Holmwood, Brockenhurst

UBU were appointed by Pegasus Life to develop the detailed landscape information for a new retirement development at Brockenhurst in the New Forest. The site comprises of the grounds to a former hotel, with the original building retained and refurbished with a series of new villas built in the hotel grounds.

The site is relatively compact and the presence of several mature trees together with level changes presented a number of design challenges that required a considered approach in order to create a high-quality landscape setting to the development. The refurbished hotel building forms a focal hub to the scheme providing communal facilities for the development; patios and garden spaces have been created providing spill out spaces to the dining area for use by residents.

The site constraints have guided the planting palette for the scheme with use of shade tolerant and woodland understorey species used to create attractive green spaces suited to the shady conditions. Boundary treatments respond to the local vernacular and New Forest Design Guidelines with the use of estate railings and native species hedge planting creating a strong edge to the scheme frontage.

Details to the hard landscape have been developed through extensive dialogue with Snug Architects and draw on the use of timber cladding and structures to new balconies. This has been translated into the details for timber retaining walls, privacy screens and boundary treatments.