Hilltop Residence, Richmond, Vermont

The Hilltop Residence entrance garden is an abstracted representation of architecture and site expressed in simple bold gestures; a metaphor of Basho‘s haiku poem, The Hilltop Temple. Both the poem and the garden focus on the experience of arrival, placing special emphasis on the ecology and history of a place. Guided by a joint love and appreciation for art and poetry, a close collaboration was established between the landscape architect and the client. Taking cues from the site, materials were selected based upon their individual intrinsic beauty and their contribution to the overall composition. A simple yet bold palette of materials was selected for subtle variations in hue; verdant moss, ferns, birch and maples together with the precise use of stone bands emulating the site datum. In addition a trough of light, reflective by day, richly bisects and unifies the spaces at night with a gentle wash of light.

Awards
1998 National ASLA – Merit Award
Architect
Truex Cullins & Partners Architects