In a historic neighborhood just southwest of Boston, the grounds of a Mediterranean-style estate had much to recommend them. A sweeping lawn, mature specimen trees, a quiet reflecting pool, and a quaint pond all enhanced the stately atmosphere of the early 20th-century home. But the landscape had none of the transitional areas prized by modern families: no zones for outdoor living, entertaining or recreation.
Working closely with architect Claudia Noury-Ello, owner and interior designer Abby Yozell and her husband, John, engaged landscape architect Richard Burck Associates, Inc. and the landscape construction team of Robert Hanss, Inc., to help them devise a plan to update the historic estate. Their vision was two-fold: enhance the feel of old-world grandeur and relaxed elegance that the grounds already possessed, while also creating a timeless landscape fit for modern living.
Bob Hanss, whose team today is responsible for maintaining the landscape, noted: “This was a grand, and very old garden…with great older plantings and so much unique character. Respecting the history that was there was important. It was a chance to revive an older, historic estate for needs of the 21st century.”
Photography by Justine Hand.
Above: Matching the scale and architecture of the house, the pool feels as if it has always been there.
One of the first elements that the design team added was a grand pool which runs the length of the elegant lawn. Intentionally minimal, it provides a focal point, leading the eye toward the house from one end, or toward the large pines when viewed from the opposite end.
Above: Viewed from the house, the pool is framed by tall pines that serve as a transitional element from the more formal lawn shown here to the woodland and pond below. 
Above: Its edges flush with the ground, the pool blends seamlessly into the lawn.
