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Payne Residence
Awarded First Prize (Professional Category) by the Flagstaff Chapter of the Arizona Native Plant Society
Design Approach & Features
The Payne Residence is a large custom home built on a southwest-facing slope near Flagstaff, Arizona, where sandy and quick-draining soils presented a challenge. Runoff draining from the slope and the large copper roof forms torrents during the rainy season. The house is also exposed to harsh winds that dry out the area rapidly.
To address these issues, the landscape design called for a large, water-harvesting swale to be built using basalt boulders and then backfilled with topsoil. The swale was planted with aspen, hawthorn, chokecherry, and Austrian pines, with an understory of native shrubs, wild flowers, and native grasses. This planting arrangement created a microclimate and offers attractive views. A large swale lined with native stone borders the northwest side of the house and extends to the street below. Large boulders were incorporated to make it appear natural. All the water from the roof now flows into this swale and runs slowly through the landscape during the rainy season.
On the southwest-facing slope, a 1-foot-deep cap of topsoil was seeded with wildflowers, native grass, and mulch, turning a once-barren slope into a vibrant wildflower meadow. Other steep areas were built up with dry-laid stone walls and turned into planters with grasses and yuccas.
The Payne landscape continues to evolve and mature as plants are added each year to create a unique, vibrant, outdoor living experience.
The Landscape Construction Team
- Landscape design and construction: Schaafsma Design
- Stone work: Casciani Stone and Schaafsma Design
Landscape maintenance: Earth Gardener
