the moongate is specifically positioned to frame the neighboring trees, making them part of the garden. As the garden matures, vines will cover the moongate, making the scene even more magical over time.