PROBLEM:Our clients wanted to create an ecologically sensitive outdoor space for their farmhouse that could allows them to live and entertain others safely (several venomous snake species occur here), without damaging what existed on site. The main problems faced on the site were due to the slope of the land, issues with basic maintenance of infrastructure and gardens, and proximity of this site to forest land. Due to these factors, much of the site could not be used.
Aggressive seasonal growth of forest plants and grasses was a concern as they quickly took over the conventionally planted landscapes. The lack of water on site was also one of the larger issues to maintaining the gardens, and conversely during the monsoon, handling the mammoth amounts of water coming through the property and eroding the soil was a concern.
SOLUTION:We used an ecological restoration approach for this site, and worked on minimizing spaces that could create human-animal conflict. We provided landscape options with the possibility of edibles and conventional species working together with the forest plants that would grow here.
Using native species which could handle drought conditions and provide a seasonal hue and create competition for the aggressively invasive tall grasses also helped. A design was created to break the flow of water that ran through the property, and diversions made so that we could use this water on other areas of the property. We also created water holding basins to collect soil washed off from above the property.
These 'natural ponds' can be dried, silt collected, and this eroded soil from the mountain slopes (rich in organic debris) can be used on site, thus lessening the need to bring in soil from elsewhere. Besides silt collection, these ponds were created with aesthetics in mind, people using them as recreational spots to “chill out” in during the heat of the day, or as good spots for conversation and socializing outdoors in the evening, with the right lighting.
Client: Shamima and Mukul Taly
Location: Kalote, Maharashtra, India
Date: 2008
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