Legacy starts with intention.

Big Leaf is a multi-generational masterplan developed by OYAM for a retired Christmas tree farm on the Kitsap Peninsula.

The property has long been in the care of a family with deep roots in the region. Though no longer a commercial tree farm, new trees are still planted, and each year, friends, neighbors, and relatives return to harvest one, share a meal, and mark the season together. At its heart is a modest farmhouse kitchen, slowly modernized over time, and a barn filled with hand-built boats—testaments to the family’s craftsmanship and enduring connection to place.

Working closely with the owners, our role has been to help guide the long view. The land holds natural groves of aspen, maple, and cedar, cultivated stands of pine and fir, several site-specific artworks, and a seasonal creek that flows from nearby Buck Lake to the Puget Sound. From the upper ridge, you can glimpse the shoreline; below, open lawns have hosted bonfires, celebrations, and decades of shared stories.

Bordering the Hansville Greenway—a vital nature preserve and wildlife corridor—the property sits between cultivated ground and wild systems. The Big Leaf masterplan helps the family clarify their intentions: to care for the land, nurture its ecosystems, and continue welcoming others in meaningful ways. It’s a plan rooted in legacy, designed to grow alongside the people and place it serves.