Modern house with gray wooden siding, metal roof, large glass doors, and a small landscaped yard with trees and shrubs.
Modern house with large windows surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs, with a well-maintained grass lawn and native plants in the garden on a sunny day.
A lush garden path leading to a body of water, surrounded by green bushes, trees, and flowering plants, with a boat on the water in the distance.
A modern house with a metal roof and large windows, situated beside a body of water. There is a backyard with a swimming pool, surrounded by lush green grass and landscaped bushes and trees, with a view of the water and a distant shoreline.
Modern backyard with a rectangular swimming pool, four lounge chairs, lush green lawn, bushes, and large trees overlooking a body of water and boats in the distance on a sunny day.
A large green tree with a canopy of leaves providing shade over a grassy yard. There are two chairs placed underneath the tree. To the right, there is a modern house with glass walls and a patio.
View from a porch showing a deck with a black table and wicker chairs, overlooking lush green bushes, a river, and a clear blue sky.
Modern house with a metal roof, large glass windows, and a spacious lawn with shrubs and trees, under a clear blue sky.
A backyard with a rectangular swimming pool, four white lounge chairs, and a view of water and trees at sunset.
A landscaped outdoor garden at sunset with a large tree, lush bushes, grass, and a body of water in the distance.
A modern two-story house with large windows, surrounded by a well-maintained lawn with a rectangular swimming pool and four white lounge chairs, during dusk with a partly cloudy sky.

Perched on a hillside overlooking a pristine lake, this project set out to unify two adjoining properties — one with a primary residence and the other with a guest house — into a cohesive, environmentally sensitive landscape. The clients, avid swimmers and outdoor enthusiasts, wanted to enjoy the lake while helping to protect its water quality.

A natural depression between the two lots posed both a challenge and an opportunity. Rather than filling it, LaGuardia Design Group transformed it into a defining feature — a planted seasonal streambed that captures and filters stormwater before it reaches the lake. Native sedges, switchgrass, and little bluestem stabilize the slopes, while a bridge across the stream connects the two homes through a network of simple turf paths. The restored waterway now serves as both a visual and ecological link across the property.

To further protect the lake’s ecosystem, LDG minimized turf areas and replaced invasive plants with native shrubs and trees such as shadbush, bayberry, inkberry holly, and red cedar. The result is a seamless, sustainable landscape that blends naturally into its lakeside setting while uniting two distinct properties into one harmonious whole.