A Courtyard in Seaford

This courtyard at the heart of nursing home wasn’t at all welcoming, so it’s not surprising that no one was using it.  Our brief was to create a pleasant outdoor area to entice the residents and staff of the nursing home outside.  

Sunken drain covers in the old patio made it very uneven and far from wheelchair friendly. One of our main aims therefore, was to replace it with a level surface so that the space could be enjoyed by everyone.

The fact that this was a central courtyard made access a major issue.  To take rubbish out, and bring materials in, meant we had to wheelbarrow everything up a corridor and through the reception to the car park at the front of the home.  We did our utmost to create the least disruption possible for the staff and residents, and we can’t thank them enough for their patience while the works were underway.

The courtyard had a very uninspiring concrete slab and ugly drain covers.

The old patio has been taken up, and the raised sleeper beds built. We used a central circular patio as a focal point for the courtyard with a grey surround to highlight it.

The beds were planted up with a simple scheme featuring palms, as they would thrive in this sheltered position.

Cobbles in warm colours fill the rest of the space, and the drains have been disguised with recessed covers camouflaged with cobbles. It may look simple enough, but there was a huge amount of cutting required, and each cobble had to be carried through reception to the front car park to be cut… and then brought back again to be fitted!

It was well worth all the effort though because the staff and residents are delighted with their new, improved courtyard, and best of all it is now accessible to everyone to enjoy for many years to come.