A very private River Oaks couple who loved the simple life purchased a lot and decided to construct a house that reflected their ideals. They wanted the home to be surrounded by as much greenery as possible, with the lawn itself forming a sort of grass courtyard on both sides of the house. They also wanted landscaping around all lawn edges, an aesthetic and concealed drainage system, and a very unique, custom swimming pool designed to preserve as much greenery as possible.

The front yard of this home led out to a major street and was characterized by rich San Augustine grass and massive oaks in the front near the sidewalk. The problem was there was no way of draining water from this lot, and the architect had hit a roadblock when it came time to develop a drainage system for the house itself. Standard gutters could not be installed on the home because it had been constructed with exposed rafters that extended past the sides of the roof. The architect asked us to develop an alternative way of moving water off the property while still maintaining the natural aesthetic of the house and surrounding landscape.

We determined that the best way to accomplish this would be to surround the entire front yard with a French drain made entirely of gravel. We laid down the gravel in the shape of a picture frame, creating the aesthetic of a grass courtyard made entirely of natural elements. Functionally, it offered an even greater, hidden value as well. Gravel is a natural drain that quickly pulls water away from vegetation and man-made structures with equal efficiency.

On the other side of the home, we were asked to do something even more unique