Project
Cross House
RIBA North-West 2023 RIBA North West Client of the Year 2023
Set behind the preserved Victorian façade of a Grade II-listed house in Handbridge, Chester, Cross House brings architecture and landscape into a single, continuous experience.
From the street, the house remains quietly embedded within its historic context. Beyond, the spaces open towards the garden, where light, planting and movement create a calm and immersive relationship between interior and exterior.
The result is a landscape that feels precise, restrained and entirely inseparable from the architecture it surrounds.
Urban Courtyard
A Garden Defined by Space
Planting Within Constraint. climate-responsive palette
The scale of the courtyard demanded precision. Every element was carefully considered to ensure the space remained legible and calm. Lines were simplified, materials kept consistent, and the layout resolved to create a sense of order and quiet enclosure. The intention was not to maximise what could be included, but to refine what was necessary.
The clients’ Australian heritage informed the direction of the scheme in subtle but important ways. There was a preference for openness, for clean transitions between interior and exterior spaces, and for planting that felt relaxed yet controlled. The garden needed to function as an extension of the living space — somewhere to sit, to gather, and to move through with ease. This influence was interpreted through a restrained, climate-responsive palette suited to the UK, rather than directly replicated.
Planting was used sparingly, but with intent. A limited palette was selected to provide structure and softness without overwhelming the space. Texture and form were prioritised over colour, allowing the garden to remain calm and cohesive throughout the year. The result is a courtyard that feels balanced and resolved — where planting supports the architecture and enhances the experience of the space without drawing attention to itself.
In Essence Cross House is a garden shaped by restraint. A small space, carefully considered — where architecture, material and planting are held in quiet balance.
Planting is used to soften thresholds and bring texture and seasonal variation into close relationship with the building, reinforcing the sense of continuity between architecture and landscape.