Julia Watson was the designer for the private residence in Bridgehampton, of the contemporary African-American artist Rashid Johnson.

The site, located at the rear of the 6-acre forested property, was overgrown, impenetrable and unusable, which created a dead zone; both visually and physically. While there were limitations to the clearing of vegetation in this part of Long Island, by removing overgrown boundary planting, minor regrading and selectively clearing the woodland understorey, Studio Rede envisioned the creation of an extended outdoor space for new activities and experiences.

The design tied all the requested physical elements of the project within a single narrative. This narrative is one of awakening to nature, which can be akin to a spiritual experience. ‘The Path’ is composed of various spaces that one can experience along its length that amass to formulate a mental meditation. Like many eastern philosophical teachings, ‘The Path’ speaks to dualities - the tame and wild, the ordered and free, the earth and sky, the body and mind, the conscious and unconscious. It seeks to unify all of these dual experiences in one circuit.

While ‘The Path’ is the continuum on this journey, it is composed of 7 experiences; the earth, the sky and five other distinct spaces that exist between them, including the Collection, the Cleansing, the Pyramid, the Reflection, and the Listening Circle. Each space is unique in their plantings. In the Collection, Indigenous species used for ritual cleansing and renewal are planted at the entrance to the path for collection. The cuttings from these plants can be prepared and used for aromatherapy and for purification of person and place. Along ‘The Path’, new opportunities will always exist to create fresh moments by siting new sculptural pieces.