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A RUIN GARDEN

This remarkable project evolved from a simple swimming pool project into a much grander, more complicated venture.  A simple oval pool was embellished with a vanishing edge detail, a separate four-season spa, a new open pool pavilion, and a collection of remnant structures suggesting a time-worn ruin or bygone farmstead, adapted for reuse.  In keeping with the French Provençal vernacular, richly-textured antique limestone was used throughout the project for continuity.  An outdoor kitchen space was developed closer to the main house, complete with a rustic timber pergola, antique stone sink, and striking outdoor fireplace.  To connect this space with the pool, a recirculating series of ponds, rills, and waterfalls flow downgrade towards the pool, ending in a bog planting; the moving water becomes the datum around which the other site elements relate.  The bog also clarifies stormwater via bioremediation.  Surrounding plantings reflect the loose nature of the layout, suggesting nature is slowly overtaking the space while the built world is receding further into antiquity.

Design team:  John Milner Architects, Kathi Beck Interior Design, Lighting By Design
Photography:  Stephen Govel Photography

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