South Kingstown
Rhode Island
Residential
This residential property sits along the salt water Green Hill Pond on the south coast of Rhode Island. The owner, an avid kayaker, had an issue with the homes dilapidated wooden stairwell to the the dock, due to its’ decay and structural failure overtime and his need to get safely to the dock.
Excavating out the existing boulder rip rap sea wall, we found flat steppers to act as a softer, safer slopped entrance through the boulder wall. These steps will never decay and will last a lifetime. This effect brought the stone steps into the yard some but created a great location to watch the sunset and admire the beauty of the tranquil pond sitting among the boulders that now engulf the stone steppers. The stone steppers used matched the existing rip rap sea wall as if they were quarried from the same location. This gives the impression that they have been there for decades. Especially when the native sea grasses grow back into all the cracks and pockets of soil between the stones.
We had designed and built a raised garden bed in 2020 to fit the owner’s lifestyle needs as well as accommodating composted material for new vegetable growth. With consideration for Rhode Island’s natural inhabitants, a surrounding fence was installed the following year alongside the dock installation.
The repurposed stone doesn’t end at the edge of the water. Outdoor showers line the coast of the homes in South Kingstown and are an every day part of the routine with the owner of this one.
Where bare grass once was, the stones are now set in place to further the shower walkway to the house within the new shower extension. More privacy is allowed with the shower addition without compromising the views or serenity of the pond.
