Vaudoise Family Garden

With three young boys with plenty of energy the clients wanted a garden that was fun, functional and beautiful.

A pool, lawn for high-octane games and trampoline were all part of the mix. To improve the flow and access to the house, the house entrance was re-orientated, a new driveway created and an ever-practical garage built. There was no compromising on aesthetics and we softened it all with drought-resistant planting that will tolerate high temperatures during the Swiss summers and the reality of more hose-pipe bans in the future.

Originally the main house terrace was five steps above the garden, creating a separation between the two. By using the excavations from the pool to raise the garden level by 30cm we were able to reduce the number of steps to three and then split these between two levels: from the house to terrace and then a single step from the terrace to the garden. There is now an inviting pull from the house to the garden.

Dining and lounging areas are located on a generous terrace framed by lush planting including artemisia, salvias, scabius, eringieum and grasses. A small wall around the terrace creates a sense of security and alleviates the fear of pushing your chair back and toppling into the planting. The 4x10m tiled mirror pool and pool house are easily accessed by a single step to the side of the terrace, yet discreetly offset from the house ensuring they don’t dominate the garden view during the winter.

The material palette includes large-format porcelain on the terrace, chosen for its crisp, contemporary feel and practicality, Orev natural stone copings on the terrace walls and the side walls of the steps bring warmth and texture to the mix . Around the pool Kebony (thermopine) decking has aged to long, pale silvery lines, it’s soft and safe underfoot, and the splash from dive-bombing boys drains perfectly through the gaps in the boards.

As is often the case, the most challenging area: an awkward sloping sliver of land at the side of the house with no character or identity, became everyone’s favourite part of the new garden. Slow steps formed in kebony and edged in steel create a strong link between the front and back garden through what is now a gravel garden and the preferred route for all the family.

The climber, trachelospurnum (scented evergreen honeysuckle) and a steel planter wraps around the road-facing elevation of the pool house, turning an otherwise austere façade into a focal point from the road.