Jardin du Dragon, Parc de la Deule, Lille
In 2004 Lille was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe and an international competition was held for the design of seven gardens within a newly developed park, Parc de la Deule, each garden to reflect the characteristics of gardens from the homelands of the immigrant communities in Lille. This garden designed with architect Yvonne Dean, and artist Sue Ridge, was a prize winner expressing the garden culture of the South East Asian community and is consistently voted the favourite garden by visitors to the park.
Jardin du Dragon, Parc de la Deule, Lille
The garden consists of a green tunnel of plants representing the body of the dragon, with sitting spaces along the path, where stone seats are engraved with the monthly temperatures of the capital cities of SE Asia. The path crosses and recrosses a straight bamboo watercourse which flows into the circular pool in front of the pavilion.
Parc de la Deule Consultation
Resulting from the success of the Jardin du Dragon I was asked to put forward some further ideas for the landscape of the Parc Mosaic and this resulted in the creation of a grove of Hydrangeas, an alley of Camelias and the Prairie de graminées géantes, a Giant’s Lawn, where insects sculptured in straw lurk amongst plantings of large grasses such as Miscanthus and Cortaderia varieties.
The Rain Garden. Parc de la Deule, Lille
Belatedly it was realised that one of the immigrant groups to Lille had not been recognised in the Parc Mosaic and another competition was organised to create a garden for the British community. Yvonne Dean provided the architectural expertise for the construction of a Lych gate entrance to the garden which is divided up into four ‘secret gardens’ each of which represent one of the ‘home’ nations and where poems expressing longings for home are displayed.
The Rain Garden. Parc de la Deule, Lille
One of the attractions in the garden, which helps to give it its name, is a group of sculptural bicycles by Andrew Ewing, which allow cyclists to pump water up and over stainless steel umbrellas above the bikes, and simulate cycling in the rain. Elsewhere a British telephone booth, letter box provide iconic symbols and a country lane leads to a stile and field where Dexter cattle graze.
Catford Town Centre Red Routes Tree Planting
Street tree planting to the Catford section of the Red Routes implementation, using Red Oaks, Paulownia, Small Leaved Lime, Liquidambar, Holm Oak and on the roundabout Californian Coastal Redwood, probably the only streetside planting of this in London.
Handcroft Road Estate, Croydon
Renovation of external areas of an existing housing estate including hard and soft landscape and play facilities, carried out in conjunction with BPTW Architects
Kingston University, Surrey
Landscape works to new University Teaching blocks and Lecture Theatre set in mature woodland subject to TPO on the Kingston Hill Campus. The buildings by Todd Architects received a Civic Trust Commendation in 2000.
Laurence House, Catford
Greening the Councils office building in central Catford by the installation of plant containers each weighing 500 kilos on the existing balconies of the office block, lifting the fully planted boxes into place by crane, watering by an automatic irrigation system.
Medisense, Witney, Oxfordshire
Landscape for a medical manufacturing facility including mounding, forestry screen planting, trees and hedges to car park, grass with naturalised bulbs and staff gardens.
Trinity Hospice Clapham Common London
Alterations to a hospice garden that I originally designed in 1984 (and illustrated here) to allow an enlargement of the chapel and mortuary, including pools, fountains, pergolas, trellis and garden pavilion. (not implemented)
IMAX Cinema, London, Southbank
Planting on and around a circular IMAX cinema designed to form a base of green vegetation to the building, supported on a steel mesh to enclose the pedestrian way beneath with artificially irrigated evergreen and scented plants. The building by Avery Associates received a Civic Trust Award in 2000 and a Green Corners Award in 2008.
