On Point

Summer 2024

June 26, 2024

Words by Veronica Toney | Photos by Josie Henderson

A Lake Winnebago landscape rules the shoreline with its master plan for multi-level hardscaping and mature botanical plantings.

hen building a home, people often think about how it will grow and change with their family’s needs, yet they frequently overlook the exterior of their home in the planning process. This was not the case for the owners of this Lake Winnebago home, who desired a landscape design that would function seamlessly now and evolve beautifully over the years.

Kurt Kraisinger, founder and president of Lorax Design Group, used this as inspiration to develop a master plan that maximizes the home’s lake views and creates gathering spaces for the family.

How do you make it comfortable for family and small groups but also for 100 people?

“You have to create a series of outdoor rooms—different seating areas and breakout areas—to make it feasible for both,” Kurt explains.

The landscape master plan divides the property’s outdoor areas into three levels that seamlessly transition the 15-foot elevation drop from the house down to the dock. The first level features hardscaping standouts, such as the auto court, basketball court and parking structures. The second level extends from the home’s basement to the pool and artificial turf recreation area. The third level features a naturalistic walkway leading to the dock.

This design required an intensive retaining wall system. Kurt utilized natural quarry-block limestone for many of the larger retaining walls and a limestone veneer for the concrete retaining walls to match the home’s exterior.

“There’s a transition that happens between [the pool] and the natural, earthy aesthetic of the retaining walls, where the landscape kind of blends back into nature,” he explains. “The shoreline is organic, so we wanted the walls to feel that same way.”

Sunset over Lake Winnebago matches the glow of the landscape lights strategically placed to accentuate the trees and ground of this master-planned landscape.

An overview shot from a drone shows the series of outdoor rooms and breakout areas on each level of the property. The master plan includes three levels that seamlessly transition the 15 feet from the house to the lake. The first level features the auto court and parking structures. The second level extends from the home’s basement out to the pool and artificial turf recreation area. The third level includes a natural walkway that leads to the dock on the lake.

The pool's reef ledge is an interactive space for lounging and acclimating to the water. A lap lane is adjacent to the infinity edge. At the deep end of the pool, a swim-in structure has additional seating and a cascading waterfall. from the jump platform and waterslide entrance above.

There are 30 varieties of grasses, plants, flowers and trees used throughout the landscape. A close-up reveals the intricacies of color and texture.

Artificial turf is a big residential trend right now. Kid- and pet-friendly and low-maintenance, Kurt allowed for a large expanse of it along the elevated ridge of the point.

The homeowners also requested an “instant landscape” of mature trees, flowers and foliage. Lorax collaborated with Medellin Landscaping to select plant materials with varying heights to ensure the design would look more natural and full-bodied from day one.

The landscaping is now brimming with life, featuring 30 plant varietals around the house. For trees, they incorporated a mix of upright spruce, maple, river birch and magnolias. A bouquet of prairie grasses, hydrangeas, daisies and perennial flowers adds pops of seasonal color beneath the canopy.

“For Missouri or Kansas landscapes, we use a lot of native prairie grasses that are naturally drought-tolerant and, therefore, don’t require a lot of water and are fairly rugged,” Kurt adds. “It’s the type of plant material that can withstand the elements but adds a lot of seasonal, vibrant color in the fall and winter.”

On the second tier, he designed different seating and breakout areas to help the space work for various small gatherings and large parties. Water features play a crucial role in the backyard’s design. The family includes young children, so the homeowners wanted a pool area that they could use for family time and exercise. The pool’s reef ledge features six to eight inches of water and bubblers, providing an interactive, shallow-depth space for kids to get acclimated to the water. It’s also an ideal spot for adults to sit and relax on a chaise lounge before jumping into deeper water. The pool’s deep end features another hang-out area—a swim-in grotto-style structure with additional seating and a cascading waterfall. Above the waterfall is the platform and top of the waterslide that extends into the pool. The homeowners wanted a lap lane for exercise, as well, so they designed it along the pool’s infinity edge.

The homeowners wanted an “instant landscape” that included trees, flowers and foliage that wouldn’t take 10 years to fill out. Because the homeowners host charity events, they requested truly unique plants for guests to enjoy. Understanding the size and scale required to meet their desires, Medellin Landscaping nearly bought out the local supply of material a year in advance of construction. "I had this huge plant palette of trees and shrubs, and I would just call in a delivery when a section would open up to plant," says owner Ricardo Medellin. "It was just so much fun, and it's still happening as we speak. This is one of the most unique jobs when it comes to creativity. "

The front of the house could be described as a transitional style, while the back is more geometric, with lots of clean contemporary lines.

Artificial turf is a big residential trend right now. Kid- and pet-friendly and low-maintenance, Kurt allowed for a large expanse of it along the elevated ridge of the point.

The home’s exterior features clean lines and natural stone veneer. Serpentine sidewalks in flagstone lead from the cul-du-sac to the house. Landscape areas designate the path around the property and play off the natural beauty of the lake.

River birch and tall grasses fill in one of the slopes down to the water—a simple yet powerful combo that holds its own.

Limestone quarry block retaining walls mimic the materials used on the home’s exterior. The walls are made from 14-inch wedge blocks that are approximately two feet deep. This stair transitions from the pool deck down to the lake.

Serviceberry, sumac, juniper, feather reed grass, little bluestem and switchgrass are used in the terraced beds along a crushed limestone path to the dock below. “For Missouri or Kansas landscapes, we use a lot of native prairie grasses that are naturally drought-tolerant and therefore don’t require a lot of water and are fairly rugged,” Kurt says. “It’s the type of plant material that can withstand the elements but adds a lot of seasonal vibrant color in the fall and winter.”

“Because [the pool] is adjacent to the lake, the idea of creating an infinity edge was so that it has that allure from inside the pool [while] you’re looking out over that water and aligning it up with the lake water,” Kurt says. “The negative edge gives you that view out over the lake.”

Connected to the pool area is a low-maintenance recreation space topped with artificial turf, which allows the family to go outside and play year-round.

“Artificial turf is a growing trend in residential [properties] right now,” Kurt says. “Historically in Kansas City, we have those weeks in the winter with 50- to 60-degree days [when] you want to go out and enjoy the outside.” As he explains, artificial turf is an increasingly popular add-on for outdoor areas, requiring minimal maintenance compared to a traditional grass lawn. This spares homeowners from mowing, fertilizing, watering and other tedious lawn-care chores; it also helps kids stay active, allowing them to play outside year-round. “The turf even has an antimicrobial built into the fiber so dogs can go outside, and then you can wash it off.”

In the final transition from the upper levels to the dock, Lorax incorporated plant beds and native grasses that mimic the lake’s natural shoreline. A crushed-limestone walkway leads from the auto court on one side and stairs from the pool deck on the other, offering two paths to the lake. One of the most important parts of the landscape design also lives on this level—a hidden hillside bunker that provides storage for machinery, pool chemicals and other outdoor equipment.

“It’s a unique property,” Kurt says. “It’s the manmade transition back into that natural aesthetic.”

Landscape Architect: Lorax Design Group, @loraxdesigngroup

Plant Specialist: Medellin Landscaping, medellinlandscaping.com