Scope
A garden on a hill, north east facing slope from house to back garden and cemetery beyond.
Brief
A long standing client had retired and wanted to change the area at the bottom of his garden to include a Sauna. The garden backed on to an old cemetery, this was some 4 metres below, and only visible from the garden in the tall trees set back from the boundary. An existing pond needed a revamp, but the main requirement was for a Sauna, outside shower and plunge pool.
This all had to fit into a small space and yet appear integrated to the rest of the garden and the trees beyond.
Design Interpretation
The existing pond was surrounded by a mix of varied rock and stone. This was to be kept, and reset after the pond was relined. Planting softened the effect of the rock and helped create a cohesion with the dark deck area which surrounded the Sauna. The deck was considered kind to bare feet that would be travelling between sauna and shower/plunge pool. A copper bath was used as the plunge pool, this has a stunning sculptural shape, and adds a warm glow to a dark corner.
An paving area with adjacent mirror was used above the Sauna as an exercise area. A shower with screen completed the picture. Existing Acers were pruned to shape, keeping the natural loose shapes, which enhance the visual depth, and offered glimpses to the trees beyond the boundary.
Strong foliage planting matched planting elsewhere in the garden, and strong visual link between.
