Bethesda Modern Classic

The Donald Lococo-designed home’s clean elevation is clad in stuccoed brick with a regimented rank of windows and doors. We reflected the stucco in retaining walls that create a courtyard, planting the berm with Magnolias. The front yard is lightly planted with Purple Coral Bells for a pop of color. The rear yard faces a park, so we designed retaining walls at the dark lagoon pool with raised boxes of Crepe Myrtle to bracket the paved space. The contemporary composition includes clean limestone and a hedge of arborvitae to reflect the tension between the clean and the wild. We designed a courtyard with a quartet of uplit hornbeams as sculptural elements. The paving is cantilevered over a Silva cell system so roots can grow, aerate, and drain underground, allowing them to thrive despite the seemingly soilless environment. The elevation of the property sets the tone for a landscape filled with traditional, yet relaxed details.