martinhouseclr

140 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT adjacent property (administrative / visitor center) define minimally low boundaries off the western periphery, but otherwise allow interpretive views eastward across the entire frontage. The spatial relationships between the house, porte-cochere, driveway and public sidewalk serve to minimally enclose a small area of lawn near the front porch of the house, but otherwise, the perceived front yard includes views across the landscape to houses on Summit Avenue. Likewise, when viewed from the west along Jewett Parkway, the view towards the site is dominated by the eastern façade of the administration building at 143 Jewett and the landscape of the historic core property is imperceptible. Though somewhat defined by topography, the Floricycle area bleeds into the Jewett and Summit frontages. The distinctive spatial landscape definition of the existing Floricycle area is provided by the topographic changes near the street corner, though only visible at close range. The verandah itself, projecting out from the house to the east, provides the strongest definition of space, creating a small “pinch point” between the eastern edge and the public sidewalk along Summit Avenue. Views out to the Floricycle space from the interior of the Unit Room and the verandah are prominent, however, with the landscape ground plane far below floor elevation and without vegetative materials, the expansive 180-degree views are primarily of the neighborhood and street corner. The verandah itself is exposed and highly visible from the exterior surroundings. A few small street trees, with young and low sitting foliage canopies, provide minimal enclosure to and from the street. At the north end of the Floricycle two existing mature black walnut trees provide a minimal separation of spaces between the Floricycle and Summit Lawn, which then extends uninterrupted north toward the Barton House. A visual link exists across this lawn, between the activity spaces on the Martin and Barton verandahs. However the link is not framed or spatially well- defined by any landscape features and could be characterized as the decks of two individual boats passing one another in an open sea. The scale of the space is enormous and is made more so by inclusion of scale figures in the view - such as parked cars along Summit Avenue or pedestrians on the sidewalk. Views to and from the pergola and southeast door of the conservatory are uninterrupted by any features in the landscape, allowing a high degree of visual access along the entire Summit streetscape. The pergola stands out significantly in views across the Summit Lawn, particularly from the public right of way, as its mass is broken by the open air between the columns, revealing green foliage that exists in a hidden landscape beyond. The Summit Terrace bounds the complete west side of the lawn and acts as broad shallow plinth on which the pergola and conservatory sit. From the Summit Avenue right of way, the terrace is only defined by the thin visual line of the low wall and is hardly distinguishable from the Summit Lawn. However, from within the lawn itself, or from interior views from the house (the upstairs bedrooms, the unit room, the pergola, and the Barton verandah), the terrace is seen Fig. 132, top Existing view west across Jewett frontage from the street corner. Fig. 133, bottom Existing view of Jewett frontage.