Case Study: Graham Landscape Architecture achieves a cohesive, sustainable Piedmont Retreat master plan with VectorWorks

The Piedmont Retreat: Enabling the Leisurely Passage of Time

Graham Landscape Architecture (GLA) of Annapolis led the master plan for the Piedmont Retreat, a 178‑acre Bluemont, VA property where owners wanted a modernist home, restored landscapes, and sustainable systems without sacrificing historic stone walls, mature oaks, and wide views. The challenge was to site the house and driveway, manage stormwater and invasive vegetation, and blend formal modern design with ecological restoration across meadows, woodlands, and a degraded pond.

GLA collaborated closely with the architects and owners to realign a permeable driveway, site the house to protect trees and maximize views, and implement bioswales, a new five‑acre pond, native meadows, reforestation and planting schemes, plus home systems like geothermal and solar. Using Vectorworks Landmark to accelerate accurate design and planting documentation, the project delivered a cohesive, sustainable landscape that restored natural systems, enhanced the arrival experience, and earned regional ASLA awards.

Graham Landscape Architecture

Jay Graham

FASLA, President, Landscape Architect, and Architect