SOCIETY OF GARDEN DESIGN AWARDS  2021

The Murmuration Garden for Rehabilitation, a design collaboration between Tabitha Rigden and Helen Saunders, was announced Winner in the Paper Landscapes category at the SGD Awards 2021. We were thrilled to discover that the award would be presented by garden design legend Jo Thompson!

What the judges said: “This design describes, explains, illustrates and, most importantly, seduces the reader into wanting the garden to be built.“

The design demonstrates how gardens can provide a lifeline to those who need it – in so many ways. Our design made the area accessible to those with mobility issues and wheelchairs; it allowed patients, staff and visitors to connect with nature, either by walking in or sitting within our species rich planting schemes, and it enabled gardening itself to be used as a form of therapy in this space.

The best part for us?

This was the first time we had been asked to design a garden for people with such a wide range of needs and disabilities, and it is unique in our portfolio. We were proud of the fact that it delivered the complex brief without compromising on aesthetics, and it demonstrates how well thought out design can provide a lifeline to those who need it.

What does this garden give the client?

The previous space was not easily accessible to anyone with mobility issues, nor easily navigable for wheelchair users. As well as addressing this issue, our design provides an attractive outdoor space for patients, staff and visitors alike, with a sense of tranquillity and seclusion achieved by screening the neighbouring houses. The new garden allows patients the opportunity to reconnect with nature by using gardening as a form of therapy.

Biggest Take Away?

The design stands out in providing a highly functional space with form still at its heart. This garden demonstrates that aesthetics need not be compromised in a clinical environment.

You can see the full project here