Dannemora Retirement Village

The brief for Dannemora Gardens was created by the residents of the village. At the top of the list were the following wishes; lots of interesting spaces to meet and have a chat, a bowling green, colourful gardens year- round and paths with focal points along them connecting all buildings. Privacy for each individual apartment was high on the agenda as well. For winter time an atrium would be built with a water feature and tropical planting. The entrance area would get a custom-built water feature. After a meeting with Dannemora Gardens designer Will Tresher we were asked to create their focal point at the entrance of Dannemora Gardens and install their atrium and courtyard landscaping. The team set out to meet with concrete casters for the water feature and each layer of the waterfall was hand cast and delivered by crane. A large pump and filter system were installed at the back of the waterfall and special lighting created to be able to enjoy the feature day and night. Once the entrance was completed it was time to install the water feature and plants in the atrium, where residents can enjoy getting together in the winter time. The final part of the landscaping, tying all parts of the village together, was completed over many months with pergolas, archways, exposed aggregate pathways with basalt-cobble edges, focal points, seats and benches, just to name a few. The finishing touch is the beautiful Cherry tree avenue, including lots of specimen trees and hundreds of shrubs to create a private botanical garden for the residents.