Custom Rill and Catch Basin

This project in Chester County, PA, was an adaptive reuse of a centuries old barn foundation and a collaborative design and construction effort between PondWorks and Stillwater Landscape Associates. The client had remains of a stone foundation on the property that they wanted to re-purpose as a garden space. The old stone foundation provided an ideal enclosed garden giving the space a very  private and intimate feeling.  It was designed to function as a place for contemplative reflection or as a  hub for entertaining.

The existing barn walls also had the remains of the original silo foundation attached, which offered a unique opportunity for a water feature. Our design wanted to play off the idea of the original function of the silo; we created an abstracted chute and substituted water for the grain that would have once flowed from the silo.

What we developed was a custom fabricated rill made from weathering steel that allowed the water to flow from an unseen source above the observer down and into a new concrete trough that was recessed in what would have been the floor of the barn.  The new stonework strove to match the existing, and the concrete basin was distressed to match the foundation walls authenticity.  With subtle lighting and delicate landscaping, this water feature is a hidden gem residing underneath a white oak pergola made from salvaged lumber from Hurricane Sandy.

Project: Secret Garden

Water Feature Contractor: PondWorks

Designer: PondWorks / Stillwater Landscape Associates

Landscape Contractor: HE Smith Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance