The Brief

This project involves the comprehensive redesign of a large private garden to a substantial residential property in Leamington Spa.

The existing garden lacked clear structure and connection to the house, with level changes creating fragmented spaces and limiting how the garden could be used. The clients wanted to transform the landscape into a series of defined, usable outdoor rooms that support both everyday living and large-scale entertaining.

A key ambition was to introduce a swimming pool and pool terrace that felt fully integrated within the architecture of the garden, rather than an isolated feature. Alongside this, the brief called for a sheltered outdoor kitchen and dining pavilion, relaxed lounge areas, and improved circulation across the site.

The brief included:

• Creating a structured, multi-level garden with clear spatial hierarchy
• Integrating a swimming pool within a cohesive architectural setting
• Introducing a covered outdoor kitchen and dining pavilion
• Establishing generous entertaining and lounge spaces
• Improving circulation between upper and lower levels
• Using planting to soften and unify built elements
• Delivering a contemporary garden that remains calm, timeless, and contextually grounded

Design Response

Our approach was to use level change as a defining architectural tool.

Rather than resisting the natural topography, the garden is organised into a series of strong horizontal terraces that create clarity, structure, and a natural progression through the space. These levels establish distinct outdoor rooms while maintaining visual and physical connection throughout.

The swimming pool is positioned as the central organising element of the garden. Set within a clean-lined stone terrace, it anchors the composition and creates a strong visual relationship with the house. Retaining walls are expressed in natural stone, giving the scheme weight and permanence while allowing planting to spill and soften the edges over time.

Circulation is carefully choreographed through wide steps and transitional thresholds, ensuring movement through the garden feels intuitive and considered. Each level reveals a different character — from open, social terraces to more intimate, planted seating areas.

A timber pavilion forms a sheltered dining and kitchen space, positioned to feel embedded within the landscape rather than imposed upon it. Climbing planting and surrounding trees help integrate the structure, filtering light and reinforcing a sense of enclosure.

Planting is used strategically to balance the architectural framework. Light-canopied trees, layered shrubs, and soft groundcover introduce texture and seasonality, ensuring the garden evolves while maintaining its underlying clarity.

The result is a contemporary, multi-level garden that feels both structured and relaxed — a landscape designed for living, entertaining, and long-term adaptability.