Old Farm

The pre-design process for this 69 acre coastal farm and forest was performed with local ecologist consultants. Observations and recommendations helped the property owners identify and prioritize projects for more than a decade of phases. This is a small collection of implementations:

The FARMHOUSE project is centrally located within the property. It is used intermittently as a guest cottage by the family and daily as a work-hub for the caretaker. Landscape improvements were restoration-focused with the goal of simplifying and sharpening the old farm framework. New paths connect the farmhouse hub to other gardens, buildings, and the ocean via a series of trails through the woods.

The ecologists identified the CLEARING as a unique environment (sunny opening in an otherwise closed canopy forest) with big opportunity for improvement. The area was covered in a very dense weedy thicket made of Bittersweet, Burning Bush, Rubus, and more. There were trees being suffocated by vines and very little sun hitting the forest floor. During the management process, a series of old stone walls were revealed and carefully restacked. The old stone walls were likely animal pens and included a remnant building foundation. Stone elements were carefully restacked and the area around them seeded with low-growing plants, so they remained visible from the car or trail.

A new BOATHOUSE, DOCK, AND DECK were added at the water’s edge to enhance the family’s active life on the water.