The feeling when you experience Crane Lodge is just one of relief,
it's one of disconnecting and leaving all of your troubles behind
and you're able to really immerse yourself in the landscape and connect with the site.
I'm Matthew Cantwell and I'm creative director for secret gardens
and I'm Nick Tuttle senior landscape architect and project lead for crane lodge.
Crane Lodge is located in Sydney's Palm Beach on the Northern Beaches,
approximately an hour and 15 away from the CBD.
The general design brief from the client was to create a
luxury getaway, and the design brief that we were given was broken into several areas,
front and the rear of the property. The focus was primarily on the arrival
and entrance to the property, while also the access up through the site.
Throughout the garden, particularly leading up through the pedestrian entrance,
the plantings are kept relatively low and to further elevate that feeling of
floating. So a lot of native grasses and shrubs were used, and a big focus on making sure
that we didn't over-curate the layout, and it is meant to feel a little bit unkempt.
What's unique here at Crane Lodge is that setting amongst the treetops,
and when you're up in the main living areas, as we are at the moment. We're nestled right into
the canopy of the spotted gums, so everywhere you look there's a view to the garden,
and because of our elevation here, the garden is always moving, so you've always got that
distraction or something that's capturing your gaze regardless of what you're doing internally.
What was unusual about this site was not only the proportions but the steepness of the site.
It's approximately 30 meters from front to back and the house is set a long way
up from the street level, so one of the more complicated parts of our brief was
providing a pedestrian access from the arrival at the street level, all the way up to the house.
Apart from addressing the concerns with pedestrian access up through the site, we're also looking to
include several amenities including a yoga deck, outdoor dining, fire pit and swimming at the rear.
Secret Gardens became involved in the project at a very early stage,
not only did the clients want to create a new garden, but they also wanted
to renovate the home extensively. So we worked closely with Redfern Lynch
Architects, Carole Whiting Interiors and Sherocon Constructions - the builder.
At the first meeting with our clients Kim and Derek, what was really apparent was that this was
an exciting opportunity, a really unique site. The major components were the grove of mature spotted
gum trees, a collection of really spectacular boulders that were scattered up the embankment,
and also that wrap around the rear of the property, creating an amphitheatre effect
and protected environment between the rock face and the residence itself.
The way that the landscape design complements the building, is that it continues that open feel.
There's a strong connection from inside the property, to the outdoors
and I think providing that visual connection was something that we really focused hard on.
With the swimming pool it was important that the shape felt more organic rather
than your classic hard-edged swimming pools. We were always really keen,
where possible to touch the landscape lightly, and one of our main goals for the design in the shape
of the pool was to make it appear as though it was a natural watering hole, something that felt
a part of the surrounding landscape, and that was made so much easier when we decided to
position the pool adjacent to some of the large boulders that we were blessed with on the site.
There was quite a variety of materials used across the site, obviously chosen to be sympathetic with
the surrounds, but also the experience of riding the inclinator which is ultimately how most
people come and go from the main residence. It's actually a really wonderful perspective
and I just love heading up towards the house and seeing the light passing through the canopy,
and the connecting views across the neighbouring properties.
There's so many aspects and parts of this garden which
constantly keep you entertained, however, I really do love the rear of the property the most,
there's just so much amenity and so many activities to take part in.