Tidewater Residence
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Schematic Design through Construction Administration

Tidewater is a 10,000sf private residence on a seven-acre site on Lynnhaven Bay, part of a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. The landscape design seeks to establish an environmentally responsible mediation between the existing site and the proposed program of the house and garden. The client was particularly interested in protecting the ecosystem and preserving/creating wildlife habitat on the property.

Sustainable site design strategies include a bioretention freshwater wetland adjacent to the house for the management of stormwater, the restoration and expansion of degraded tidal wetland and mud flats, grass roofs for the capture and filtration of rainwater, cisterns for irrigation and wetlands, a native plant palette, preservation of nearly all existing trees, removal of invasive exotic plants, and minimal use of maintained lawn and impervious pavement.

Architect: William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, Virginia

Image #4, #6 © Prakash Patel Image #9 © William Abranowicz