Three Garden House by Parabolica immerses its inhabitants in nature. The dwelling was conceived as an introspective space, focusing inward toward a central courtyard garden.

The principal challenge of this project was to create an architectural home that met the clients’ brief while adhering to a modest budget. This constraint guided many design decisions and necessitated the use of economical construction methods.

In this interview, the design team, composed of Benjamin Pitman and Jasmine Placentino, delves into the origins of the project, from genesis to completion

Architecture & Design: Can you describe the initial vision for this project and how it evolved over time?

Three Garden House was designed for clients entering the twilight period of their lives, with a deep and lifelong passion for gardening. From the outset, the vision was to create a home that immersed them in nature, not just visually but experientially. The idea of introspection guided the approach, with the architecture folding inward around a central courtyard garden.

Early studies reimagined the conventional hipped-roof, brick-veneer home by inverting the roof form. This created a reductive profile while allowing a clear focal point internally. As the design evolved, the architecture became a vessel for stillness and simplicity, carefully shaped around garden, light, and daily ritual.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the design and construction phases, and how did you overcome them?

The project was shaped by a modest budget, which introduced a clear constraint from the beginning. Rather than limit the design, this became a catalyst for considered thinking. It guided construction methods, material selections, and the spatial strategy itself.

One of the core architectural moves was to invert the typical roof form, concentrating roof lines, gutters, and services toward the centre of the plan. This reduced the external clutter and simplified construction. Achieving this required careful detailing and collaboration across disciplines to ensure performance without compromising clarity. The resulting home feels calm and composed, shaped by necessity rather than excess.

How did you ensure that the project met the client’s needs and expectations?

The clients’ passion for gardening and their desire to live simply and closely with nature shaped every aspect of the design. The home was conceived as an inward-looking retreat, with circulation wrapping around a central courtyard as a space for quiet reflection. Visual and physical connection to greenery was prioritised throughout.

The planning also responded to their stage of life. The house is single level, highly accessible, and filled with soft, natural light. A subdued material palette enhances comfort without distraction. Maintaining a sense of continuity with their previous garden was especially important, so much of the original planting was carefully relocated, allowing the new home to feel familiar and grounded from the beginning.

Were there any unique or innovative techniques or materials used in this project?

The material choices reflect a commitment to simplicity, tactility, and budget-conscious construction. External walls are clad in clay brick, bagged using a traditional sand-cement-lime mix. The result is textural and singular, yet economical and easy to maintain.

Dark-stained cedar is used sparingly to define openings and moments of entry. Inside, materials remain muted and natural, allowing the surrounding garden to take visual precedence. The inverted roof not only rationalises structure and services but creates generous internal volume where it matters most. Together, these elements create a quiet, grounded home shaped by utility, care, and restraint.

How does this project fit into your broader portfolio and design philosophy?

In our work, we often begin with constraints such as site, budget, or memory, and see them as creative starting points. Three Garden House exemplifies this. A modest brief, a limited budget, and a profound love of landscape gave the project its shape.

We also believe that architecture, interiors, and landscape are not separate disciplines, but part of a continuous experience. Here, the garden is not an accessory to the house. It is the house’s centre. The project reflects our broader ethos: working with what is essential, finding clarity through reduction, and creating homes that are deeply rooted in the lives of those who inhabit them.

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