Urban Retreat, York

This small, urban, family garden backs onto a well-trodden alleyway used as a shortcut to a school. The owners wanted to modernise and update the space to perform a number of functions. Privacy from neighbours and the public walkway was important, as was an open space that can fit the needs of the whole family.

The garden is used by children for playing in and the parents for relaxing in the sun. In order to create optional seating areas, the door of the outbuilding was relocated, also allowing more room for planting. This extra space was vital in providing planting that envelops the living area creating an enclosing, cosy experience.