Marlborough Road

MARLBOROUGH RD.

A partially demolished garage and unkept shrub boundary created a narrow straight path from the back door to the gate. Uneven surfaces of mixed natural and man made paving made the areas of hard standing impractical difficult to use. Tom and Becki wanted an area to dine outside and grass for their young son to play on as well as privacy from the access road at the rear and neighbours to the side where the garage once stood. Utilising materials already present on site was key to maximising the budget and minimising the environmental footprint of the build. Lifting the paving slabs from the former garage floor and cutting into strips to reveal the aggregate pattern inside allowed a unique hard standing area to be created.

The new steps and retaining wall made from eco-concrete were tied into the former garage wall and foundations for stability and to prevent their removal. It created a different route through the space, a larger area to retain excavated soils and new dedicated planting zones. A wider step down from the house to stepping stones made from cathedral grace sandstone slabs found on site with recycled gravel infill meander through shaded planting to a raised dining and seating area that captures the most sunlight. Other concrete paving slabs found on site were cut open to reveal different aggregates and used as details in the rear section of the retaining wall complete with weep holes made from found copper piping. A floating underplanted bench and new fencing to the sides and rear with field stone boundary edging at the base made from stones unearthed on site completes the structural elements of the project.