Albany Gardens Pocket Park

Client: Barratt Eastern Counties
Location: Colchester, Essex
Architect: BDG Design (South) Ltd

Brief

LiZLaKe was commissioned by Barratt Eastern Counties to prepare landscape proposals for a residential scheme of 211 new town houses and apartments. Colchester Borough Council’s urban designers proposed that a pocket park should form a focal point within the development and our client responded positively in terms of its commitment to provide high-quality public open space. Our brief was to provide a calm space that would provide a communal garden for residents and the wider community.

Approach

The curvilinear central path is part of a route that links the River Colne to the Distillery Pond open space. As such, the park provides an ‘island’ of public open space, set within a walkable neighbourhood, helping to integrate the development into the wider urban context.

Outcome

The layout of the paths and seating areas, the repeated minimal palette of plant combinations, the species choice and positioning of trees, all combine to provide a sense of visual harmony and calm. The pocket park won the 2005 Silver Gilt Award for Best Landscaped Urban Development in the Daily Express New Home Gardens Awards and has now been formerly Adopted by the Local Authority.