h+m were appointed to prepare design proposals for the open spaces around two blocks of student accommodation on a semi-vacant area of ground to the north of The Bobbin public house, on the eastern side of King Street, a major route giving access to the city centre. The landscape design is influenced by the positioning of the residential blocks on the site: Block A which defines a new built edge to the site along King Street; and Block B located relatively centrally within the space defined by Block A and the site boundaries, creating a sequence of surrounding landscape spaces.
Vehicular access is limited to only that area required to service The Bobbin and the new development, using a granite aggregate concrete block with a slightly bigger size module than standard blocks to provide a crisp contemporary character. The hard landscape area transitions into the surrounding soft landscape, through areas of alternating bands of concrete setts interspersed with strips of Pearlwort, a hardy, evergreen lawn alternative.
A northern garden optimises a south-westerly orientation, with large-scale timber decking platforms forming simple areas for sitting or lounging, set amongst areas of decorative pebbles interspersed with a range of perennial plants and ground cover planting, serviceberry trees and informal groups of granite spheres.
In the south-eastern corner of the site, a ‘Secret Garden’ is enclosed by a dramatic blue glazed brick wall and filled with flowering Cherry trees set within a floorscape comprising of long planks of Caithness Slate, randomly laid in fractured linear alignments, and interspersed with Pearlwort lawn. Against the southern boundary, vertical sheets of mill finish aluminium Chequerplate set at varied angles provide reflections of the space and sky. A simple timber bench seat, facing south, completes the composition.