Making an entrance..

Existing retaining wall

 

The management of this condominium building approached us to upgrade the  overall apperance of the outdoor space of the complex. We started with the entrance.

Outside of car park

After seeing the site, we come out with an overall strategy- to add an outstanding visual focus with the mainly white building as the background.  The design is to incoporate elements of colours and light to cheer the space up and hopefully create a sense of arrival to the building.

This is the view as one enters through the guard post. The mature palm oil tree is maintained. Red brick paving is introduced to replace some of the existing grey paving . Besides adding colours, it also defines the new space. The main component of the design here are 5 light pillars. They constructed simply from mild steel frame attached to a brick post. Transparent acrylic sheet are attached to the frame, concealing lighting fixtures. The light appearance of these “light columns’ contrast with dark and heavy appearance of the rustic retaining wall. At night it illuminates the area, estending the usable period.Simple looking benches are provided to make the space more user friendly.

The same elements are repeated outside the car park area with some modification. The light columns incoporate water features. A concrete trough is installed at the lower part of the column and the water fall into receiving disc on the ground. Circulationg pumps are neatly hidden from view in the columns.

Closely spaced areca palms provide shade and height to the planting composition. Costus with its lush foliage and striking flower used as background.  Cyathea cooperi and grand variegated crinum are also used.

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contact Faizal at 019 2995324, faizalrazali@yahoo.com

Private sanctuary

This design explores the concept of  the bedroom as a private resting space, not just a pragmatic space with a bed to sleep on. It is a special space to rejuvenate oneself, to get away, to indulge. Therefore the room has to reflect a certain sense of freedom, peace, solace and also just as important, delight.

 

The general strategy is to create more usable spaces by opening the bedroom to the outdoors, instead of extending the bedroom itself. This will at the same time improve the ventilation, improving the ambience by bringing the outside inside. Lying on the bed now, one would be looking at a well-composed view instead of just a brick wall. The bedroom walls are replaced with folding doors on two sides of the room, which open to a timber deck.The decks are adequately sheltered, so furniture can be put there, creating an airy, shady semi-outdoor space.

 

 

An important element of this garden is the a 1.5 m high brick wall. This wall not only defines the garden’s boundaries but more importantly it maintains the privacy of  the bedroom. As a background, the wall is kept simple except for two strategically placed wall lights that create visual focus.

 

The planting is intended to create a picturesque tropical look. Costus is used as the background to hold it all together. Cordylines provide heights to the composition with a punctuation of colour. The foliage of banana plants (musa ornatta) contributes to the tropical look. Aglaoenemas with its lush foliage and guzmanias are used in the foreground. Variegated crinums provide a variety of textures.

 

Directly facing the bed is a a small raised pond complete with a cascade water feature. A daybed is built using a suspended concrete slab, providing an inviting seating area for relaxing or reading.

 

Inspite of its small size, the garden is designed to provide views from many different points. From the entrance gate, one would get a glimpse of the water feature and the feature wall.

 

The feature wall beside the daybed is created using a mural painting with a floral motif. Red is the dominant colour, because … well, why not?

 

Open garden.

This garden consists of three main spaces. An open lawn, a public patio outside the living room and the second more private patio directly connected to the bedroom. 

The plans are open with the three spaces visually connected. During gatherings or social functions, guests can organise themselves into a few smaller groups while still in view of each other

 

The first patio works as the extension to the living room, allowing the indoors to open to the outdoors bringing the ambience of the garden into the house.  

Flowering trees such as the coral tree can be used to provide shade, making the area more comfortable. The aesthetics are provided by the water feature with spouts and the pond that wraps around the patio on two sides. It is also ideal as a sitting area for adults while supervising the children playing on the lawn.

 

 

The pond is the main feature of the design. Besides creating interest and cooling the atmosphere through evaporation, it also defines the space. The pond has a simple rectilinear form. Interest is created through the use of water plants and a water cascade with spouts. Modern looking pots with brightly cloured ficus plants provide accents.

A simple water feature consisting of columns clad in artificial wood and planter discs is installed facing the living room and the first patio. This feature together with the pond contributes to the aethetic quality of the patio. The living room can now be opened out to an attractive outdoor space.

 

The second patio is meant to be more private and enclosed. To enter this space from the first patio, one would walk across the bridge, towards the sound of water from the cascade and finally pass by the two pots on pedestals that mark the entrance. This is done deliberately to heighten the sense of transition from one space to another.

 

The raised water feature provides a greater sense of enclosure.The main element of the second patio is the built-in wooden benches. Located under the shade of the coral trees, they provide inviting seating. The water feature wall also is wide enough to be used as informal seating when necessary.

 

A circular motif is installed on the wall to provide a little interest when viewed from the bridge and the second patio.This motif also helps break the monotony of the double-storey wall.

 

The second patio is directly connected to the bedroom. It is meant to be an extension of the bedroom; a private outdoor space.

Herb Garden

 

“You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.” 

This garden is the back part of the landscape of this show house unit. My intention is to create a attractive livable  private outdoor space based on the activity of gardening. The garden is basically divided into two area – the patio and the planting area.

 

The garden is directly connected to the kitchen and is also accessible from the side of the house . From here the bridge across a small pond and an entrance gateway heighten the sense of entry to the patio.The wall shield the garden from the rest of the outdoor area,giving privacy and a sense of formality. The walls also help to create a sense journey, allowing spaces to be  revealed bit by bit instead of all at once.

The patio act as the arrival point and also viewing point from where one  can sit, relax while looking to planting area , the fruits of the gardening labour  can be viewed and enjoyed. Here, bigger, tall herbal plants such as torch ginger and  galangal are grown in planter. From the bench one is presented with a view through the steel pergolas where vegetables like long bean can be grown. A small storage area decorated with the ecurring motifs and pots,  located at the far end, provides focus.

 The sense of formality is further enhanced by the use of axis and symetry in the layout o fthe garden. Also these are intended to work as a regulating element that provide sense of order to the composition to balance  the non-uniform  shapes  of the various planting materials.

 

The choice of colours on the hardscape elements is intended to lend  a casual and vibrant character to the space.

 

View of patio  from the back part of the garden just outside the kitchen. The garden is composed around the idea of path and views to create a sense of journey and destination.

 

 

The back part of the garden where a brick storage box is decorated with mushroom motif and pots arranged on wooden rack above it,  This simple composition provide accent and focus when viewed from patio. Pots, useful for providing spaces for planting  different types of herbs  at small numbers also become one of the decorative feature of the garden.

 

The simple mushroom motif is repeated throughout the garden, used to to create a consistent theme that is uniqueto this garden.

Terrace House

 

Terrace houses – inspite of its limited outdoor area, it still provides opportunities for owners to create interesting gardens, which if well planned will add to the value of the house.

 

 

The garden design makes full use of half of the open space at the front of the house by providing an elevated pond, timber decking and a daybed. The main objective is to create attractive and highly usable space which  at the same time improve the existing internal space.

Elevated pond with built in benches.

 

The built in timber benches on the pond wall provides seating options to guests and family when hosting a party or gathering. The wooden benches is an interesting detail that offers an attractive out look to the otherwise simple rectangular pond.

he living room can now be opened to the garden, making it spacious and airy with shades provided by the two trees and the focal view of the feature wall. The sound of trickling water from the feature wall and the surrounding greenery helps to cool down the atmosphere.

The garden as seen from the living room.

The timber decking works as an extension to the living room. The inviting daybed makes it an appealing place to relax, read a book or enjoy a cuppa. This well shaded area could also double up as a space to entertain guests with the fish providing a point of conversation.

The daybed seen fom porch.

 

The wooden panel with decorative motif on the wall composed to make the daybed a visual focus , to make the garden more interesting.The same wooden panel and circular motif is used again as the feature wall. This repetition of elements helps to establish a theme that is unique to this garden.

Feature wall with water spout adds movement to the garden.

Plants I like..

Agave attenuata.

Looks like cacti but there are not. These succulent plant with its sculptural form has become a popular garden plant. Besides, it also requires little water.

Alocasia cucullata

Chinese taro.Has a distinguished erect , green , heart shaped leaves in a dense cluster. It does well as a low border or ground cover plant.Look nice in pots too.

Aglaonema Chinese evergreen.

Bamboo.

Ocimum basilicum.

Basil.Very useful plants. Easy to grow, its dense foliage  makes nice low border and of course, the main ingredients for basil chicken.