Rooted Renewal: A Home Grown from the Landscape’s Past
Set within the grounds of a former plant nursery, The Nursery is a Paragraph 84 home that celebrates regeneration—both natural and architectural. Where the site has turned to overgrown structures and self-seeded woodlands, these now form the backdrop for a highly sustainable, multi-generational home that gently reinterprets the site’s past. Working with the grain of the land, the proposal retains linear building forms and aligns to a strong east–west grid, echoing the order of nursery rows. Designed for low-impact living, the dwelling nurtures both its residents and the surrounding landscape, offering a space where contemporary design and environmental stewardship grow together.
Repairing a Site
The site still holds traces of its past—dilapidated outbuildings, overgrown latticed ground, and clusters of self-seeded trees that hint at its former use. Over time, nature has quietly reclaimed the space, creating accidental woodlands and spinneys where neat nursery rows once stood. This proposal builds on that legacy, drawing inspiration from the nursery’s original grid and linear structures to guide a sensitive and regenerative approach. Rather than erase what’s there, the scheme restores and celebrates it—replacing decay with renewal and shaping a home that revives the site’s identity while leaving it better than it was found.
The site still holds traces of its past—dilapidated outbuildings, overgrown latticed ground, and clusters of self-seeded trees that hint at its former use. Over time, nature has quietly reclaimed the space, creating accidental woodlands and spinneys where neat nursery rows once stood. This proposal builds on that legacy, drawing inspiration from the nursery’s original grid and linear structures to guide a sensitive and regenerative approach. Rather than erase what’s there, the scheme restores and celebrates it—replacing decay with renewal and shaping a home that revives the site’s identity while leaving it better than it was found.
A closer look …
Floor Plan
Courtyards, Grids and Light-Laced Stillness
The design of The Nursery takes inspiration from the site’s former life as a plant nursery. At the heart of the home is a central courtyard that brings in natural light, especially to the bedroom spaces, helping to keep the house comfortable all year round. This courtyard also connects the indoors with nature, creating calm, light-filled spaces throughout the home. Water features reflect sunlight into deeper parts of the house, bringing in brightness without relying on too much glass. The layout follows a simple, organised grid—echoing the old nursery structures—and weaves the site’s history into a thoughtful, modern family home.
Landscape Masterplan
