PLAN were asked to design the garden of an new house of contemporary design overlooking the rolling landscape of the Surry Hills AONB. The design of the garden sought to compliment the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape while creating elegant spaces offering a range of activities from entertaining to relaxing, exercise and growing of food.

The terrace around the house creates a series of spaces at different levels offering a lap pool with a natural pond to its edge, a space for dining, a lounge area and a lushly planted snug courtyard set back into the building. A split-level terraced landscape with fruiting trees is reached via gravel pathways and stone sleeper steps.

Planting is naturalistic in form consisting of drifts to create sweeping lawn paths opening into larger spaces which look out towards the surrounding hills. A fire pit and lounge seating sits away from the house offering a remote space for entertaining and relaxing under festoon lights in the overhanging branches of mature trees.