Casa Buena Terra

casa buena terra

The residence occupies a slightly larger than half-acre parcel near the base of Camelback Mountain, a prominent landmark linking Arizona cities Phoenix, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. The small entrance courtyard and driveway project was renovated nearly a decade after the 2008 remodel of the mid-Century home. Although the spaces are small, and the budget modest, the garden brought to life the client’s desire for a walled front garden to provide privacy and protect the home from the busy street, a garden that is modern and timeless, feels like an oasis and attracts wildlife.
The front of the home, outside the stark white walls and along the driveway, is planted with native plantings. The compacted decomposed granite driveway is lined with an Ocotillo fence, a native Sonoran Desert shrub used by the region’s Indigenous people for fencing and shade structures. The white stucco walls and earth-tone doors are modern references to the region’s traditional architecture.
The small entrance courtyard is accessed through a rusted steel pivot gate. Within the courtyard, an extension of the interior living spaces unfolds. The steel reflecting pool separates the entry court from the outdoor living area whilst embracing fluidity of movement and continuity of space between interior and exterior. The garden doesn’t need much tending to survive and be happy. The garden is on drip irrigation and uses no fertilizer or other amendments. The garden is reflective of the desert, easy to maintain and one that incorporates unusual cactus and succulents. This project demonstrates landscape architecture’s capacity to showcase design that is created in accordance with the constraints and gifts of a region.