Henry
Garden
Location
Hawthorn, Victoria
Photographer
Derek Swalwell
Status
Completed
Architect
Matt Gibson Architecture
Landscape Contractor
Greener Visions
Publication
A private verdant sanctuary surrounds this contemporary addition to an 1860’s heritage residence. The seamless pool and garden is a result of a high degree of craftsmanship that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior. The effect is one that truly sets the garden as an extension of the home, allowing the garden to be appreciated through the changing seasons.
Lending verticality into the alfresco area, a steel pergola, and a concrete fireplace encloses the outdoor living zone. The selective use of a monochromatic material palette throughout, featuring limestone, concrete, and black steel edging matches the home’s charred timber façade and heritage brickwork.
The soft and fluid planting palette of grasses soften the edges of the paving, with Barrell cactuses punctuating the mounds of zoysia grass. A contrast in planting texture and form adds visual movement to the garden.
The effect of the raised pool as the garden's feature is a trickling waterscape that encapsulates one's senses while softly lighting up at dusk. The garden’s design makes way for a inviting spillover of the home, a welcomed addition to the feeling of a private green sanctuary within an urban context.
