Set within a landscape of notable cultural and historic value, this project concerned the redevelopment of a distinguished homestead on a prestigious heritage estate dating back to 1657. Originally established as a granary, the estate evolved through centuries of private ownership, with extensive 18th-century renovations shaping both the architecture and surrounding land. Today, the estate is home to a museum and a collection of private residences, its character defined by decorative gables, colonnades, verandas, and English-inspired details such as twisted chimneys and whitewashed walls, lending the property the air of a grand country estate.

The project residence, dating from the mid-20th century, carries the warmth of a lived-in home while still evoking a bygone era. Working in collaboration with another landscape architect, my role included research, historic references, and the development of the conceptual landscape design.

The design brief was to create a garden that respected the estate’s history and sense of place while offering a contemporary response for modern living. The concept emphasised formal structuring, echoing the architectural style and heritage setting, while incorporating native flora as a unifying and contextually sensitive design element.

Distinctive garden rooms were proposed, drawing inspiration from historic precedents while reinterpreting them for today’s use. These included:

Kitchen and Potager Garden – for productive planting.

Pool and Leisure Garden – for recreation and family life.

Parterre de Gazon or Reflection Garden – for formality and contemplation.

Central Masterpiece Garden – a focal point of design and planting.

Maze Garden – for play and exploration.

Contemplative Garden – for quiet retreat.

Each garden room was framed with richly planted borders designed to soften transitions, blend seamlessly into the wider landscape, and reinforce the timeless quality of the estate’s architecture.

This project represents estate-scale formal garden planning for a high-profile private residence, balancing historical sensitivity with contemporary relevance and demonstrating expertise at the scale and quality expected of heritage and luxury estates.