VODA Landscape + Planning

Salt Lake City’s urban core is undergoing a renaissance of sorts–with increased interest in reusing under-utilized properties for commercial or residential projects. VODA’s been working on landscape design for a residential project in the transit-oriented development area around the  900 South TRAX light-rail station.   With a client looking for a modern style and sustainable energy and water usage, the landscape designed is intended to need minimal care and sticks with straight, clean, modern lines. We’ve also incorporated the reuse of materials already on-site, including brick and sandstone from an old home foundation.

Here at VODA, we’re big believers in the value of urban infill. For many reasons property in established neighborhoods can become available, or a community may decide that there are better uses for things such as parking lots, industrial areas, or underdeveloped land.  We’ve been working for CityBlock lately to assist with the development of a modern home in the midst of Sugar House bungalows here in Salt Lake City.  The old house was destroyed in a fire a few years ago, and CityBlock has been working to fill in the gaping hole that left on this street.  Just a block from the new Sugar House Streetcar corridor, this project is just the beginning of the many new development projects that will happen in the corridor’s neighborhoods in the years to come. The house is developing quickly, and will be done in a matter of weeks.  The landscape is beginning to take shape, and we look forward to seeing the final product!

With a Japanese style garden beginning to show its age, the client enlisted VODA  to design a clean, updated zen garden for their Federal Heights home.  Focusing on concepts of simplicity, asymmetry, and clean lines, the new garden design re-imagines the use of a small space.  VODA used local and adaptive materials such as dark granite and low-water use plant species to create a distinctly local take on traditional zen garden design.

VODA worked with the client to create a landscape master plan for long-term implementation.  With the owner working on a home addition and garage remodel, the team worked together to craft a plan that would include all the design elements needed in order to maximize the small home lot.  These included a large new patio near the front entry, a shade structure and new shade tree for the back yard, plants for screening and privacy, garden growing boxes, and a dog run area.  With special attention given to water efficiency, the final plan reduced the total amount of lawn by 50%, and reclaimed space previously unusable due to grade change.

With a small and poorly organized backyard in Salt Lake City’s Avenue’s neighborhood, the client needed to rethink how the space was to be used. VODA worked closely with the client to design spaces that would be of the most use to them, including two outdoor patio spaces, large seating steps connecting the upper and lower levels of the yard, and a large “green screen” to mask the parking area. We brought in some additional shade for the south facing yard using a strategically placed shade tree, and an overhead canvas shade structure that could be retracted when needed.

Working with a very small space can often encourage more efficient use of precious square footage. With an outdoor space measuring only 22 feet by 24 feet, every inch was important for the client of this Rowhaus Residence. VODA designed a simple, modern space, with clean lines, reflective of the Bauhaus aesthetic of these townhomes.  In such a small space, the planting scheme needed to be simple, but effective. To achieve this, the plant list uses only four plants, carefully selected for their form, color, and sun requirements. VODA also incorporated an in-ground gas fire pit that could be covered when not in use, and simple 36″ high planters to add verticality to the space.

VODA worked closely with the clients to create a residential outdoor space to meet precisely the needs and aesthetic of their family. With not much space, and some challenging existing conditions, the final design created a small lawn space as well as a comfortable outdoor entertainment space for intimate or large gatherings. With a large southern exposure, the space also need a shade structure that would improve the overall useability of the space, which VODA designed to fit the space.

In 2004 VODA directed the landscape rehabilitation for one of Utah’s most unique Mid-Century modern homes. Designed in the late 1950’s by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Stromquist residence is one of the last projects Wright designed, and is Utah’s only Wright creation. Finished after Wright’s death, the home has had a fascinating history, and was returned to the original homebuilder’s ownership in 1999, Mr. Don Stromquist.

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Undertaking a challenging home remodel and addition, the client worked with VODA to update the landscape on the large property surrounding the house. Set on the edge of Salt Lake City’s foothills, this residence needed a very specific planting scheme, and several retaining systems to ensure the safety of the home.  In addition, the client needed a landscape that was low maintenance, and deer resistant. The final landscape plan includes an area for a fire pit, a hot tub, sledding, vegetable gardening, and a large “entry plaza” to the home.

VODA was enlisted by the home owners’ association of the historic Dakota Lofts in downtown Salt Lake City to aid in a renovation of the existing landscape. Set in a highly trafficked urban environment, the landscape needed to be hardy, sustainable, and beautiful. The existing landscape was dominated by high-water use Kentucky bluegrass, and was beginning to show the wear and tear of any busy urban landscape.

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