BALI Design & Landscape Contractor Olivebay Evening Standard Featured Garden

A recent July edition of the Evening Standard’s supplement Homes & Property featured the work of Olivebay, a London roof garden described by article author Pattie Barron as Ingenious Space …

‘When one Londoner was told he couldn’t create a roof garden unless he put a wall around it, he built one …

This garden room might well look like a Mediterranean courtyard, but it sits on a fifthfloor rooftop in Chelsea. Uniquely, it was built with insulated walls and floor, and has all the building regs so if the owner wishes to convert it to a bedroom, he need only add a roof.

This was the clever idea of garden designer Chris Maton, previously a builder. A third of the entire roof space — 75 square metres — is a self-contained guest apartment with spectacular views across London and its sliding glass doors lead into this lushly planted garden room.

“The planners told us that we couldn’t make a roof garden in this area without a wall around it; they would only allow discreet planting,” explains Maton. “My clients, however, wanted more than a few planters. So we discussed making a flat first, then a garden room second. We felt it would be a great use of the space as well as a good investment.”

"The garden room, a rectangle of five metres by four metres, is as versatile as it is beautiful. There are shuttered windows on the two side walls as well as louvred entry doors on the two opposite walls, so the room can be sunny or secluded."'

The Garden is currently in the running for a BALI National Landscape Award 2010.

To read Pattie Barron’s full article please click the link on the right

All Images Copyright: Clive Nichols

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