Garden Design Projects in Cornwall

introduction

This new waterside house, designed by award-winning Brixton architect Stan Bolt, lies just 20m from the waterside. The house is a modernist design on three levels, with a stone clad lower ground floor and “buttress”, predominantly glazed upper ground floor, and zinc-clad first floor.

the design

The house is approached across a forecourt, bounded on two sides by the house and garage. The irregular geometry of the forecourt and angled external stairs to the upper ground floor are reflected in tapering paved strips, forming a triangular pattern in the reinforced gravel parking and turning area. The detailing of the forecourt paving leads the eye to the logical destination points, creating a sense of arrival. A rebuilt Cornish hedge, with further planting on the front boundary, both enhances privacy and links to the local vernacular style. To avoid interrupting sea views, the front planting is limited to shrubs and herbaceous perennials.

The back garden is accessed through the patio doors on the upper ground floor which open onto a 4m square deck. The views through the patio doors are important, as this is the kitchen and dining area of the house. Rendered masonry raised beds, with a thin veil of ornamental planting, provide a decorative foreground linking the deck to the lawn that sweeps up behind.

Stone paved steps lead from the deck around the north west edge of the lawn to a circular sun terrace, located for optimum sunshine. A second set of steps provides an alternative route between the deck and the lawn. Beyond the sun terrace the lawn widens further up the slope into a less formal area, and is bounded by un-cut meadow grass and trees which provide a gentle transition to the rear boundary and large shrubs beyond.

The side boundaries are fenced with timber panels and existing wire fencing, with new and existing trees and shrubs to provide screening and privacy.

- construction Q2/Q3 2013
- planting Q4 2013/Q2 2014