From precipice to perfection … the metamorphosis of this steep, awkardly-shaped backyard is nothing short of remarkable
Landscape of the Year Awards Entrant QLD
With a renovation planned for their 120-year-old residence in Teneriffe, an inner-Brisbane riverside suburb, the homeowners, Jane and John, knew the time had finally come to confront what was the most troublesome area of their property — the backyard. Unusable and unappealing, it was just dirt and tree stumps — and a towering, craggy cliff face that claimed the lion’s share of the space.
When multi-award-winning landscape designer Noel Brown, director of Bioscapes Gold Coast, first inspected the site, he knew that tackling the challenging terrain would be a tall order. Not only would he and his team be, quite literally, up against a steep cliff face, the backyard transformation had to take place while the home renovation works were being carried out, resulting in limited access and budget constraints.
Drawing on his more than 30 years of experience designing and constructing award-winning outdoor spaces, and his innate ingenuity, Noel took the reins of the project to deliver a remarkable landscape renovation that is modern yet timeless. The design includes a unique swimming pool, a viewing deck, and an 8m-high feature facade — made from grey-toned Modwood decking and quarried stone which was cut and crafted on site — that rises up between them and curves around the former cliff face like a giant wave.
This was a monumental project that involved detailed and lengthy planning. Noel prepared the preliminary concept design two years before construction got underway and he made 15 site visits to work out the details with the couple. “It’s really important to get to know my clients — what they love, desire, and need — because only then can I come up with a design that will send them over the moon,” says Noel. In the end, John had such faith in Noel that he told him “just do what you would do if it was your place”.
The luxurious, uniquely-shaped pool, its interior tiled in a deep sapphire hue, nestles against the outdoor dining terrace at the rear of the home, the sophisticated colour the perfect complement to the enduringly elegant travertine tiling.
For a bird’s eye view of the pool and Brisbane skyline, there is a deck perched above the pool. A platform-style walkway that culminates in a set of un-oiled iron bark timber stairs wends its way up to the viewing deck, which was finished in Modwood to match the facade of the towering feature wall. Made from recycled wood and plastic, Modwood is a very low-maintenance composite decking product that looks and feels like real timber.
The emphasis on minimal upkeep is also evident in the considered planting palette. “As John and Jane are overseas a lot, they needed a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant landscape that looked great throughout the year and basically took care of itself,” says Noel.
“I chose hardy architectural plants that would look stunning with very little effort. There are feature plants, such as dragon trees and aloe vera, in pots stepping neatly down the walkway from the viewing deck to the main house. There are also two feature pandanus trees we planted in giant but lightweight, highly-durable fibrestone pots. The pandanus trees each weighed around 600kg and we had to manually carry and drag them up to position them.”
The larger potted plants sit on stainless-steel checker floor plates. These reflect the sun and create an effect Noel says “looks like large fish scales moving around each pot”. Adding some sparkle at night, there are runway lights embedded in the timber stairs. In fact, the entire landscape can be safely used and enjoyed after the sun sets, courtesy of an elaborate Aqaulux lighting design by Clinton Black.
The construction of the landscape, for which Bioscapes has won a plethora of awards, including from Master Builders Queensland and Landscape Queensland, presented Noel and his talented team with some very significant challenges.
“Clearing away the rough dirt wall of the cliff face by hand was a job to test anyone’s mettle, and with 37 tonnes of material that needed to be manually carried up the mountain, including steel, timber, concrete sleepers, soil and gravel, this project has gone down as the greatest challenge in the history of Bioscapes,” says Noel. “The end result was certainly worth it, though — and it’s been a definite career highlight!”
Describing the completed landscape as “mind blowing” and “so much better than we imagined”, John and Jane are thrilled with their private paradise, from the opulent pool to the elevated deck that offers a luxurious place to entertain or unwind, not to mention a breathtaking panoramic vista.
For more information
Bioscapes Gold Coast
Mobile 0413 127 890
Email noelbrown@bioscapes.com.au
Photography: John Downs, Aerial photography: Aerial Advantage
