THE BRIEF
The clients wished to transform a contained walled courtyard into a refined outdoor setting for entertaining and quiet retreat.
The garden needed to support relaxed dining, informal seating, and movement between spaces, while maintaining a strong sense of enclosure and privacy.
Key requirements included a sunken seating area, an outdoor kitchen and dining space beneath a pergola, and a water feature to introduce sound and calm.
Planting was to be immersive and seasonal, softening the surrounding brick walls while giving structure and atmosphere throughout the year.
DESIGN RESPONSE
The design organises the courtyard into a sequence of connected outdoor rooms, centred around a sunken seating terrace that forms the social heart of the garden. This lowered level creates shelter and intimacy, allowing planting to rise around it and draw the eye into the landscape.
A pergola-covered dining area sits slightly elevated, providing a sense of transition between indoor and outdoor life while accommodating an integrated outdoor kitchen. This structure offers shade, enclosure, and a clear focal point for entertaining.
A linear water feature runs alongside the main circulation route, reflecting light and adding movement and sound that soften the formality of the surrounding walls. Hard landscape elements are deliberately simple and robust, allowing planting to take precedence.
Planting combines clipped forms with looser, naturalistic layers to balance structure and softness. Trees and shrubs establish enclosure and depth, while perennials and grasses introduce seasonal change and texture. Together, these elements create a garden that feels calm, immersive, and purposeful — a private courtyard designed for long evenings, conversation, and retreat within its walls.