North Manly
We started with a sloping backyard in a little valley enclave in North Manly with green district views. Much of the site was unusable due to the sloping nature of the land. The brief was fairly simple. Find a suitable location for a family size swimming pool and create some usable area around it for their young family.
In addition to the difficulties of working with a sloping block at the back of the house, there were other obstacles to consider, such as a sewer main line running through the middle of the site and two large existing trees. The design outcome is a slightly elevated pool that floats effortlessly over an organic layout of lawn and garden terraces featuring multiple spaces for children playing, hanging out and enjoying the soothing green atmosphere of this North Manly Valley Garden.
Location
North Manly, Sydney
COmpleted
2023
Scope of work
Design
Construction
Maintenance
The selection of naturally grey hardwood allows the hardscape elements to sit harmoniously within the natural surroundings of the block. Locally quarried Australian Sandstone paving and oversized steppers were used to blend with the existing bedrock onsite and create connections between pool and house. The green mosaic pool tiles pick up on the green surroundings.
The open off-form concrete outdoor kitchen bench was designed to allow the garden to bleed through.
The planting is predominantly native, taller palms (Bangalow, Kentia, Heliconia) and small rainforest trees such as Elaeocarpus reticulatus (Blue Berry Ash), Tritaniopsis ‘Luscious’ and Waterhousia floribunda have been used to create height and screening along the boundaries, while Westringia, Correa, Rhaphiolepis, Helichrysum, Rosemary shrubs are pared with soft grass plantings of Lomandra ‘Lime Tuff’, Kangaroo Paw and NZ Flax. Flowering groundcovers such as Carporbrotus, Chrysocephalum, have been used to spill over rocky outcrops, Zoysia tenuifolia, Viola Hederacea and Dichondra repens fill the gaps between the steppers and Pandorea Lady Di over the timber cladding and outdoor shower.
