Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
It’s a wonderful world full of water
Water is soothing. More than just quenching thirst, water can calm the soul. Whether it’s falling, running or sitting in a pool, water is life.
I first learned of the work of Peter Simone, of Simone Collins Landscape Architecture, of Norristown, at a recent East Goshen Board of Supervisors meeting.
At the onset of the project, many in the community were opposed to the breaching of a dam at Hershey’s Mill.
Water had gloriously flowed over a tall dam.
Simone was tasked with creating plans to design a waterfall-like feature, small trail network and four parking spaces that most residents soon endorsed and applauded.
“Change is hard for everybody,” Simone said. “That’s our business – we’re changing things.”
Simone prefers to not call what he and his 10 employees create as “fake,” but rather as landscaping, with water “features.”
“You have to have a vision in your mind,” Simone said. “And be decisive about what you want. Nothing is haphazard. The illusion you want to make is for it to look natural. Landscapes are different than a building. They’re always changing. You never get bored. There is always something to do.”
Last week, I traveled with Simone and Sarah Leeper, the firm’s project manager/designer, to four water features created by the firm. We visited two private homes, a college campus and a public park.
Our first stop was at a private residence in Gladwyne. The twoacre property is heavily landscaped. This is a colorful jungle-like place hidden along the crowded Main Line. You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.
An infinity pool with a hanging lip is a centerpiece at the site, along with a winding trail network where you could easily become lost.
Trails partially paved with Belgian block, mimicking Japanese garden tiles designed to protect the grass, snake along through thick foliage. Water features sneak up on you. The beauty of this legacy property that it will one day be open to the public.
Another spot we visited was a private property on the edge of owner-deeded open space, near Unionville. Instead of the sharp edge of the infinity pool, the pool here was designed to look like part of the natural landscape.
Earthen banks, with a rolling edge, rise from the edges of the water.
“The goal is to look at it and for it to appear to be a natural looking pond,” Simone said.
I’d almost have been fooled into thinking it was a “real” pond if I didn’t know otherwise. This project was spearheaded by Elliott Templeton Landscapes.
Chlorine water treatment would hurt the nearby plantings, so instead, a UV filtration water system is used. Swim jets allow a swimmer to get a workout in the small pool/pond, which includes a covered spa with pool access.
Leeper works to design by specifying materials, overseeing installation and helping with ongoing maintenance.
“It’s a living thing,” Leeper said. “It’s not a piece of furniture. It’s not like you’re choosing from a catalogue.”
Even huge rocks are carefully placed and designed to look natural. Part of the rock is placed underground, with spaces between, and Simone Collins employees are always on hand to make sure that the installation seems natural.
We also visited a six-year, half-million dollar project at Arcadia University in Glenside. At Arcadia the firm looked at how people interact with the outdoor environment.
A small stream runs down a hill into a sculpted, rock-lined water feature.
The company had to decide how students and faculty would use the space.
“How do you make it work for a large event, but seem intimate enough for one person studying?” Leeper asked.
We also visited Wilson Farm Park in Chesterbrook.
This $10 million park is a gem. Three restrooms, three playgrounds, a trail network, and seven athletic fields, on 90 acres, make for a fine public space.
With a circular drive at the perimeter of the park, and an internal trial network, walkers, runners and bikers only need to cross a road once.
A large, man-made pond seems 100 percent natural, and catches the eye, holding the viewer’s attention.
The 27-year-old company designs parks and trails for municipalities and for companies, colleges and private property owners.
The firm does the planning, but not the majority of the construction. Zoning, planning, writing grants, site designing and master planning are performed by the Norristown company.
Simone Collins cultivates relationships between civil engineers, architects, traffic engineers, economists, environmental specialists and land use attorneys.
The firm has designed many pedestrian trails.
Although walking is the number one recreational activity in the country, people who are unfamiliar with trails still balk at the installation of pedestrian trails based on their perception that increased neighborhood crime follows trails.
Simone said that education is key, while considering every one’s opinion seriously.
“You have to listen very carefully to understand their concerns,” he said. “We should share the experiences of other people who have had a trail in their community.”
“People who use trails are not the type of people to rob your house,” Simone said. “They’re not going to come on a bike, they’re going to drive a car.”
When creating something new, the key is to make it seem like it was always there.
“It’s most important to understand the land and to work with the design,” Simone said, “Make the design fit the site, not the site fit the design.”
After touring these sites with Simone and Leeper, waterfalls, streams, ponds and lakes will never be the same.
Simone and Leeper are able to create natural wonders.
Inspiration