The Challenge: The Ramapo River Reserve is a 300-acre site featuring steeply sloping hillsides, rugged rock out croppings and great stands of mature forests located along the Ramapo River. A six-acre lake, brooks and dramatic waterfalls contribute to the site’s natural beauty. Placing 394 homes on this rugged terrain required environmental sensitivity and an awareness of the extreme complexity of the site.

The Solution: NG+P maximized the land use by designing roads and adaptive architecture that fit into the topography. Creative engineering and grading techniques provided sites for single- family, carriage homes, villas and town homes. Theseproductsweredesignedto be placed on the flat lands and natural plateaus, tucked into the thick woodlands or into the forest around the lake. All roads met at the Clubhouse, which became the heart of the community, with a recreational center and pool, broad sundecks and a 40- foot dock and gazebo overlooking the lake.

Two-thirds of the land was left open with parkland and nature trails woven throughout the property. NG+P provided full site planning services, including conceptual grading.