‘Sacred Grove’ garden triumphs at Singapore Garden Festival
British garden designers Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam of Wilson McWilliam Studio have won the ‘Best in Show’ award at the Singapore Garden Festival 2014 with their striking two-level ‘Sacred Grove’ design.
Chosen from more than 40 schemes, the garden was praised for its ‘exploration of light and shadow and the basic elements of water, light and air, and intelligently addressing issues such as drainage, sustainability and the greening of the city’.
The ambitious, two-level design, including a grove of 37 trees and a shady lower-level courtyard space, was inspired by the enthusiasm in Singapore for planting on and in buildings.
‘The aspect of shade was an important consideration for the Singapore garden and the creation of a lower garden space, cool and breezy, to create a dramatic contrast,’ says Wilson McWilliam. Rainwater connects the upper and lower levels, ‘from a lively flow to intermittent droplets of water that activate the pool and animate the space’. Absorption of water and its slower release through the roof planting system ‘reflects a more sustainable urban drainage system and helps to control run off’.
‘Creating this design has given us the scope to experiment with our passion for contemporary garden design while addressing the requirements of a high-rise city – something we increasingly need to think about as our urban populations increases,’ says Andrew Wilson. ‘The dynamic structure and planting design combine with a functional and cool space and create something very practical for the Singapore lifestyle,’ adds Gavin McWilliam.