LESS IS MORE (WHEN IT COMES TO HARDSCAPE)

Hard materials – brick, stone, concrete, porcelain and the like – can carry a high carbon footprint, so it’s important to consider how you use them. We revisit these questions throughout our design process, thinking about which areas really need hardstanding – where our clients will sit or dine for instance – and where they require walkways. We all need useable spaces, so it’s important not to skimp on path widths and terrace size, however there is generally scope to scale back on non-essential areas of hardstanding. 

Creating semi-permeable surfaces using stepping stones is a technique we often use for pathways. Interspersing paving with green can be a decorative feature of the space, as well as the obvious benefits of using less materials and improving drainage. There are also countless options for what to plant between the stones. Lawn is just one, for example low-growing thyme can provide a fragrant, pollinator-friendly choice for a sunny well-drained site. The key is to select a plant which will suit those conditions and be robust enough to withstand the odd trampling.

Even creating cut-outs for planting within a paved terrace (something we do quite regularly) can significantly reduce the amount of material required, as well as ‘green up’ a space and help surface water to drain away.