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Garden & Landscape design
Before
Reflections,
Sussex
This scheme works because the geometry isn’t fighting the terrain — it’s amplifying it!
Project type:
Private Home
Date: August 2023-24
Location: Sussex
Credits: Built By homegardendesign.co.uk,
Corten Straight curve, Stone AllGreen
“We could not have envisaged the impact on the family of this transformational space, when we first started, in fact we did not appreciate the space at all as it was not truly utilised. Since the garden has been redeveloped / reengineered, it has become the heart of the home.”
— The Thurston family
Overview:
Reflections is a contemporary garden shaped around movement, contour and material honesty, transforming a challenging sloped site into a series of calm, usable spaces.
Curved decking, tiered lawns and warm Corten detailing create a strong architectural framework, while natural stone, reused site materials and locally sourced planting keep the garden grounded in its landscape.
The result is a design that feels modern without being stark — structured yet relaxed — where bold forms guide how the space is experienced while still allowing it to feel natural, lived-in and connected to its surroundings.
"“The slope is tricky — we needed it to feel usable."
introducing curved composite decking to create flow, using warm Corten steel for structure without harshness, adding natural stone and boulder details for texture.
Design Response: balanced architectural clarity with natural materials such as clay pavers, sandstone and timber.
The layout feels contemporary but rooted in place, avoiding anything overly sharp or trend-driven
"I have to comment on the corten, as this was magnificent to see implemented, to see flat sheets of rusty steel create gentle curves whilst providing structural integrity was an amazing engineering feat"
“We don't want straight lines everywhere.”
By reshaping the levels into gentle tiers, introducing curved decking that guides you through the space, and using warm Corten steel alongside natural stone and reused site materials, the garden slowly found its rhythm
Design Response: Curved composite decking introduces movement and guides circulation through the garden.
The sweeping layout echoes the contours of the land, helping the design feel relaxed rather than rigid..
“You naturally drift through the space — .”
“We want to reuse as much as possible”
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Contours become structure.
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Curves become movement.
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Material warmth stops modern forms feeling sterile or harsh against the natural terrain.
Design Response: Around 70% of materials already on site were incorporated back into the build, reducing waste.
This approach also strengthened the natural character of the space and helped to keep existing wildlife and the lakes natural biodiversity undisturbed.
“Since the garden has been redeveloped / reengineered, it has become the heart of the home, with the family spending most of the time outside, on the deck enjoying the sun, sleeping in the hammock, cooking on the bbq or relaxing in the pergola.”
“We want something modern, but still connected to nature.”
Instead of big empty areas, the structure creates smaller moments — places to sit, play and move through — so the garden feels full without feeling busy.
Design Response: Clean, contoured hard landscaping sets the backbone of the garden, while Corten retaining edges soften into lawn and planting.
Boulder details and natural stone steps introduce texture so the space feels grounded rather than overly polished.
"This created something that I could not in my wildest dreams have envisaged but has now become the space, which I use as my outside office ( and nobody believes my background is real)"
Design Detail:
This project was about using the land:
Design-wise, the strength of this project sits in restraint.
Nothing shouts for attention individually, but together the contours, curves and material palette quietly choreograph produce a stunning result.
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