As the solstice passes and we roll on into high summer, I am struck by how quickly nature takes hold when given half a chance. Some wild flowers planted on the road outside our offices are a profusion of colour. This intensifies our desire as a practice to be more sustainable, encouraging our clients to think about the carbon footprint of their homes and ensuring we design in a sustainable way even when they don't show much interest.
A recent charity projects to design a
celebration garden in the grounds of Heath Park for Dreams and Wishes https://www.dreamsandwishescharity.org/ near the children's hospital in Cardiff. This is for the families with children who have life limiting illnesses. It has been a great project to work on, with those involved giving their time for free to create a restful space which is fun to be in. It is yet to be planted up, but Bridgend Horticultural College will be getting involved this autumn, in the meantime it is open to the public.
One of our projects, Dyffryn Tawel, has just been completed and the client has just moved in. Although the planting is underway, it wasn't started when I took this snap at a recent team outing. We regularly work with Victoria Wade landscape and are excited to see the end result and how the building will sit into the landscape https://www.victoriawade.co.uk/
A house set into a beautiful landscape is always inspiring, and our work refurbishing the 19th Century Llettyshenkin is just such a project. This grand old house is set within a wooded landscape with views across the valley which you can see reflected in the windows. The building has extensive habitats provided for the bats and other species
And finally, a picture of some poppies from our recent holiday, trying out the Tesla on a long range drive in rural France
