COHASSET, MASSACHUSETTS
Terrace on the Ledge
Granite terraces shaped directly into existing ledge — the land defining the structure.
LOCATION
Cohasset, Massachusetts
PROJECT TYPE
Residential Landscape
Design + Build
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OVERVIEW
A coastal family wanted to live with the raw character of their property — not impose a landscape over it. They were drawn to the exposed ledge and the rugged quality of the site, and wanted the finished environment to feel like it had always been there.
The property was defined by solid granite ledge running throughout, combined with significant grade change from the home to the lower garden areas. What initially felt like a constraint became the starting point for every decision.
The central question became: how do you build a landscape out of the land itself — using what is already there as the structure, rather than working against it?
THE LAND
The site is defined by exposed coastal granite ledge running across the entire property, combined with an elevation change of several feet. Typical approaches would have required significant ledge removal or concealment behind retaining walls — both of which would have erased the character that made the property worth designing.
Instead, the ledge became the organising element. Terraces follow its natural contours. Walls emerge from it rather than sit on top of it. The grade change, rather than being flattened, was used to create a natural sequence of spaces descending from the home into the landscape.
THE DESIGN
The landscape is organised as a sequence of connected terraces — each level relating to the ones above and below it, creating a gradual progression from the home into the land. Movement through the property follows the natural topography rather than cutting across it.
Rather than introducing a formal structure onto the site, the design builds from what the ledge already offers. The outdoor kitchen is embedded into a stone retaining wall rather than positioned as a freestanding object. Seating areas are set into the grade rather than elevated above it. Every decision uses the land as its starting point.
KEY ELEMENTS
Granite terraces shaped directly into existing ledge — the land defining the structure, not the other way around
Outdoor kitchen embedded into a natural stone retaining wall — anchoring the space without adding visual weight
Layered planting at terrace edges — softening the transition between built stone and the natural coastal conditions beyond
MATERIALS & CRAFT
Granite was selected for its direct relationship to the existing ledge — the same material, used in a way that makes the built and natural conditions difficult to distinguish. Edges were left rough rather than cut clean, allowing the stonework to read as continuous with the site rather than applied to it.
Over time, the granite will weather to the same tone as the surrounding ledge. Planting at the terrace edges will soften further. The boundary between what was built and what was always there will become less visible each year.
LIVING IN THE SPACE
The upper terrace nearest the home catches morning light and has become the family's first stop each day. The middle level is used through the afternoon, sheltered from wind by the grade change above it. Evening gatherings move to the lower terrace, where the fire pit sits in direct relation to the water view.
What began as a site defined by constraint — ledge, grade, setbacks — now supports a full range of daily use across all seasons. The property is used more consistently than the family expected.
“We highly recommend Ivy Studio. Our property posed a challenge with tight setbacks and constraints, but the team created a stunning work of art that feels like a seamless extension of our home.”
A landscape shaped by the ledge itself — designed to become more settled with the land each year.