The concept was the idea of creating a walled garden; a container for a building that could create a special place within what is an exposed garden at the top of a ridge in Surrey. A dark yew tree offered an immediate presence of nature and the idea of counter-pointing this with a man-made garden took root. The walled garden became a courtyard, a spiritually rich, calm place that abstracts nature- stone, water, sun, shadows and sky in the tradition of the Zen garden. The building is enclosed by a zinc clad, folded plane, cedar lined internally that wraps over limestone walls – the floor in English limestone and the pool in Bisazza mosaics. An oak clad ‘box’ containing a study projects through the frame less glass wall.
