Commissioned to re-design the back garden, of an existing custom-designed home by AKB Architects, Fox Whyte created a contemporary garden to reflect the minimalist style of the house while providing plenty of new play space for the owners’ active children.
The feature of the garden is a black bottom pool, complete with automatic cover. The dark colour of the water emphasizes the purity of the form and provides a dramatic mirrored surface that reflects the surrounding gardens, house and sky. At the end of the pool a steel feature wall, designed by AKB, disguises the pool equipment and provides storage for furniture and kids toys. The feature wall is fronted by a terrace of oversize slabs of Algonquin limestone that carries the language of the dining and lounge terraces into the garden. The pool terrace provides ample space to lounge poolside with beautiful views looking back at the house. Defining the pool terrace area is a custom stone bench that offers additional casual seating when the clients entertain.
Adjacent to the pool terrace is a custom-built sport court, complete with basketball net. The green court blends seamlessly with the adjacent artificial lawn and provides a large private area for active play for the clients’ children. Surrounding the garden, a simple planting scheme of green hedging and mass plantings of Japanese Forrest grass and Lavender create privacy and add movement and seasonality to the garden. Two London Plane Trees at opposite ends of the pool soften views to the neighbouring properties and provide further privacy and interest in the garden.
