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RIVER LIVING ON A By Angela D. Barglof, Mid Atlantic Enterprise, Inc. CURVE "N ot a single straight line in the design." The owners of this property, off the Piankatank River in Gloucester, Virginia, made their wishes for their outdoor living space clear. "While the homeowners said this with a half-joking tone," said Adam Heath, Design Director at Mid Atlantic Enterprise, Inc., "I saw it as a challenge that I knew our team could achieve." The clients met with Mid Atlantic, a design/build firm specializing in high- end custom outdoor living spaces based in Williamsburg, Virgina, because they wanted to replace their failing wood retaining wall with a new segmental re- taining wall. "After viewing the picturesque site, we knew we could give the clients some- thing far greater than just a simple wall, which would allow them to truly take advantage of what their property has to offer," said Heath. From the very start, the team knew that fencing and railings would be a large part of this project due to the elevations, and saw an opportunity to tie what became 140 feet of new fencing to the property's existing metal work. Top: The fence and rail system is custom-made black powder coated aluminum by Greendale Railing Co. Inc., set to match the home's existing metal work. The 40 feet of fence around the fire pit fence is 14 inches tall, and curves back to a 7-degree batter to allow for comfortable seating. More than 140 feet of fencing was cored 18 inches into the block, and then grouted. Above: The curvilinear walls were an installation challenge, met by using an Edco Hardscape Saw to cut each block, and retaining wall block adhesive to secure the caps of each wall in place. The 1,100 square feet of pavers are comprised of Hanson Hardscapes Forest Hill Cobble, and Trevia by Unilock. The walls and steps were built with more than 300 tons of 57 stone, and 2,500 square feet of Allan Block Ashlar Blend in Sandstone. 28 LC DBM Holding to the "no straight line" theme, the team created a fence and railing system that flowed with the hardscape and had little to no straight runs. The fence around the fire pit area was a highlight, due to a bit of extra prep work. "Before it was fabricated, we sat both homeowners down and took measure- ments of their most comfortable seated positions," said Heath. "This allowed us to create a space truly meant for relaxation." Building curved walls and adding staircases was a unique challenge. Both were constructed with roughly 2,000 square feet of Allan Block's Ashlar Blend, a retaining wall block not typically used in such dramatically curved designs. This made for a tedious and time consuming installation, but the final product was worth every second. Sean O'Grady with Nitterhouse Masonry Products, LLC, the local manufacturer of Allan Block, said that this was the most difficult project he had seen using this block. The layout of the space allows for multiple entrance and exit points, creating oa- ses of the fire pit and dining area. The grand staircase between the two main enter- tainment areas, built from 150 square feet of block, was added late in the