A city garden
for work & play
Bristol - 2025
The brief
A working couple, with plans to build a garden office, reached out for help.
How might we best use the available space to fit the new garden room and create a garden that welcomes wildlife, feels private and is productive & enjoyable to maintain?
Materials study: blue-grey stone
Early sketch: integrating the garden office in the landscape
Erigeron karvinskianus and climbers will soften walls and paving.
The design
Three distinct spaces were designed into the garden:
On the first level, wrapped within productive and ornamental mixed borders is a species-rich lawn suitable for play. A small water feature also dials up the wildlife appeal.
A multi-stem tree in the border enhances the privacy afforded by the new woven fences, with climbers softening the vertical space.
Before: View from the property’s kitchen and dining. After: framing layers of interest and privacy.
Up a couple of steps, a generous patio for hosting and relaxing. It also serves the new garden room, designed for remote work in the day and occasional guests accommodation.
An arched walkway with climbers offers a lush view from the garden office. It leads to, and screens, the utility space at the rear of the garden, with rain water collection, compost and storage.
Site survey to capture changing levels.
Build of retaining walls, patio and outdoor room concrete pad.
Services: Survey, detailed concept design.
Build budget: £25k