Looking out of the large window front into the garden of their new building, the residents were presented with an uninviting view. With no structure and no attractive areas to spend time in, the surrounding lawn was simply dreary. The view from the garden towards the building also showed an attractive structure, but without a coherent outdoor area, it could not fully unfold its effect. Martin Straßen from the planning office BSS-LA recognized the potential of the site and transformed a section of the 1,350 m² garden into a structured area with small-scale zones that achieve the desired effect: A garden area with a high quality of stay that nestles on three sides of the building and offers privacy from the street side.

The 350 m² area to be redesigned is not oriented towards the residential building, but utilizes the shape of the plot. The preliminary needs analysis revealed that the garden was to be used intensively by the family of five. The wide-opening doors from the living room/kitchen provide ideal access. First of all, the slope facing the access road was removed and intercepted by a low retaining wall made of Ruhr sandstone, which is typical for the region. The highlight: a pizza oven was built into the wall, much to the delight of the three children. Next to it, in front of the newly built orangery, a seating area with a wooden deck invites visitors to linger. The black mulberry tree in the shape of a roof right next to it not only gives a feeling of security, but also creates a link to the kitchen garden in front of it with its fruit. "Its raised beds are arranged in a linear fashion and lead to the kitchen-living room, so that it flows seamlessly into the garden," explains the landscape architect from Velbert. With its berry bushes and fruit trees, a "snack trail" has been created. A plastered gable wall begins at the orangery, providing privacy from the street. Further along, a living border takes over this task. A hedge of beeches, yews and hornbeams was planted alternately. In the area where the road is higher than the building with its flat roof, evergreen yews were used. All the high-quality plants, such as swamp oak and wig shrubs, were planted as larger specimens to create the impression of a mature garden right from the start. Vibrant and colorful accents are also provided by species-rich perennials.

www.bss-la.de

Photos:

Astrid Born Streets

(Published in CUBE Ruhr Area 01|22)