Clay Paver Award 2020-2021: Medium & Large residential gardens - Blending traditional and contemporary elements.

Unifying spaces: bridging indoor and outdoor living with a carpet of clay pavers.

Pear Tree House, a small-scale project by Ian Stubbs, won the Clay Paver Award in 2020-2021 in the category of Medium and Large residential gardens. The design aims to seamlessly blend the original, existing structure with new additions, integrating the house and garden into a cohesive whole, as to “bring the outside in”. It encompasses a significant home extension, the creation of an expansive patio and a series of steps.

The primary design objective to seamlessly merge indoor and outdoor spaces was successfully achieved by extending the exterior paving into the interior kitchen, maintaining a uniform level between the two areas. This continuity is not only a visual delight, but also a practical necessity, ensuring there is no step hazard at the door threshold.

“It was a challenging and deceptively simple design for a landscape architect’s ‘show garden’ which required deeper underfloor heating inside and hidden drainage channels beneath the bi-fold doors. The careful and deliberate decision on the direction of pavers enarved a flight of steps to subtly take account of a considerable change of level from house to garden.” This innovative approach not only enhances comfort but also demonstrates the project’s commitment to maintaining a seamless indoor-outdoor connection.

The chosen material for this project was the Septima Colosseum clay paver, which perfectly complements the existing element of the house and garden. These pavers introduce a modern, yet timeless aesthetic with their slim profile, warm colour and natural texture. The choice of the Colosseum colour, contrasting in scale and colour with the adjacent buff York-stone slabs and the frothy white, pale blue, light grey, and green planting scheme, adds depth and character to the space. The pavers also complement the dark frames of the bi-fold doors and the dark blue-grey painted kitchen cabinetry and appliances.

The re-designed patio area serves as a visual bridge between an already established garden and the house. The pavers had therefore to be traditional in appearance, yet provide a fresh, contemporary twist to link with the new kitchen within the Arts and Crafts style of the country house. The dark-grey ‘Colosseum’ pavers also provide a striking contrast to the red-multi traditional brick, oak feature reveal frames, and larch cladding of the house.

The ‘Pear Tree House’ project by Ian Stubbs exemplifies how thoughtful design can unify disparate elements into a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing whole. By blending traditional and contemporary elements and addressing practical challenges with innovative solutions, the project successfully merges indoor and outdoor spaces.