2019 Designer Awards

Page 6 www.lux-review.com LUX 2019 Designer Awards Since it first began in 1992, Cross River Design has been a top-rated landscape design and landscape architecture firm in the ever-growing New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania residential and commercial market. Anthony begins by discussing his firm’s service offering in more detail, sharing an insight into the prestigious clients the firm has supported over the years. “At Cross River Design we operate as a full- service landscape architecture, design and construction management firm specializing in creating distinctive, one of a kind outdoor living spaces. We enjoy the challenges that come with every project, but our true passion and expertise lies in creating stunning, one of a kind, outdoor pool environments. “Our projects include everything from expansive estates to intimate back-yard entertainment spaces, rooftop pools to even historic renovations. The clients we serve are as varied as the projects we undertake for them, and they include celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and John Bon Jovi, as well as those less familiar who are simply looking for a thoughtful, creative vision for their outdoor living space. “For these clients, Cross River Design’s mission is to provide a complete,and single source destination for distinctive, skilfully conceived outdoor living spaces. We feel that the best way to provide this service is by employing a collection of exceptional people from different backgrounds and disciplines. Our staff is made up of landscape architects, designers, craftsman, and horticulturists who bring their own set of unique skills, solutions and perspectives to each and every project.” Drawing on their passion for unique outdoor pool spaces, Cross River Design takes on a number of exciting projects in this area. To demonstrate the firm’s ingenuity and expertise, Anthony showcases one of the firm’s successful projects in this area. “Last year we were hired by clients who purchased a new home on a steeply sloping lot with extensive wetlands restrictions. They wanted desperately to have a state-of-the-art pool and four-season spa built somewhere on the property, but the restrictions made having a pool prohibitive. “After some research, it became apparent that the only option was to propose the pool on the second story outdoor terrace located directly off the kitchen, and above an existing living space – in this case an indoor sports court facility. Although we’ve designed and built water features atop rooftops in places like Manhattan, we knew proposing a pool on the 2nd story of a newly purchased residence in the suburbs might sound extreme – especially to new clients who probably never entertained the idea. So before pitching the concept, we then did some homework and learned the existing substructure would not support the weight of a new pool made of the typical components gunite (concrete). “Switching gears, we proposed the pool be made completely of stainless steel which would weigh less than one fifth the weight of a concrete pool. Once we made the math work, we presented the idea to our clients, and they loved the concept. We explained it was possible to give them the pool of their dreams directly outside their home, and the Over the past 27 years, Cross River Design’s team has won over a multitude of clients by creating uniquely stunning, one-of- a-kind landscapes. Today the firm remains dedicated to providing innovative designs that will meet clients’ needs and exceed their expectations, as Anthony Berardo highlights. bonus would be three sides would now have a vanishing edge component highlighting attractive views at the back of the property. “Our challenge now was to design the shell to fit precisely (within an eighth of an inch) to the dimensions of a new slab designed to sit on the existing terrace. If the shell was off by more than one eighth of an inch, the pool could not safely rest on the new slab, and the project would be scrapped. “Once the design and engineering of the poolshell was completed, we had the shell fabricated off-site. The pool was shipped to the project site on three separate tractor trailer beds where each section would be carefully raised onto the 2nd story terrace using a 50 ton crane. The sections were then welded together on site, ground smooth and tiled over to match tile already installed during fabrication. “In the end, the pool fit neatly on top of the roof, and provided all the amenities the clients required to complete their wish list including: a vanishing edge which overlooked the lush wetlands and wooded areas in the distance, a perimeter overflow with water continually cascading down to a hidden trough, and a four season spa located inside the pool, smartly separated to provide 12 months of use even when the pool itself has been winterized. This was by far the most challenging project we’ve encountered to date. With such a large volume of water sitting over a living space, and with so many moving parts needing to perform like clockwork, there was truly no room for error, and no second chance of getting it right. Cross River Design Inc Best Landscape Architecture Design-Build Company in New Jersey Company: Cross River Design Name: Anthony Berardo Address: 1473 rt. 22, Annandale, Nj 08801 Telephone Number: 908 236-9291 Web Address: crossriverdesign.com