The city of Sonoma is well known for its stunning Oak woodlands and warm summer days, so we took full advantage of this stunning heritage Oak tree’s presence as the showpiece for this pool landscape. The client had young children who loved to play outside, but the clients lived busy lives and wanted minimal maintenance while achieving the elegance the property deserved.
First came the pool, which was the counter balance of the design to the Oak tree. Multiblend flagstone and with slender FX Luminaire lighting fixtures around the perimeter also had concerns about sun exposure while at the pool but wanted to do so with an open sky pergola combining both the rustic charm of wine country with sleek contemporary design elements whose color palettes blend seamlessly.
The clients were concerned about sun exposure at the pool but also wanted an open sky pergola. To solve this we created a custom milled rafter set which fit into the bold Cedar timber framing at an angle that provided shelter from the sun, while also allowing a view of the sky and oak above. Bold black steel brackets compliment the richly stained Cedar timbers, once again finding the balance between rustic and contemporary elements.
While steering clear of the heritage Oaks woodline as much as possible to remain in-line with sustainable practices of respecting the root zone of mature trees, Artificial turf was installed with permeable base rock which allows the tree roots to breath and continue spreading. As a low-maintenance play space for the kids the artificial turf was perfect, while also requiring no irrigation. This component plays another critical role in sustainability as not only are we saving water long term, but avoiding damaging the heritage Oaks tree roots by applying supplemental water under the canopy drip line.
