EXTERIOR REMODEL: OUTDOOR URBAN RETREAT

This backyard project, winner of three awards, fits within a typical narrow city lot. Here we designed a gorgeous, 2.5-car space — with Tudor detailing to match the home's existing architecture — and a fully integrated "urban retreat." The new garage comfortably houses the homeowner's prized Citroën collector's car while, just around the corner, friends and family can gather under a trellis to enjoy meals or roast marshmallows in the wood-burning fireplace. A swing set is built into the trellis and set over recycled rubber mulch. Hidden out of sight is a dry well and rain garden to capture run-off from this newly-created hardscape. Soapy residue from rinsing cars no longer washes into the alley drain (and into the Mississippi River just two blocks away). All building materials are recycled or from eco-friendly sources.

Photos: Paul Markert, Markert Photo, Inc.