Shared Courtyard Garden

Podium Courtyards for a Residential Development.

I contributed to the design of two mirrored podium courtyards for a major residential development, working as part of a design team from concept through to the developed design stage.

These elevated communal gardens were conceived as peaceful green spaces for residents, offering a strong sense of enclosure and flow. A key feature is the continuous, elevated steel planter that weaves through both courtyards; its bold, linear form referencing the industrial heritage of the surrounding urban landscape.

The design centers around an ‘open-heart’ concept, where generous planting beds wrap around shared spaces and guide movement through the courtyards. Surrounding the private terraces, I designed a richly textured, shade-tolerant planting scheme that brings softness and seasonal interest to this sheltered space.

The palette includes structural evergreens, ferns, and resilient groundcovers combined with swaying grasses and woodland-edge perennials that thrive in lower light. These layers of greenery provide visual screening, enhance privacy, and create a lush, calming atmosphere right outside each home.