Patina of Time

This private garden and home design from Wildwood Studio demonstrates that climate mitigation starts at home and can be achieved on a small scale.

The project applied a holistic design approach, integrating landscape architecture and biophilic interior design, to both a 500m2 backyard space and the interior of a two-storey house in Stockport. This resulted in a design that enabled a low-carbon greener lifestyle and addressed climate change effects through a ‘green-blue’ network in the property.
Climate-inspired concept
The inception of the original design ideas came from the project’s location in Manchester. The city has long been stigmatised as a rainy region, so the project sought to explore how rainwater can not only be harvested, but its ‘kinetic energy’ reciprocated in the user’s everyday life.

The integrated landscape-biophilia approach provides a creative way to mitigate climate change on a residential scale. And the reconnection of human with nature not only results in climate change mitigation, but also provides climate education and personal engagement.

Sustainable design and specification
The glass channel running vertically across the two floors is designed to create 3D waterfall sound effects in the house, acting as a natural ‘Rain Hourglass’, and creates awareness of natural processes such as seasons and temporal changes in the environment. The channel receives the rainwater from the roof and transmits it to the indoor plant beds, before allowing it flow to the backyard garden for more irrigation and maintenance. To allow active water infiltration and achieve ground water recharge, the originally proposed granite garden walkway was replaced by sustainable Kellen paving.

Hardwood flooring from sustainable sources was proposed for the entire house. This will avoid the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and environmentally harmful chemicals, and will also contribute to carbon sequestration.

Designing with nature
A lightweight green roof system provides natural thermal insulation, ambient noise control, and biodiversity enhancement via wildflower sedum (attracting butterflies and bees). In addition, a custom designed ‘fauna wall’ is situated in the garden with a hollow honeycomb web to hold water and attract birds. Such nature-inspired designs not only result in ecological up-valuing, but also help us create more productive, healthier, and happier spaces.