The award-winning backyard makeover of this heritage home weaves together a set of functional outdoor spaces in a seamless, cohesive landscape.
The alfresco, an airy extension of the home, is decked out with comfortable lounge seating, BBQ and fireplace amenities. The cosy outdoor ambience is further reinforced by the proximity of the adjacent elevated lawn that rises above ground level, creating a protected, nested space.
The height transition between the lawn and living space is resolved with rich underplanting and floating concrete slabs that double as inhabitable seating space, connecting the levels together. The raised lawn provides a surface for children to run and play outdoors, and the height change lessens the forbidding nature of the retaining walls at the property’s perimeter, which are softened further with dense green verticals.
The entire space is connected by a consistent palette of grey concrete pavers in Anston Atlas, creating a grounding element that ties all the spaces together. Continuing towards the elevated pool and sun lounge, the pavers transition into 70mm thick square edge pool coping, then into bands of concrete cladding that create a feature pool wall.
The COS Design team utilised effective techniques and materials to create layers of complexity while ensuring maximum useability within the confines of this compact space. The Camberwell project received a Silver Award for Medium-sized Residential Design at the Landscape Design Institute Awards 2025, a well-earned accolade.
