Neath Hill Health Centre

A design inspired by the seaside coast

The courtyard space, hidden away at the centre of the health centre allowed us to conceive and execute a design that transports visitors to a beautiful seaside landscape garden in the centre of Milton Keynes. It has truly transformed the courtyard and given a new space for therapeutic treatments and daily delight for all visitors. The garden linked by one character inspired by coast, has two areas with differing functions: one acting as an extension to the waiting room, with a more peaceful quality. The second, a more functional space with raised growing planters for social prescribing and psychosis team treatments.

Innovation through seasonal and sensory planting, plastecowood boardwalk and accessibility

The courtyard has been transformed into an inviting sanctuary at the heart of the health centre. The wide boardwalk takes visitors on a journey through the dynamic and floriferous planting with seasonal and sensory interest, known to have therapeutic qualities, will stimulate different senses for the well-being of users. Using Plastecowood for the boardwalk created a dynamic, contrasting feature through the gravel purposefully allowing it be trafficked during construction it brought on a weathered, seaside quality that made it in keeping and less stark.

Accessibility has been integrated into all aspects of the design, important due to its multi-use nature. This includes, varied levels of raised planters for social prescribing garden groups whilst kneeling, standing or sitting.

Impact: a sanctuary inspiring calm and wellbeing

The result is a therapeutic garden designed to improve and enrich the wellbeing of staff and patients by providing an important resource for doctors and their patients. The space has been subtly divided to create linked areas with complementary functions.

A calm area inspired by the coast surrounded by ornamental planting and shading from trees provides an attractive extension to the waiting room at the southern end of the garden. A functional growing area with raised planters for use by the social prescribing and psychosis teams, as well as patients and family visiting the centre.

The project has received positive feedback already, with visitors to the centre eager to make full use of the space. The garden is future-proofed so that it will establish and succeed long-term, including in the face of climate change. It will require minimal maintenance, and remain a calm, green oasis at the heart of the health centre for years to come.

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