Highfield House
This rural family home in the heart of Aberdeenshire, set on a hill overlooking Bennachie, embraces the spirit of American colonial architecture. With a client brief to create a contemporary outdoor space to harmoniously entwine with the home's architectural style, we’re proud as a team here at Terra Foras to have created an outdoor space that not only complements the dwelling but also forges an intimate tie to its surroundings.
The transformation of the outdoor space began with meticulous terracing through the addition of a retaining wall, sculpting the hill's slope to unveil a cascade of colour. Stone planters punctuate the terrace with waves of vibrant planting.
Central to the landscape is a formal games lawn bordered by lavender and stately beech trees, offering a recreational space for the family.
An arbor-guided path leads to a sunken BBQ patio adjacent to the hot tub / BBQ garden house structure boasting a glass window framing the majestic Bennachie landscape.
The patio is adorned with aromatic herbs like mint and rosemary, purposefully curated to enrich the sizzling flavours of meats cooked in the nearby BBQ house or to add to summer cocktails.
Adding depth to the property’s land, an orchard is placed within the hill's slope, nurturing heritage apples and damson plums destined for crafting artisanal gin.
The landscaped outdoor space is contemporary in nature, seamlessly intertwining with the home's architecture and establishing a connection to its surroundings. Vibrant hues soften the land, offering a visual look that evolves with the changing seasons for the ideal rural retreat.
“We have loved watching this year, from early spring, as everything has flourished and come to life. It has introduced wildlife, birds in particular, into our garden and has made the house feel like a home.”
"When we returned to Aberdeen from London after twenty two years, we left behind a really nice garden which we had developed once the kids stopped playing football. While we liked our new house very much, the garden was a major disappointment. It was a small town plot, which we couldn’t change.....
"We needed to undertake a major overhaul of our garden once our house was built. We did not really have a ‘vision’ and needed someone with the expertise in both design and knowledge of flora and fauna.....
"When we contacted Terra Foras our city centre back garden was overgrown, uneven, difficult to keep on top of and lacked a decent seating area. It was desperately needing a makeover on a big scale, so we knew we needed to get the professionals in.....
“Our garden was looking uncared for due to the structure of the garden making it difficult. It wasn't suitable to give our children the freedom to play in it with some features making it unsafe. We also didn’t have the time needed, to maintain it properly as it was.....
"It was Terra Foras’s design led approach and innovative thinking that attracted us to them. We hoped the garden redesign would create a visually exciting and very useable external space. This has, without question, been achieved.....
"When we returned to Aberdeen from London after twenty two years, we left behind a really nice garden which we had developed once the kids stopped playing football. While we liked our new house very much, the garden was a major disappointment. It was a small town plot, which we couldn’t change.....
"We needed to undertake a major overhaul of our garden once our house was built. We did not really have a ‘vision’ and needed someone with the expertise in both design and knowledge of flora and fauna.....
"When we contacted Terra Foras our city centre back garden was overgrown, uneven, difficult to keep on top of and lacked a decent seating area. It was desperately needing a makeover on a big scale, so we knew we needed to get the professionals in.....
“Our garden was looking uncared for due to the structure of the garden making it difficult. It wasn't suitable to give our children the freedom to play in it with some features making it unsafe. We also didn’t have the time needed, to maintain it properly as it was.....
"It was Terra Foras’s design led approach and innovative thinking that attracted us to them. We hoped the garden redesign would create a visually exciting and very useable external space. This has, without question, been achieved.....