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Grass block forecourt, low planting and multi-stem trees in autumn colour in front of the brick house at Monkton
Studio Stour
Garden and landscape design, NaylandSheet 03 / 15
Project
Monkton
Place
Cuckfield, Sussex
Type
Private home
Architect
Sandy Rendel Architects
Key fact
70 m long plot behind the high street

Monkton, Cuckfield, Sussex

A contemporary family garden in Cuckfield, shaped around Sandy Rendel's brick house.

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A delicate touch, for a house that asked for one.

“Throughout, the focus was on making thoughtful choices that connect the architecture, planting and everyday use.”

David Negus

Material palette

  • Grass block paving
  • Red brick
  • Timber raised beds
  • Multi-stem trees

Monkton is a contemporary family home in Cuckfield, designed by Sandy Rendel Architects. I wanted the garden to feel closely connected to the architecture, so it called for a delicate touch: careful proportions, honest materials and outdoor spaces that work for the family who live there.

Clean lines and a restrained palette give the garden a clear structure. Multi-stem trees bring height and seasonal colour and frame views of the building, while grasses and lower planting add texture and movement.

Gravel paths and a timber raised-bed area carry the simple layout on, with warm, useful space for growing. Every choice ties the architecture, the planting and everyday life together.

Architect
Sandy Rendel Architects
Features
Grass block driveway, multi-stem trees, timber raised beds
Status
Finished

The forecourt in 3D

My 3D walkthrough of the forecourt design, from high above down to where you arrive by car.

A building site out front,
now a green arrival

The front of the house during the build, and the finished garden. Drag the line to compare.

After: the grass block forecourt, planting and multi-stem trees in front of the same house
Before: a skip, rubble and stacked materials in front of the new brick house at Monkton
Before After

What the house asked for, and how I answered

Monkton is a new family home designed by Sandy Rendel Architects. Here is what the garden had to do, and how I designed it.

  1. My 3D visual of the forecourt, with grass block paving, planting and the brick house

    The aim

    The garden has to belong to the architecture.

    Design response

    Clean lines and a restrained palette give the garden a clear structure that sits quietly with the brickwork. Proportions and materials follow the house, so the garden feels designed with it rather than added afterwards.

  2. My 3D visual of the grass block driveway, planting beds and a parked car

    The aim

    A welcoming arrival that still feels green.

    Design response

    A permeable grass block driveway lets greenery weave through the surface and softens the space around the house. A practical part of the garden becomes part of the planting scheme.

  3. Multi-stem tree in autumn colour against the brick wall and pierced brick screen

    The aim

    Trees that soften the brick.

    Design response

    Multi-stem trees introduce height, shape and seasonal colour, framing views of the building and bringing a softer layer to the brickwork. Grasses and lower planting add texture and movement, with room for the garden to grow.

  4. Timber raised beds on gravel in the courtyard beside the brick house at dusk

    The aim

    Somewhere to grow food.

    Design response

    Gravel paths and a timber raised-bed area continue the simple layout, adding warmth and useful space for growing.

The garden, the visuals and the drawings

  • The courtyard at dusk, with timber raised beds and light in the stair window
    The courtyard at dusk, with timber raised beds and light in the stair window
  • A multi-stem tree in autumn colour in front of the brick house and forecourt
    A multi-stem tree in autumn colour in front of the brick house and forecourt
  • My 3D visual of the forecourt with a car on the grass block drive
    My 3D visual of the forecourt with a car on the grass block drive
  • Aerial view of the plot during the build, before the garden went in
    Aerial view of the plot during the build, before the garden went in
  • Sections and elevations of the house by Sandy Rendel Architects
    Sections and elevations of the house by Sandy Rendel Architects

A garden shaped by its setting

Monkton sits on a narrow plot behind Cuckfield's high street, and Sandy Rendel's brick house sets the tone for everything around it.

The garden takes its lead from the house, with a clear structure, a restrained palette and planting that softens the brickwork.

In the press

Architecture Today

Read more about the house in Cuckfield, designed by Sandy Rendel Architects.

Read the article
My 3D visual of the forecourt, planting and the brick house
3D visual, Monkton

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