Mile-High Makeover

Project Details Location: Denver, Colorado | Build Time: 5 months | Size: 12,500 sq. ft.

A Complete Team Effort Leads to a New Residential Indoor/Outdoor Experience

The success of any given landscape construction project can be assured by an exceptional team effort between the designers, builders and suppliers. Oftentimes, especially on residential projects, the design and construction are performed by the same company. But this is not always the case.

A recent residential renovation in Denver proves that point. Singing Hills Landscape Inc. relied on Ivy Street Design for the project’s plans. Affiliating with landscape architecture firms is now a standard operating procedure for Singing Hills.

“During COVID, our designer moved back to North Carolina to be closer to family,” explains Jake Leman, vice president at Singing Hills. “And since we had already established relationships with many architecture firms, we strategically decided not to design in-house and just to partner with outside firms. For three or four years now, we haven’t done any in-house design.”

This project involved a complete upgrade of both the house and its grounds.

The design portion of the team included Kaylin Kittle at Ivy Street Design, a landscape architecture firm; and Sarah Sexton, an architect at Sexton Lawton Architecture LLC.

“The client had selected an interior designer early on in the process, which I feel was super successful in creating a truly gracious indoor-outdoor connection with their home,” says Kaylin.

She started on the project in 2020. The first step was identifying what the client’s “ideal goals” were for the outdoor space even before renovation. 

“The architect was one I had coordinated with for several years,” Kaylin says. “We had a good relationship already. And Jake Leman has also worked with Sarah on past projects, so we had a good team going.

“I was brought on board when they were in the early stages of their architectural planning, which helped everything be seamless. Sarah and I could coordinate to see where things needed to shift with the house remodel to effectively create a nice connection with the exterior.”

Singing Hills was not part of the initial design process in this case.

“In our partnership with outside architects and designers, they will often bring us in partway through the design phase to add a construction perspective or, alternatively, once a design is done, they will send it to us for a proposal at that point,” says Jake.

The project ultimately included an in-ground pool/spa, outdoor kitchen, black horizontal cedar fencing, a custom fabricated steel driveway gate, Techo-Bloc pavers, an indoor/outdoor countertop with a window between the inside and outside kitchen, a pergola (designed and installed by a third party), vegetable gardens, plants and Kichler landscape lights.

The centerpiece of the project, according to Kaylin, is the pool—an innovative product designed and manufactured by Soake Pools that arrives as a fully-tiled precast concrete product, mostly-built.

“These pools are cast in concrete and tiled in New Hampshire and then shipped direct to the site,” Jake says. “We then dig the hole and prepare the site before craning the 11-ton pool into place. Once it is in place, we install all the plumbing, electrical, pool equipment, coping and cover before it is ready for the client to enjoy.”

“We’ve become good friends,” Jake says of the pool manufacturer. “We’ve done quite a few projects together. And they’re also a huge fan of the team approach. They have a great product and incredible customer service, and we are proud to have completed many installs with them.”

Kaylin sees the back yard as a transitional space with a modern vibe: concrete and metal softened with minimal grasses and a native planting palette. Combinations of perennials bring color to the area. Plantings include Blonde Ambition, Little Bluestem and Coneflower. Close to the pool are Hot Wings Maple and Japanese forest grass.

“I feel that we were really able to bring in a nice layering of plants to complement the patio spaces,” says Kaylin. “And you can make your space feel so much bigger when you plan correctly.”

The construction was not without challenges. First, Jake remembers the grading being tricky because of the large size of the pavers (20"x30").

“Any sort of change in grade in the patio, and you start getting some of the corners sticking up above the next paver,” he says. “You have to plan accordingly for that.”

Also, because the house was being completely gutted and remodeled, the Singing Hills crew had to work in close proximity with the house-building trades.

The design of the pergola included an electric heater that was on a cantilever over the pool, which Jake knew would not pass inspection. After a little back and forth with the pergola company, that problem was rectified.

Kaylin enjoyed learning about Soake Pools as a new trend and a new element. “Singing Hills was just a great fit to build their project,” she says. “I think it’s so nice when you’re able to coordinate with the architects in those early stages of the design process. We could really create a nice access view out into the yard for that feeling of arrival into the yard from the house.”

Jake adds, “What we really like about the team approach that comes with working with outside architects and designers is the owner is more comfortable with the contractor from the project onset as the designer adds a level of accountability that builds trust quickly among the parties.”

Singing Hills’ team building efforts continue into the future.

“We continue to seek relationships with outside architecture firms as we appreciate the different perspectives and styles that working with a multitude of designers brings,” Jake adds. “We also appreciate that they are a part of our sales team, and they appreciate that we send them work as well. Overall, the team approach has worked great for us.”

GET IN TOUCH WITH...

Jake Leman
Vice President of Singing Hills Landscape Inc.

Phone: (303) 343–4100

www.singinghillsinc.com