Photography By MATT SHANNON
Drought-tolerant grasses and flowering perennials line the pathways, creating layers of texture and seasonal movement while framing unobstructed views of the lake and mountains.
After a few summers at their lakeside home, a family of four knew the beauty of what they had, but couldn’t make use of it. Steep slopes with disjointed paths prevented them from fully enjoying their outdoor space. When Bianca Bodley, owner and principal designer of Biophilia Design Collective, arrived at the property, she saw the disconnect immediately. “The lake was gorgeous and the dock was gorgeous, but the landscaping to get from the home to there wasn’t great,” she recalls. The family wanted spaces where their sons could play and, most importantly, where they could access the scope of their roughly one-acre property.
For Bodley, the challenge wasn’t just about creating usable space—it was about doing so responsibly. Working beside a lake meant every decision had environmental implications. She started by getting to know the natural landscape, paying attention to local plant and wildlife patterns and the lake’s annual artificial flooding. “We’re really mindful of any construction that we do to make sure there’s not any silt or runoff that goes into the lake,” she explains.
Before bringing in four truckloads of new plants, she removed invasive species and selected materials that would enhance the ecosystem: native plants suited to the flood plain, natural stone that didn’t require mortar, and pea gravel on the shore that fish prefer for spawning. To address the dramatic slope while maintaining the watershed, Bodley developed a three-tiered design, each level with its own purpose, strategically placed to create quiet pockets with minimal unnatural disruptions.
The hot tub, lowered by crane onto the second tier, became one of Bodley’s favorite spots. Set on a red batu deck built by the homeowner and his father, the cedar hot tub hangs on the edge of the slope with glass panels facing the water. “You’re sitting there and you see through the glass to the lake—it’s like an infinity edge, like the wood deck itself waterfalls over,” says Bodley. Behind it, she integrated a bench against the natural bedrock to lounge pre- or post-soak. Below, on the third tier, a curved stone fireplace with a wraparound bench offers another intimate gathering spot. “It’s a neat spot all on its own, midway down the bank. The big trees are above you, and you’ve got the view of the lake and feel separate from everything else.”
Throughout the design, Bodley balanced the hardscape features with thoughtful plantings. “What we always try to do is make spaces that feel held by the garden around it, and that the garden softens those harder edges,” she says. Structural evergreens provide year-round interest, while ornamental grasses and perennials add texture and movement. In the front landscape, three native dogwood trees deliver spring blooms— their timing aligned with local bird patterns. “We also added quite a few native shrubs for building of the ecosystem, because the birds prefer the native shrubs,” she notes.
Despite the elaborate tiers, the family’s favorite spot surprised everyone. At the water’s edge, Bodley created a simple sand area using logs cut from the property as movable stools and seats, where the boys can play. It’s a reminder that the best designs aren’t about imposing a vision, but about enhancing what’s already there. “The setting is gorgeous,” she says of the lake and surrounding mountains. “Making something beautiful even better, while keeping it feeling natural and flowing—that’s what we try to do.”
Bodley’s ecosystem-first approach extends to every surface: natural stone staircases, gravel pathways with a porous binding agent, careful siting of features like the hot tub, and avoiding concrete altogether. Each choice prevents runoff that could affect the lake’s turbidity.
