Central Overlook

2022 - 2024

Briarcliff Manor, NY

Reclaiming a Hillside: Where Function Meets Intention

Nestled midway down a wooded hillside beside an active stream, the Central Overlook project began with a critical stormwater management challenge. Over multiple phases, we reshaped the land, integrating stormwater solutions, structural plantings, and functional spaces—ensuring the landscape not only performs under extreme conditions but enhances daily life.

What was once an eroding slope is now a layered, site-responsive landscape:

  • A woodland path offers a structured, seasonal journey through the site.

  • A dry brook captures and redirects runoff before it reaches the stone wall.

  • A natural terrace creates space for gathering, play, and quiet retreat.

This landscape has evolved over time, shaped through a deliberate and layered transformation.

  • Phase One | 01

  • Phase One - 02

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  • anemone white flower

    Phase One - 06

  • path blue stone flagstone hardscape

    Phase One | 07

Phase One: A Stormwater Strategy

Installed Fall 2022

The project began with a critical need for stormwater management in the side yard. A newly installed deck had created significant runoff, leaving the lower areas muddy and impassable. The solution was twofold:

  • Redirect water flow away from the home to prevent pooling and erosion.

  • Introduce structure and movement with a walkable woodland path—inspired by the client’s childhood memories of exploring forest trails.

The path not only stabilizes the ground but also evolves through the seasons, featuring:
⊛ Early Spring: Snowdrops, Scilla, and Hellebores emerge.
⊛ Summer: Tiarella, Ferns, Astilbe, and Goatsbeard add texture.
⊛ Fall: White Anemones create a final moment of beauty.

  • stairs garden foundation planting house wall

    Phase Two | 01

  • Phase Two | 02

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  • anemone

    Phase Two | 04

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  • aster bees garden woodland foundation planting garden landscape

    Phase Two | 06

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  • Aster bumblebee pollinator landscape garden

    Phase Two | 08

  • Phase Two | 08

  • flower evergreen shrub perennial

    Phase Two | 10

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  • grasses in flower garden foundation planting

    Phase Two | 13

With the stormwater issues under control, we focused on reinforcing the front foundation plantings, ensuring a landscape that was both structurally sound and visually connected to the surrounding woodlands.

This phase included:

  • Deep-rooted shrubs and perennials to stabilize the slope.

  • Evergreen and deer-resistant selections, ensuring longevity.

  • A carefully placed specimen tree adds structure and seasonal interest, complemented by understory plantings that soften edges and create a sense of balance.

  • Replacing struggling turf with mass plantings of grasses to support stormwater absorption and enhance visual continuity.

Phase Two: Strengthening the Foundation

Installed Spring 2023

  • shrubs Fall Landscape garden Woodland

    Phase Three | 01

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  • Rocks Dry Brook Landscape Garden Design

    Phase Three | 09

  • Phase Three | 10

With increasingly severe storms causing erosion near a stone retaining wall in the backyard, I designed a Dry Brook to capture and redirect runoff before it reached the wall, preventing further damage while integrating seamlessly into the site. Beneath the brook, a subsurface drainage system ensures that stormwater is efficiently collected and managed.

At the same time, I crafted a multi-purpose backyard retreat, centered around a natural flagstone terrace set into the grass—a flexible, inviting space for:

  • The couple to relax after a long day, enjoying a glass of wine.

  • The kids to swing in the hammocks or jump on the trampoline with friends.

  • The whole family to gather around a fire, embracing the rhythm of the seasons.

Designed to feel organic and intuitive, this final phase tied the entire landscape together—creating a space that works with the land, not against it.

Phase Three: A Dry Brook & Gathering Place

Installed Fall 2024

  • Before - March 2022