I’ve always been very interested in very functional, economical
design, things that are practical. I’ve always loved sailing, which
requires no energy except the wind — capturing that and seeing
what makes the boat move — the fact that you can live in a very
tiny environment collecting rainwater. You can move and live
and sustain yourself in a very small, floating capsule. Heather and
I backpack and camp and survive on very little. All these things
are just built into me,” DeChesere says from the couple’s living
room at Talon Court, where bamboo floors and walls tinted a
pale aquamarine create an island illusion. The cascade of sunshine beaming from
a skylight, the subtle movement of a school of shimmering silver fish sculpted
by Michael Van Hout and the gallery of watercolor renderings depicting tropical
settings are a fitting backdrop for DeChesere — who sailed into Wilmington in
the 1960s to make his mark on the coastal landscape.
After a 40-year career as an architect, he says, “I thought I was done.”
The pressure of finding new projects to support a dedicated team of archi-tects
had pushed him to the brink. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.
Heather and I both enjoy sailing and hiking, traveling and learning other
languages, artwork and painting, and I thought, ‘No problem, we’re just
going to go and do some stuff.’”
DeChesere and his wife, Heather, reached this decision together on a voyage
around the Chesapeake Bay, then sold Synthesis — the architecture firm he’d
built — to Cline Design, a reputable Raleigh-based company that wanted a
56
WBM january 2011
Landscape architect Lara Berkley
of B+O Design Studio relocated
existing shrubbery away from the
front of the house, seen in this
before photo, and increased the
natural daylight into the primary
living area. Berkley eliminated
almost 20 percent of the Talon
Court turf grass lawn to reduce the
use of water for irrigation, fertilizers
and pesticides. She created ground
level rain gardens, or bio retention
areas, with native and drought
tolerant plants that require little
more than natural rainwater. With
these best management practices,
Berkley ensures that most rainwater
and stormwater remains onsite,
percolating through the soil and
returning clean water to the aquifer.
BEFORE
Jay DeChesere