Creating Serene Spaces: The art of landscape design in retirement communities
James Blake Associates works with clients specialising in the retirement living sector, including Churchill Retirement Living and Planning Issues. We are regularly commissioned as their lead Landscape Architect to assist with the planning process through to construction completion. This includes initial concept and strategic level landscape constraints and opportunities, detailed landscape designs and construction stage inspections to hand over to their management company.
We create attractive, sustainable and biodiverse landscape designs which are sympathetic to the local character and surroundings of the site. Where possible JBA encourage the retention of good quality existing trees and hedgerows – combining existing features with proposed landscape and ecological treatments to enhance the existing rather than remove and replace at the clients expense. This sustainable method proves good value for the client, which helps raise the value of the properties due to enhanced established aesthetics, not forgetting the health benefits.
We propose landscape treatments depending on the function of each space, i.e. formal topiary hedging, year round tone and colour, texture and interest on amenity areas close to the building and seating areas. On the boundaries evergreen native deciduous trees and hedges for visual screening and intervisibility reduction, to encourage nesting birds and create ecological corridors around the site.
This landscape proposals are designed to be safe but a visually inspiring place to be, and the intention of the planting is to bring calm and peace for its residents, with focus on aesthetically-pleasing planting displays close to the owners apartments. The design is such that it benefits both mental health and physical wellbeing.
With an urban setting close to village and town centres as more favourable locations, there can be constraints. However, JBA has a highly-experienced team to treat them as opportunities to increase biodiversity in the area with boundary treatments to include native hedges and trees for screening and increasing Biodiversity Net Gain credit-scoring opportunities.
To assist you with your retirement living scheme, please do not hesitate to contact our team today – enquiries@jba-landmarc.com I 01284 335797
