Client: Barratt Eastern Counties
Location: Colchester, Essex
Architect: Stanley Bragg Architects
Engineer: Mouchel Parkman

Brief
Liz Lake Associates was commissioned by Barratt Eastern Counties to prepare detailed landscape proposals for a new urban development of 202 town houses and apartments at Balkerne Heights, located just outside the Roman wall of the historic core of Colchester. A condition of the outline planning permission was to create a "pocket park" as a high-quality focal point of the main square in the centre of the development.

Approach
The central square is steeply sloping and the design intention was to work with this constraint positively to create a distinct space, with a mosaic forming the focal point of the pocket park. Local artist Anne Schwegmann-Fielding was appointed with a brief to capture the Roman history of the area through the medium of mosaic. The concept for the Balkerne Star came from a mosaic pavement found nearby.

Outcome
The colour range for the mosaic chosen by the artist is very simple: sienna, yellow ochre, green, blue and mushroom. It echoes not only the planting palette but the traditional Essex colours of the surrounding buildings. The result is an urban square with a strong sense of place.