Anderson Architecture

Property Edge
Screening

Adjacent Properties
Screened

Native Plant
Species

9-months
build time

Project Overview

Woodline Retreat - From
Commercial Edge to Private
Escape

Turning a technically residential property into one that truly felt like home

Location
Harwich, MA

Landscape Architect
Peter McDonald And Kimberly Mercurio

Project Type
Blended Residential

Completion
9 Months

Scope of Work

This seasonal family home sat on a lot next to an existing restaurant challenged by privacy and noise. We installed a new backyard space that utilized an existing evergreen screen and built a new backyard pool and entertainment area with walls to help define the new outdoor space.

●Utilized a dense evergreen privacy screen and enhanced with plantings along property edges
●Built new walls to allow for grade changes
●New pool and hot tub established
●Planted new screening in woods on back property line to create privacy between neighbors. Also, installed new privet hedge to block view from street.
●Created a new outdoor patio and entertainment space

We designed and installed a landscape that softened harsh boundaries and gave the property a clear residential identity. Screening, spatial reorganization, and strategic planting helped separate the home from its commercial surroundings while still honoring its woodland character.

The success of this project came from integrating hardscape, grading, and plantings into a build. By implementing the design we built a custom patio, retaining walls, and planting areas that work together to create a landscape that feels both functional and timeless.

Design Challenges

Despite being technically residential, the lot felt like an extension of the neighboring businesses. With woods pushing up to the house and no clear boundary between the restaurant and nursery next door, the space lacked privacy, identity, and comfort. The challenge was to create a warm, livable atmosphere without erasing the site’s natural charm.

What We Did

Evergreen Privacy Buffer
We installed a layered evergreen screen to block direct views from the restaurant and nursery, creating an immediate sense of seclusion.

Residential Transitions
The new architectural addition was softened through thoughtful grading, native planting, and hardscape transitions that made it feel established and permanent.

Sense of Arrival & Ownership
We reoriented pathways and viewsheds to guide the eye inward—anchoring the home visually and spatially on its lot for the first time.