Sunken Patio and Black Locust Climbing Wall

Our clients reached out to us looking to add more character and function to their small, urban backyard. To achieve this, we designed and constructed a sunken patio decorated with native plantings to complement their existing pear tree. A custom climbing wall, handmade from black locust wood, was installed to create a unique play space for the clients and their children.

Natural stone stairs lead into the patio space lined with cor-ten steel, floating black locust benches, and two custom cor-ten steel planters. Ten-foot black locust posts were installed in the corners to allow for café-style string lights to be hung. Ten square feet of concrete, which made up much of the original patio, was removed to increase the available planting space. A pattern was cut into the portion of concrete that was not removed to add texture and blend in with the transformed landscape.