Dan Gordon Landscape Architects Redefine Waterfront Living in Osterville

In a plan that complements the classic architecture of the house and that breathes in sync with the setting, Dan Gordon Landscape Architects created an outdoor oasis on a waterfront property in Osterville, Massachusetts.

After tearing down the old house to build a new shingle-style house and guesthouse, the owners commissioned the team at Dan Gordon Landscape Architects to create environmen – tally sensitive outdoor spaces that feature the animated views and enhance the character of the property, which faces West Bay and offers boat access to Nantucket Sound.

Although the lot is small—it’s surrounded by coastal buffer areas—the owners’ program was quite ambitious. They envisioned a pool, a spa, and a pool house as well as seating and dining areas for entertaining family and friends.

“It’s their primary home, so the program was significant,” Dan Gordon principal Patrick Taylor says. “A central challenge was to make the design of these elements connect seamlessly with the buffer areas to both the west and north.”

Collaborating closely with the architect the team created a sense of arrival with a chipseal drive with cobblestone accents that curves toward the entry court.

The native plantings are carefully curated to merge with the landscape, transitioning from more formal in the front to more relaxed in the back, which faces the water.

A pair of white-flowering crape myrtle trees that mirror the double gables flank the front door. They, as well as banks of white hydrangeas and staid boxwood, set the tone and give a hint of the vision to be discovered as each space is revealed like the pages of a book.

In the back, colorful perennials, including Russian sage, catmint, and agastache, liven things up, encouraging guests to put their feet up as they watch the boats in West Bay.

To that end, the terrace by the guesthouse is edged by tussock hair grass, which Taylor says was chosen because “it flows back and forth in the breeze.”

A honey locust tree provides dappled shade—and serves as a vertical design element—poolside.

Many of the trees on the property were incorporated into the new design, which enhances the natural look of the property.

The back elevation was not level, a factor that “gave us the opportunity to create intimate and expansive views,” says Taylor.

Dan Gordon Landscape Architects designed a series of stepping-stone terraces, creating what Taylor calls “a multilevel design that connects interior and exterior spaces.”

To tie all the spaces together with the architecture, the team designed a Chippendale-style gate on the side of the house that relates to the exterior railings on the residence. And they repeated the reclaimed New England granite that was used on the veneer of the house on the series of walls that retain and support the landscape program on the bluff.

The backyard amenities are centered around the pool house, a structure that opens on two sides, erasing spatial boundaries. It flows onto a patio with an ipe deck that has a view of the boats in the bay.

“The beautiful property was the inspiration for the design,” Taylor says. “And it was a team effort.”

The owners love the fact that the property gives them a strong connection to the water. “Each space was designed with the intent to capitalize on the visual and physical connectivity to West Bay,” Taylor says.

KEY SUPPLIERS: Landscape Architect: Dan Gordon Landscape Architects; Architect: Catalano Architects; Primary Contractor/ Builder/Developer: Kendall and Welch Construction; Landscape Contractor: R.P. Marzilli & Co.; Interior Design Firm: Katie Rosenfeld & Co.; Pool: Custom Quality Pools