September 28, 2005 (RALEIGH, NC) – “Garden in a Busy Neighborhood,” a project designed by landscape architect Judy Harmon, ASAL, that demonstrates how innovative landscape design can make a Modern house fit comfortably into a traditional neighborhood and become a private oasis for a family in the midst of a busy area, recently received a Merit Award for residential design presented by the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NCASLA).

The award-winning project, located in a busy, established neighborhood on Brooks Avenue near Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, is actually Harmon’s own property, which she designed in collaboration with her husband, architect Frank Harmon, FAIA, who designed their residence.

The decision to site the long, narrow house near the south boundary and to leave the center of the site open for a sunny garden and swimming pool were keys to Harmon’s successful design. Walls and fences, covered in vines, follow the perimeter of the site for pool protection, privacy, visual quietness, and to some extent, a sound barrier.

The couple chose the site, Harmon said, because of its proximity to N.C. State University (Frank Harmon serves as an associate professor of architecture) and because it features mature mulberry and willow oak trees. To insure the health of those trees, the house rests on piers rather than a trench foundation. This also allowed Harmon to site the house and garden walls near the trees without hurting their roots.

Since the house featured large glass windows, Harmon planted the north side of the property with wax myrtles and live oaks for privacy. She used three existing large trees to create a dark, shadowy entrance to the house in contrast with the bright views of the garden from the large living room window. Later, she added a grove of redbuds to the west near the dining room. Over the years she also added a long daylily bed, a small water lily pool, and a large perennial area “which was planned to be more private than a typical front yard but friendlier than most backyards since it was on the street,” Harmon said. Other outdoor “rooms” provide for gardening, entertaining, swimming and relaxing.

To further enhance the health of the mature trees on site, Harmon specified permeable paving material for the driveway and car “court” so that water can penetrate to the roots.

The awards jury called the project “innovative” and expressed its appreciation for Harmon’s efforts to protect the trees.