The functional use of this landscape was the primary focus of the design. The family with young children required a practical and flexible landscape layout. Because of the slope down from the backyard to the water and a walkout basement, the terracing was an essential aspect from the first stages of design. The grading and retention was carefully considered to meet code while avoiding the use of guardrails as the view of the lake plays a significant role. This was a challenge because we had to keep the terracing to a minimum, but never exceeding grade change maximums.