Outdoor Living at its Finest - Italian Style

When given the opportunity to build a Bocce Ball Court and Pavilion in the backyard of this Pellyn Wood home, I didn't quite understand the ultimate goal of the project, especially since I had never played Bocce. After researching a few You-Tube videos of social gatherings featuring the game, I quickly saw the light: Good friends, good food, fine wine, and great fun playing the Italian game of Bocce Ball! 

Initially, the backyard of this estate was mostly wooded, and it was steeply sloped (see photo below). The yard was not conducive to entertainment or recreational activities. The Owners wanted an area to entertain and play Bocce - one of their favorite pastimes.

Before
Note the steep slope to the left of the walking path

The first requirement was to flatten the topography of the backyard to accommodate a 10' x 60' Bocce Court and Pavilion. The Owners also wanted an open, grassy area for recreational activities. A massive retaining wall, 130 feet long and 10 feet tall, was constructed of concrete, stone, and stucco to achieve the desired topography. Someone called it the "great wall of Pellyn Wood", and the name stuck!

After
Note the transformation in the grade - especially to the left where a portion of the retaining wall is seen. This project won the Gold Award for Outdoor Living in the 2012 Excellence in Remodeling Contest sponsored by the Homebuilders Association of Charlotte. All new structures were designed by E. Frank Smith Residential Design.

Axial planning was a key design element to create a more formal, visual corridor. The corridor originates with circular "Lutyens" steps, extends along the axis of the Bocce Court, and ends with a brick and stone seat framed on both sides by smaller "mini" pavilions. These mini pavilions were inspired by  structures found in the gardens of Hidcote Manor, England.

Axial planning by Frank Smith includes a visual corridor along the Bocce Court.

The main pavilion serves as a gathering area with amenities including a wood-burning fireplace, a kitchenette, a powder room, and an outdoor grill in close proximity. The pavilion features a solid cypress timber frame. The roof is made of  reclaimed Buckingham slate with a subtle blend of colors and textures, and it is most beautiful.

The main pavilion features a solid cypress timber frame and reclaimed Buckingham slate roofing. 

In the evening, the main pavilion is especially inviting with the warmth and glow of the fireplace.

The timber frame roof structure was designed
 to create a more open, expansive space. 

One of the mini-pavilions. A second visual corridor 

extends through the openings in the two mini-pavilions

The Bocce Court itself was technically challenging. The Owners wanted a sunken court, and it didn't take long in researching Bocce Courts to find that many sunken courts eventually hold water! Separate and redundant underground drainage systems have proven very effective in draining the court. The Owners also wanted the court to be maintenance-free, we used a synthetic turf that is covered with tinted sand for a natural look.

While watching the You-Tube videos, I noticed that Bocce spectators tend to stand along the edge of the court, so we capped the border of the court with 12" wide, flamed (non-slip) bluestone. The inside surface of the border is made of Ipe, or ironwood, a wood from South America that weathers very well.

The sunken Bocce Court features a border capped with bluestone and Ipe wood on the inside. Separate and redundant drainage systems keep the surface dry. The small white ball, the "pallino" is the target ball. Points are awarded based on who lands the larger balls closest to the pallino.

While the Owners are not entertaining family and friends, they enjoy their transformed backyard on a

daily basis. The open yard provides a great play area for their three beloved dogs. And the Bocce court is a great play area for everyone who visits. The project has definitely made a Bocce fan out of me!