When building a new home for a client, would you like to work with a landscape designer or landcape architect who works to the same high quality standards as you do? Do you want the confidence of knowing that the landscapers you choose to liaise with have extensive experience working in close consultation with Melbourne's leading builders?
Over the past 30+ years, we've had the privilege of working with many of Melbourne's finest Architects and builders on wonderful projects for our clients. The end result has been a home and a garden that our clients love and that both companies can be proud of. That's what we aim for each time.
In this article, we'd like to share a few projects with you where we achieved exactly that outcome. because of the great working relationship we have with builders.
We believe that when both builder and landscaper strive to work together in harmony, the best outcome for the client is assured. A well-designed, high-quality home with an equally well-designed garden is the goal. As is a smooth journey towards that end.
This holiday home was built during the Covid lockdowns. So there were many challenges for both the builder and ourselves as landscapers.
However, working with the team at Latitude 37 was a joy all the way through the journey despite those challenges.
We had the pleasure of designing and constructing the outdoor space surrounding this delightful holiday home built on the Mornington Peninsula. It was a stress-free experience perhaps made easier by the fact it could not be used much of the time, reducing the pressure on all parties.
One of the things to note about this project was the outstanding level of workmanship and quality of the build. As landscapers, we are sometimes exposed to flaws in new home construction that the homeowners themselves might not even notice but which can affect the work we are trying to do for them.
Inaccurate measurements or any aspects of a building not lining up square can cause major issues for us when working on features of the garden that connect intimately with the home such as decking or paving for example.
One example is when the pillars that support a front porch or rear alfresco dining area are not square to the house, as this can be a real challenge to pave around them. (An error often not noticed until the work commences.)
As we have found on other Latitude 37 projects, this was not the case, and everything about this lovely property was built precisely as per the plans ensuring we could deliver a garden of equal quality.
Flexibility and cooperation make for the best possible working relationship between this builder and us as landscapers.
We always do whatever we can to avoid 'turf wars' - where there is disagreement over whose responsibility any particular aspect of the job is.
A typical example might be the steps leading from the front patio down to the garden path on a sloping block. Should the builder build the steps down to where the path WILL go and so build them before the path is laid or should whoever is laying the path also build the steps up from the path to the home after the path is laid?
Ultimately the client doesn't really care who does it, so long as it is done properly. But this is a classic case where a very good working relationship between the builder and the landscaper is critical to ensuring it is.
When we think of builders who we always have a great working relationship with, one comes immediately to mind. Tim, a director at Emerald Building Services, is a great person who cares a great deal about what is being built and how it is being built.
Naturally therefore we found the renovation works to this Mornington home were done in perfect harmony with our landscaping works.
We found working with Tim on this project was easy as always. Any challenges on the project were handled through good communication and cooperation. A classic example was the concreting of the driveway. We originally had this job as part of our scope of works but we saw that it would be better done by Tim at the same time as the concrete steps were getting poured by Emerald's contractors. So we moved the concreting from our responsibility to Tim's crew for a better outcome for the client.
We are always happy to be flexible for our clients when working with builders and it's always great when that willingness is matched by the builder.
As we are both a landscape design/landscape architecture and landscaping company, we can take an entire project from design through to construction.
With new homes, we are often asked to commence working on the garden design while the house is still being built. (This is smart timing for most clients as it means the garden can be designed and approved and the work started as early as possible after the external elements of the house are completed.)
In order to start working on the garden design, we of course need a copy of the house plans. Now the challenge here is that if there is a significant difference between the house as it was designed and the house as it has been built our garden may not be able to be built as per design.
A typical issue can be when the floor level of the house as built is not true to the floor level on the plans. If this is out by a significant amount it can affect everything from the height of the deck to the depth of the pool to the way the slope of garden beds or paths or other garden elements work.
We are always so pleased when we arrive on site and the floor level is correct to the house plans. Englehart is one of those luxury home builders we can always rely on to build precisely to plan, making our job easier too.
But also it is so much better for the client when the builder thinks ahead to the work the landscaper might be doing and allows for this in their own work. For example, Englehart Homes actually thought ahead on this project and excavated the entire site with our future landscaping works in mind.
What this meant was that there was a very smooth and easy handover of the site from the builder to us as landscapers. Everything just flowed and there were no surprises for us when we arrived on site. This meant we could just get on with creating a fabulous garden complete with a pool that the client could enjoy.
In the end, the client has a beautiful Englehart home and a gorgeous Whyte Gardens garden, the best of both worlds.
When building a very sophisticated now home, it is imperative that the design of the outdoor spaces and garden is done in full and complete consultation with the architect of the home.
It is also critical that everyone involved pays attention to even the minor details. Great attention to detail is often the hallmark of Melbourne's finest builders.
When we think of builders who have that focus on detail, Thomas Archer Homes is one that comes to mind.
In one particular project, this attention to detail really came to the fore.
As shown in the screenshot below this project included a pool. Uniquely the pool butted up directly to the wall of a basement in the house that was directly below the lounge room.
In such a case there needs to be very clear and detailed communication between the builder, the landscaper and the pool company as well. Should any of the details regarding the house be incorrect that could affect whether the pool might leak into the basement or even worse.
When designing the outdoor spaces and garden, including the pool, we needed to be absolutely sure that every "i" was dotted and every "t" was crossed. We knew that when we received answers from Thomas Archer, they were detailed and correct. This meant that all the engineering aspects of the job would be correct and we could proceed with confidence.
The end result was a delightful home with a lovely pool for the client.
Sometimes the way a builder or architect and landscaper/designer work well together can't be pinned down to any specific detail. There's no real example of anything in particular that happened in a project which made it noteworthy. Things on the project just click. There is excellent exchange of ideas and communication that ends up leading to a better outcome than expected.
And sometimes the architect can have ideas about the garden that are drawn from the house itself.
One example of this was a project we worked on with a company called Architest. They recommended us to the client and so we began designing the garden while Architest were designing the renovation of the home.
One of the key things they had thought through was the impact that the renovation of the home would make on the landscape of the garden. So they brought some observations and recommendations to use which were based on these.
As they did so early in the design process, we were able to run with these ideas and found them easy to incorporate into the landscaping work itself.
All in all, it made for a very simple and smooth project with ideas that complemented the renovation nicely and pleased the client. Which in the end is what matters most.
Work with the best - get the best
This article mentions just a few of the many great architects and builders we have worked with over the years. And continue to work with.
But there are many more who are not mentioned here.
We like to think that we bring the same level of professionalism and high standards to our work that you bring to yours.
If you would like to discuss engaging with us for landscape design and landscaping services for your clients please contact us at Contact Us