Top: this whole backyard is themed after Swiss Family Robinson. A palapa was put up, and in the backyard you can see a gunite boat spa. There is a cave underneath to hide treasure, and a sandy beach adjacent to the putting green in the backyard. A bridge goes across sand to the palapa and doubles as the beach entry to the pool.
Do you ever dream about being stranded on a beautiful deserted island complete with a palapa or two? The Green Scene made that dream come true for a young family by creating a playful backyard with highlights for parents and kids alike. The story they chose was that everyone was out boating and the boat ran aground on some rocks.
The palapa sits on a sandy beach that doubles as a sand trap for the backyard's adjacent putting green. Palm trees, boulders, and lush tropical plantings complete the setting.
Thatch is also a natural insulator, and air pockets within straw thatch insulate a building. A thatched roof will ensure that a space will be cool in summer in warm in winter. Thatch also has a very good resistance to wind damage when applied correctly.
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge, rushes, and heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates. Thatch is still employed by builders in developing countries, usually with low-cost, local
vegetation. By contrast, in some developed countries it is now the choice of affluent people who desire a rustic look for their home or who have purchased an originally thatched abode. (1)
This form of "old is new" shade canopy has become more and more popular when creating outdoor living areas. It is easy to break up backyard space into "rooms" using various elevations and strategically placed palapas to give comfortable shaded areas that are perfect for kitchens, firepits, and lounge areas.
Fortunately the family was able to salvage a lifetime supply of marshmallows before the boat "sank". Now the "castaways" can have a series of adventures on their private island paradise straight out of Swiss Family Robinson or Robinson Crusoe. Not only does it guarantee fun for the children, but also a romantic escape for the parents when the little pirates finally go to bed.
To continue the fantasy, a boat-shaped spa-on-the-rocks was fashioned from the shipwreck. Water inundates the boat and a leak from the "impact" sprays into the large free-form pool. A "wooden" concrete dock and twenty foot slide with a cave underneath is perfect for hiding (and finding) buried treasure.
(1) Wikipedia
Above: A palapa covers this kitchen area, which allows anyone preparing food or making drinks to have comfort as well as protection from the sun. Faced with cultured stone, the polished concrete bar counter top and bench wall creates places to sit in the sun or work in the shade.
Right: This fire pit adjacent to the palapa covered sitting area is filled with crushed recycled glass, and the cushioned conversation area seats 12. The fire pit is underfed with cultured stone. The bocce court is paved with crushed oyster shells and will be a rose-covered arbor to create shade to help maintain the drought tolerant plantings nearby.
