Congratulations to April’s HARDSCAPE HERO winner, Brian Gillespie of Ultimate Hardscapes. Based out of Newport News, Virginia, Ultimate Hardscapes recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. We caught up with Brian to talk about his winning project and how working with The Eagle Bay Design Studio is improving the way he does business.
“I was one of the first few contractors to start working with The Eagle Bay Design Studio and the VizTerra program,” says Gillespie. For contractors like Brian, one of the biggest benefits VizTerra offers is the ability to cut down time between a project consultation and a design being produced.
“Design time is usually what takes the longest for us. The Eagle Bay Design Studio cuts that time in half. It lets me get designs to clients faster, which allows us to be more creative in the field,” Gillespie says.
“The existing patio was causing water drainage problems. We were able to design a patio that corrected the water problem and also made the space more enjoyable,” explains Gillespie
Gillespie made the decision to incorporate a BrikStone Flat Colonial border and inlays throughout the project. “We wanted to match the pavers to the house. It’s a traditional colonial home, so there’s a lot of brick. The inlays help to ease the transition from the yard to the house itself,” Gillespie says.
The inlay is lined up perfectly with the staircase, something that’s not easy to do. Every segment of the border also lines up, even as the walkway winds around the house and up the stairs.
“The HARDSCAPE HERO award has changed the way our crews think about projects. It’s not the same award it was a few years ago…the prizes are bigger and the caliber of the jobs being submitted is higher,” says Gillespie.
As a result, the crews at Ultimate Hardscapes are consistently thinking of ways to make projects stand out. “We’re really pushing the design and the concepts. Our crews are starting to come up with ideas while on jobs and we often make the decision to spend a few extra hours adding a special touch to a project to make it perfect. This one was no different,” Gillespie says.
This project was completed using Chatham Natural, BrikStone Flat Colonial, Highland Stone Freestanding, Chesapeake Coping, and Landscape Steps.
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