Kingsclere Nursery

Lichen Studio worked with Greenaway Architecture, Westgreen Planning & Avondale Ecology to develop the site of a previous plant nursery into a residential property, for a private client in Kingsclere, West Berkshire.

The brief was to create a garden suitable for a family of all ages, incorporating water, a productive landscape with food-growing opportunities and the enhancement of sitewide ecology & biodiversity.

Taking inspiration from the site’s history as a nursery, the concept design uses two contrasting geometries; a formal grid forms the structure of the site, which is juxtaposed against organic forms found within the surrounding woodland setting. The design includes formal gardens directly in front of the house with a series of planting beds, a formal lawn, a reflection pool that connects with the double-height internal atrium and an outdoor dining area. A food growing area is located outside of the formal gardens including an orchard and kitchen garden.

As users journey deeper into the garden away from the house, the form of the design softens and organic shapes are introduced through swathes of wildflower meadow and native tree planting. A wildlife pond sits to the south of the garden enclosed by ecological planting areas connecting to the wider green network.