REIMAGINING THE OUTDOOR ROOM
A new take on the private enclave by Dallas-based landscape architects Armstrong Berger.
Landscape architecture, at its best, is refreshingly impervious to fads. Yes, there have been a few low moments—the “deck”—and we still have the horticultural bores who insist on row upon row of “seasonal color,” but, for the most part, landscape architecture remains the practice of purists.
John Armstrong and Bruce Berger fall neatly into that category. The two architects of the eponymous Dallas-based firm are masters of the “outdoor room,” and their reputation for classic architectural solutions has propelled them to international fame. But as lofty as their references may be, their philosophical approach is both literally and figuratively down to earth. We recently visited their Uptown office and, in a comfortable conference room filled with art history books, folk art, and copies of National Geographic, pored over photographs and slides from their archives. For anyone in love with garden design, it was a major trove. Here’s just a sampling.
The principals: Bruce Berger and John Armstrong graduated from Texas A&M and have been partners since 1984. They serve an international clientele, from Mexico City to East Hampton, New York.
PRIVATE COURTYARD
“We want people to come out and experience the garden,” Bruce says. “This isn’t easy in Dallas, where the essential garden experience lies somewhere between the car and the front door.” To meet the client where he lives, John and Bruce designed a shady enclave in the driveway between two zero lot line homes. This elaboration on the idea of the outdoor room is perfect for a driving town such as Dallas. “In any architectural situation, there’s a sense of procession and progression that is natural. We can create intimacy well before the front door,” John says. The drive is made of Pennsylvania bluestone with a limestone border.
TUSCAN ENTRY
Not all garden design takes place in the yard. For this Tuscan-style villa, John and Bruce cloistered the front entrance of the house, creating a garden to help the homeowners shake off the day before even entering the house. To achieve a sense of respite as well as protection from the street, the walled space is filled with simple plant materials, such as wisteria, clipped boxwood, an espaliered evergreen shrub, and ground cover, along with a classic Tuscan water element. “With this entrance, we tried to set the tone for the rest of the property,” Bruce says. The effect is both calming and visually appealing.
REFRESHING POOLS
Even the prosaic “we’d like a pool” request has a more visually complex and dramatic result. During the interview process, the architectural team learned that their clients had small children, that they wanted a place where family and guests could relax together, and that they wanted enough space to swim laps. Rather than create one pool that couldn’t be all things to all people, John and Bruce proposed layering three pools onto the property: a wading pool, a pool with seating around the inner perimeter so family and friends could visit, and a classic lap pool. The result is architecturally stunning—and useful as well. (Below left) John and Bruce introduced pool fountains to add dimension and create a sense of refreshment, even on the hottest Dallas day.
INTRIGUING STAIRWAY
“There’s a misconception that landscape architects decorate with plants,” Bruce says. “Our role is to create outdoor space that often includes plants. But, in a sense, the plants are really secondary to what we do.” Using screens of various materials including plants, stone, trees, and water elements, John and Bruce designed a series of intimate worlds that evoke an almost childlike pleasure. The back entrance of a Dallas property was walled to create an element of mystery and surprise. “We try to pace the sense of arrival,” Bruce says, “slowing everything down so that when someone encounters the space, he doesn’t see everything at once.”
