The oddly shaped lot is wide near the house, with a narrow strip running to the back of the property line. Lombardi took advantage of this long piece of land by stacking the hard structures there — a pool, pool house and tennis court.
A softer garden sits in the wider area behind the house. The space is organized with lawn in the middle and extensive planting around the property lines.
The site imposed an unusual elevation scheme. Toward the middle of the property sat a large maple tree, which the clients wanted to preserve. This meant no serious grading, and that the main garden would have to sit higher than the house.
To gracefully separate the main garden from the home, a retaining wall parallels either leg of the V-shaped abode (shown above). At house level sit two terraces, one at each leg. Lombardi made sure to place the wall a good distance from the house. Otherwise, the mansion would completely overwhelm the spaces. “We wanted to feel intimate but not crushed,” he says.
