COOL COURTYARD

Room Outside

BRIEF

This courtyard garden of a new build property had the advantage of not being overlooked however a large wall at the rear also felt too imposing and stark. We were asked to soften the feel of the garden whilst making better use of the space. Our client asked us to extend the crisp, cool finish of the interior into the garden but the challenge was to ensure the finish did not feel cold.

SOLUTION

The design uses raised beds at the rear of the garden to add height to already established ‘box head’ trees planted to play with height against the large rear wall. The green is visible on 3 levels at the rear to visually push the rear boundary back and layer the textures. A bold raised bed at the front of the garden accommodates a specimen cloud pruned tree that breaks the view through the garden and adds evergreen structure. This tree also gives a sense of intimacy to the seating area behind which includes a floating built in bench to maximise space. The boundaries have been given a high quality baton finish in 2 varying sizes to create strong lines and add a subtle visual detail. Permeable dutch clay pavers keep the surfacing light whilst add gentle character to the space.

OUTCOME

The design has created new areas for planting, seating and storage in a way that has opened up a very difficult space to allow our client to get the maximum use from the previously rarely used space. The planting is subtle, using a base of shades of green to create a calming effect with a strong contrast against the boundaries.