The principle working elements of design in three dimensions – masses and voids – are worked into landscapes and gardens in much the same way as many paintings, sculptures and objects show the same working proportions that appeal, almost hidden, to the naked eye; the golden section – the ancient mathematical formula for good aesthetic proportion underlies our design work. With the addition of plant sciences and practical tree planting skills we aim for a simple, elegant solution to small or large projects.
Gardens
The key to a successful garden is a close working relationship with the garden owner and many of our clients have become good friends. As a living extension of not just the house but also of the thoughts, loves and imagination of the garden owner, designing and building garden together is a very special relationship. We thus design and built gardens based upon a client’s favourite colours, favourite plants, a favourite painting or statue, and can specify particular plantings to lend an exotic or contemporary air to city gardens, or a wilder more natural feel for town and country gardens.
Playgrounds
We start with the four senses – touch, sight, smell and sound – and work these up into themes within our playground designs. By involving the children and staff early on in the design and concept phase – e.g. classroom design competitions, we lend a sense of place and ownership to the new playground. Specific structure such as climbing frames play an obvious but important role in developing motor skills but we also bring an aesthetic element into our designs with bright colour schemes, co-ordinated playground markings and careful scaling of the major elements so that small children are not over-whelmed. We always include a ‘quiet area’ where smaller or tired or shy children can retreat for some respite from rougher play. On a practical point our playgrounds are designed, where space allows, to include outdoor classrooms and miniature gardens thereby extending the teaching area and curriculum of the school or nursery.
