Hocker Landscapes

The limestone floor stretches out from this Dallas house’s two-story atrium to become an elevated terrace that seamlessly connects interior to exterior. One side of the terrace folds down, like a little beach, to create a basin where water from bubbling jets enthralls both avian visitors who stop in for a bath or a drink as well as humans seeking respite from nearby city life.
The sunken outdoor living room in this East Texas retreat—accessed via wide weathered steel-lined sodded treads–is ruggedly accommodating, with a permeable gravel surface underfoot, and an Oklahoma blue boulder wall to protect from the breezes. Teak furniture by David Sutherland is comfortable and will weather well.


The concisely detailed outdoor space anticipates the orderly grid pattern that appears in the concrete patio. Other rectilinear shapes—the Neolith ceramic water feature and the board-formed concrete wall behind it—allude to the rigor of the design. Precisely trimmed evergreen vines cover an existing fence, providing privacy.
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