Raingarden

This project extended and reimagined the back of a terraced house in East Dulwich creating a synthesis of house and garden. A timber-framed structure was built to enclose an open-plan kitchen and dining area and this structure was wrapped in a rubber membrane with stainless steel trellising that provided a support for plants to be grown up and over the house. The folded roof of this structure collected the rainwater from the rest of the building and funneled it down into the garden via a projecting spout.

A rain garden was created to receive this water and percolate into the ground below. Plant species that thrive in this periodically water-logged basin were introduced alongside reclaimed masonry to channel the water. The house and garden thereby work together to manage and celebrate rainfall. A large triangular rooflight also gives broad views to the sky above.

Photography: Arboreal Architecture