This modern garden in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn was conceived in conjunction with the renovation of the architecture, and is meant to serve as an extension of the house for a family of four.  The garden consists of a series of planes of different materials–wood, porcelain tile, and lawn–that appear to ‘float’ in a bed of gravel, creating an abstract composition that is sculptural and serene. A gentle slope was needed in order to accommodate an existing large evergreen Spruce Tree, so a series of steps was incorporated as the spine that serves to anchor the design. Contrast is struck between the soft-scape of lawn and looser native plantings with the architectural definition of edge that together lend an overall sense of balance and structure within this minimal composition.