Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/380056
about preservation practices and help set expectations. Some clients are willing to compromise on what they want if they understand the value of what they have. Initial discussions also include talk around the style of the landscape desired, the big-picture opportunities for what can be done with a site, and eventually the technical end of things, which includes soil quality and plant selec- tion. "But first," says White, "what we want to talk about is the spirit and artistry of the space in terms of daily viewing and daily living." They are not quick to start construction. "The most important thing to us is designing a space or project or site that the client owns, that is about them and reflects what they want." Toward that end, they spend a lot of time listening and just as much time sharing ideas. "We also spend a lot of time kind of stewarding their thought processes to [guide] them towards doing something thoughtful, logical, and beautiful." Currently, the ZEN group has two North Shore projects underway. In Manchester-by-the-Sea, they are collaborating with a design team that includes Adolfo Perez and Meichi Peng on behalf of a client whose ultra-modern home is perched on a ledge abutting the ocean and nestled into a noteworthy selection of old-growth trees. "We've gone a great distance to preserve and expose a natural, sort of mas- culine ledge—it's a quintessential North Shore coastline." They have also recently broken ground on a Swampscott site where they are installing a stream that starts at the house and cascades down in a series of waterfalls to terminate in a large pond peering out toward the ocean. White is especially proud of a path beneath the main waterfall that enables peo- ple to walk under a canopy of water. "We love to chat with people about their projects," he enthuses. "It's a big invest- ment, and it's important to find a design/build firm that you can have a good relationship with from the beginning—and that is creative and experienced." ZEN Associates is pre- cisely that sort of firm.zenassociates.com ● n 142 Landscape ne By Hand: White uses both traditional and technological tools for designing. KHOURI FLOORING 139 Washington Street Marblehead, MA 01945 781-639-1206 Ralph@khouris.com www.khouriflooring.com We use the finest techniques to refinish and preserve your hardWood floors. our attention to detail is renoWned, and the most discriminating homeoWners trust their refinishing and installation projects to us. We offer a complete service dedicated to selling and installing floors in your home or commercial space. We specialize in restoration of antique floors Photograph by Michael Basu