The HARDSCAPE HERO program was developed to celebrate outdoor spaces that go above and beyond. The reason we get so many repeat winners is due to the years, often decades of experience, that create these breathtaking oases. February brought us Andrew Cutright of Greensward LLC’s third monthly win with an incredible lap pool, complete with awning and pool deck that blends beautifully with the surrounding landscape.
Returning to HARDSCAPE HERO for yet another win, Andrew is optimistic about the future of hardscapes. “During Covid, there was a boom in outdoor spaces,” recalls Andrew, “because people wanted a way to spend time with loved ones outdoors.” Having expected a dropoff after lockdown ended, he was surprised by the steady increase in business as the years go on. “I think everything feels overwhelming in the world today, and people need a place to escape from the news, social media and the stresses of everyday life.” His latest HARDSCAPE HERO win is just another example of the bright future ahead for Andrew and Greensward LLC.
Many of Andrew’s clients are retirees who have saved money over the years and are ready to invest in their dream outdoor space. “This particular job was for a retired couple who wanted a swimming pool for exercise,” explains Andrew, “They both had some joint replacements and needed a low impact way to work out in their own home, so we built this lap pool with plenty of space around it to entertain and garden.”
The homeowners are both engineers and could see the potential of the space where others may not have been able to. Because the clients love gardening, the plant life was just as important as the hardscape. “What we’re aiming to accomplish is a turnkey, complete outdoor living space,” says Andrew, “and the way I see it is you really need softscapes to complement hardscapes. It’s all about creating balance and making sure the space is in harmony with the landscape.”
The endeavor for harmony came with challenges from the natural topography. “Working in the area of Virginia where most of our clients live means we’re used to steep grades,” Andrew explains, “and this project was no different. Even for Albemarle, this property was considered too steep to build on, but we made it happen.” To overcome this challenge, Andrew and the team at Greensward built up twelve-foot retaining walls to support the pool running up against an incline. “Obviously there’s a massive amount of liability when you’re holding up a pool and living space, but one of our strengths as a company is having the educational background and experience with design considerations to safely create these kinds of spaces on more extreme grades.” Being held up by decades of experience, engineering knowledge and of course, twelve-foot Belgard retaining walls, the homeowners’ dream pool came together over the course of a year’s hard work.
Throughout his career in hardscaping, one of Andrew’s biggest takeaways is to value your own work. “When I started out, I had trouble charging enough when I quoted jobs,” he remembers, “charging more money shows that you know your own worth, and lets you keep a quality team longterm with sustainable pay, use quality products like those Belgard provides and offer better warranties to back up your craftsmanship.”
While it may have taken years for Andrew to charge for the value he and the team at Greensward LLC bring to hardscaping, we can see the quality glowing from their projects and can’t wait to see what this rich future holds for them.
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The Crew:
The following Belgard products were used in this project:
Weston Wall
Diamond Pro Stone Cut Wall – Gray
Dimensions 12 – Cheswick
Origins 6×9 – Midnight
Origins 12 – Ashwood