The constraint
A sealed, shaded basement courtyard seen at close range from inside the house, with no easy drainage route and no direct sun.
- Client
- Private residence
- Sector
- Residential
- Location
- London
- Scope
- Bespoke courtyard living wall
- Aspect
- Shaded basement courtyard
01 — The brief
Low light, small space, close inspection.
Basement courtyards get very little direct light and are viewed from a metre or two away. Species that would be fine on a large façade look thin at that distance.
The planting is a shade mix with strong leaf texture, layered so the wall holds interest close up. Irrigation and drainage were resolved first, because there is nowhere for water to go in a sealed well.
What we delivered
- —Bespoke wall sized to the courtyard elevations
- —Shade-tolerant planting with layered leaf texture
- —Sealed drainage and overflow detail
- —Compact irrigation with discreet servicing access
02 — Challenge, solution, result
How it was resolved.
The approach
A shade-species mix chosen for texture at close viewing distance, on a build-up with a sealed drainage and overflow detail sized for the well.
The outcome
A light shaft that now reads as the main garden view from the lower ground floor, planted densely enough to hold up under close inspection.
03 — Gallery
04 — Related work
Related projects.
— — Next step
Have a project like this?
Send a photograph and a rough size. We will tell you which system fits, how it would be accessed and what it costs to keep alive.