Preserve history--but keep it modern Email
News
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 04:00 AM


Bloom Concrete historic preservation“As a family-run business, we enjoy working with clients to bring fresh ideas to aging landscapes,” says Lauren Bloom, co-owner with husband Micah of Bloom Concrete & Landscape, Lakewood. They have brought new life to many landscapes throughout the Denver area for almost nine years.

“I look at Houzz for inspiration, but it’s just that,” says Bloom. Her A to Z list of inspiration folders cascades the length of her computer screen from aquatic pools to Zen gardens. From here, she draws upon hundreds of carefully categorized photos to invigorate her creativity on projects, often old properties with rare quirks and budget-sensitive.

“I prefer clean, modern designs that match my client’s vision—and their budget,” Bloom says. A recent project that earned the firm the 2017 ELITE Award for Sustainability presented a challenge with an historic twist. “My client had interviewed three or four other companies and complained, ‘They weren’t listening to me and ignored me when I told them I wanted the landscape integrated with the architecture.”’

The client had well-informed ideas about how the updated landscape should fit with their house in Morrison, CO. The landscape needed to blend in with a home repurposed from an 1875 schoolhouse as well as with the industrial vibe in their recent add-on to the antique structure.

The project involved a composite of LEED-inspired guidelines and historic preservation, as well as site safety concerns involving four kids and their friends, two dogs, four bunnies, lots of chickens and roaming rattlesnakes. Several mounds of dirt with suspected debris also had to be graded and perhaps cleaned of trash. And don’t forget the budget. Bloom got a tall order when she agreed to rehab the disheveled one-acre site with a not-to-exceed budget cap.

Landscape archaeology
Surprisingly, nearly 80 percent of needed hardscape materials emerged from dirt-covered mounds on the site when only 40-50 percent was expected. Excavating a hole where the owner believed sandstone wall blocks had been tossed and buried long ago recovered building materials used for new walls. Happily for clients, the savings went to planting a veggie garden and adding irrigation to the native areas.

Digging up other grass-covered mounds uncovered stones thought to be from the original school construction. These stones were repurposed into new mortared walls that terrace the new landscape. Discarded school desks and chairs were also unearthed and repurposed for the kids’ play areas.

Savings
Other cost savings came from the client’s willingness to live with the existing patio and play structure. Bloom’s team also moved and divided plants already on the site to new garden areas which would be watered primarily by downspouts and other drainage. New raised garden beds for veggies and other areas for berries and grapes gave the client the extensive areas she wanted to grow edibles.

Old materials and newer applications ultimately delivered the integrated respect for history and updated look the client sought. Old stone was crafted into new formal walks in sync with the schoolhouse and board form concrete planters—Micah’s specialty—blend with the recent addition. Modern irrigation supplements redirected drainage. A teepee in the play area is both historic and fanciful.

“We cleaned up the yard, made it function safely for the family and stayed within the budget. It’s what I love to do,” says Bloom.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
ALCC members contribute to community memorial
Beware conference-related scams
High school pipeline to jobs changes the game
Sustainable Landscape Partners reduce waste by sharing