Archive for the ‘Steps’ Category
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
This charming small garden was built to solve drainage issues and impart a French feel. The steps and terraces are made of found stone and found (recycled) concrete. The concrete had been an old parking pad that was removed and used to build the vegetable planter (with buff type S mortar), terrace steps and walls. The stone work was built from stone we recycled on site and mortared with buff type S. The Blue “barn” door was made from the old, undersized pergola we destroyed. The paving is crushed local pea gravel with an extensive underground drainage system made from fabric, gravel, and pipe, all properly sized. 2 weeks, Jan 2010.
Elevated Stone Patio
Elevated Stone Patio in the French Style
Stone Garden
Blue Barn Door
“From the start of our working relationship I have been extremely impressed with John Russell’s enthusiasm, knowledge and professionalism. He worked with me, listened to what I had pictured for our backyard and made that dream a reality. Along with his aesthetic sense John displayed an acute understanding of the technical issues that arise in landscaping. He detected a couple of engineering issues (a leaning brick column and an poor drainage system) and was able to quickly and efficiently solve them. John is also very committed to the project; he was at the job site almost everyday and easy to contact. My husband and I love our new yard and would recommend (and have recommended) John for any project.” – Boullay
Tags: Drainage Systems, gate, Stone Features, stone patio, stone stairs
Posted in Drainage Systems, Fences & Gates, Patios & Pavers, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features | No Comments »
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
This drainage structure was built to catch water off the hill. It is made of Tennessee blue facing stone, Selma Brown riverrock, Terra cotta pipe, found native sandstone boulders, and mortar. Partial day.
Drainage Structe to Catch Water off the Hill
These steps are made of Alabama sandstone slab with found native boulders. No mortar was used. One day.
Alabama Sandstone Slab
This is called the rainbow wall for its form. The wall arches back against the slope as well at vertically. This double arch adds structural integrity to the wall. The end-caps for this wall were made of native found boulders. The wall is made of Tennessee blue facing stone and mortar. The cap is cut Tennessee Blue Stone with mortar. Two days.
Rainbow Wall with Double Arches
This mailbox was built of Oneonta buff facing stone and buff type s mortar. The drainage area was built of Selma brown riverrock and native found sandstone. One plus days.
Stone Mailbox
“…we just love all of the work you and your crew did for us… Working with John and his entire crew was an absolute pleasure. From our very first meeting, we knew exactly what to expect, and when to expect it. John had a terrific feel for what we were trying to accomplish, and provided very good suggestions as the project progressed. The end result turned out much better than we had anticipated. – Kassan
Recently, Russell Design was responsible for the construction a large brick monument sign I designed near the entrance to Lawson State Community College in Birmingham. The plans developed for this project included a rather intricate patterns of brick and limestone work that were challenging to construct. Russell Design did a fabulous job in following the plans and construction details that resulted in the best looking and well built signs of any of the four similar monument signs already constructed on campus. The final product was artfully constructed by the construction crew. Hats off to Russell Design for a job that was professionally managed, completed well within the allotted construction period and resulted in a very happy client. As a landscape architect, I highly recommend using Russell Design on your next project if skill and quality workmanship are what you are looking to attain.
-Dale Fritz, Landscape Architect
Tags: Drainage Systems, stone mailbox, stone steps, stone walls
Posted in Drainage Systems, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features, Walls | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
The wall, steps and patio were built of old (found and recycled) concrete, gravels, pipe, and type S buff mortar. The steps were cut from an old existing concrete pad on site. The bottom pad was grouted with 8910 gravel and will have soil and creeper plants put in. The job took 3 days.
Stone Steps Built with Recycled Material
“This is the second job John has done for me and he executed on time and on budget exactly what we agreed to. Even on small jobs such as mine, John gives big and beautiful results.”
-Lyla
Crestwood Alabama
Tags: patio, stone steps
Posted in Patios & Pavers, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Step Entrance to Woods
Composite stone steps lead from one garden space down into another. The concrete step stone walkway repeats materials used elsewhere in the garden. The sculpture at the end of the walk was made on-site Spaces are created with mostly native and traditional Southern plant materials including Southern Magnolia, dogwoods, oak and maple trees, hollies, hydrangeas, gardenias, itea, and camellias. Birmingham, Al
Tags: Composite steps, native southern plants, walkway
Posted in Edging, Ornamentation, Planting, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features, Walkways | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Entry Walkway
This is an entry into a backyard garden. The concrete step stones were dry laid in crusher run limestone gravel. Massing was created with Indian hawthorn, lambs ear and dwarf yaupons, with the “tunnel” formed from wax myrtle and Nellie R. Stevens holly. Birmingham, Al.
This modernist garden was design as a transitioning materials walkway. The patio is graded from stamped concrete to solid concrete step stones, to running concrete step stones in crusher run gravel and finally to crusher run gravel only. Crisp edging is provided by metal. Plantings consist of native plant material and vegetables. Birmingham, Al. (more…)
Tags: brick wall, concrete steps, Edging, garden, Indian Hawthorn, metal arbor, patio, Planting, stone steps, Walkways
Posted in Arbors & Pergolas, Edging, Fences & Gates, Lawns, Ornamentation, Patios & Pavers, Planting, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features, Walkways, Walls | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
The Spiral Garden
The Spiral Garden was designed for the curator of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and built for a show in Knoxville, TN. The design is based on an overlay of the Fibonacci sequence, ADA, and the structural unit of CMU (8”). It was designed to pull the visitor up though a ramp along a series of cascading pools with fire burning at the uppermost fountain and steps down. The elements of fire, water, earth and sky were all present in the design. Changes in structure (cascades) were a reflection of quantum changes in the basic building unit. The proposed stone is travertine, which has spiral shells (conforming to the Fibonacci sequence) embedded. Not built permanently.
The Spiral Garden Display
Tags: Botanical gardens, cascading pools, fibonacci sequence, garden, stone steps, walkway
Posted in Drawings, Planting, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features, Walkways, Walls, Water Features | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Appalacian Mountain Stones
Drawf Hookera and Stream
Who says you can’t move mountains? Through carefully planned creative landscaping, I was able to create a mountainous feel in this clients backyard. This stream and pond were created as a part of a courtyard renovation. The owners wanted to create a sense of being in the Appalachian Mountains. This was achieved by using native mountain materials such as native stone, ferns, serviceberry, rhododendron, leucothoe, etc. The patio is stamped concrete in a brown tone to match the natural stone.
(more…)
Tags: courtyard renovation, dry-stack steps, dward hookera, mountain landscaping, stamped concrete, stone patio, stone stairs
Posted in Ornamentation, Patios & Pavers, Planting, Reused Material, Steps, Stone Features, Walkways, Water Features | No Comments »
Friday, September 18th, 2009
I am excited to be able to offer my customers and friends a landscaping focused blog that will keep you up to date on my most recent projects. Photos will be added shortly with details of each project.
If you are located in the Birmingham, Alabama area and want to learn more about the benefits of landscape architecture, please fill out our brief contact form and I will respond to you shortly.
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Tags: Alabama Landscape Architecture & Design, landscape architecture, landscaping, landscaping blog
Posted in Arbors & Pergolas, Drawings, Edging, Fences & Gates, Fire Pits, Lawns, Ornamentation, Patios & Pavers, Planting, Reused Material, Seating, Steps, Stone Features, Walkways, Walls, Water Features | 2 Comments »
