JONES STREET
Raleigh, NC
Located at the edge of Raleigh’s Oakwood Historic neighborhood, this once-forgotten lot - bisected by a city easement - was subdivided to build two new separate homes. This unconventional infill project came with a unique challenge: to create a landscape that would connect both houses, while satisfying the individual needs of each family.
The process involved a site planning phase where both families participated, agreeing on a common vision, before detailing individual gardens to fit each family’s specific needs. The resulting landscape reflects the original site (where wildlife used to have free rein of the vacant city easement), honors its neighborhood, and matches its new inhabitants: a little wild out back, garden-like out front, a modern touch all around –but above all, friendly.
COLLABORATORS:
The Raleigh Architecture Company
The Raleigh Construction Company
PLanting:
Spring 2022
0.39 Acres total (0.12 + 0.27)
PROPERTY:
AWARDS:
2023 AIA North Carolina Housing Honor Award
2024 AIA Triangle Honor Award
2024 AIA South Atlantic Regional Honor Award
2025 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards
A few carefully placed concrete walls extend the house foundations into the landscape to connect and anchor the buildings, creating a gentle slope used for access and child play. Resilient native plantings (predominantly sedges) provide low-maintenance erosion control and year-round interest. Serviceberry trees, planted along strategic sightlines, help create privacy between the houses while providing edible berries to birds and humans alike. Minimal lawn areas provide city-approved easement groundcover while doubling as play space alongside the driveway.
© LandsongThe “pocket garden”, a mix of shade perennials with year-round interest, provides both privacy and color when viewed from the interior of the house.
Here, stormwater management comes with additional benefits: the two-hundred foot swale lining the driveway – which redirects all site runoff to the nearest city inlet – is stabilized with seed-grown fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea) providing year-round color and texture as well as wildlife habitat (for local bunnies, especially).
FROM OUR CLIENTs
“Working with Claire transformed our property from question marks into our dream outdoor living space. She brought the mind of an architect with the soul of a garden whisperer, seamlessly integrating our home's architecture with native North Carolina plants that actually thrive here. Claire didn't just design landscaping—she programmed our outdoor spaces around how we actually live, creating everything from edible forest areas to secret trails that the kids love exploring.
In a dense neighborhood where privacy seemed impossible, Claire solved the puzzle of creating our "urban treehouse" using strategic plantings and thoughtful design. The result feels effortless and natural, but we know the expertise required to make built and natural environments flow together this harmoniously.”
—Matt and Laura
"We love the blueberries—they're SO delicious! And the best part is hiding behind the tall grasses when we play soccer and games. There's a secret trail that goes all around our yard and we pretend we're explorers. Claire made our backyard the coolest place to play."
