A Luminous, Layered & Functional Courtyard by Mike Cass Creative
Mike Cass, founder and director of Mike Cass Creative, has created an abundant garden with a layered mix of plants, flowers and foliage within a compact courtyard in Sydney’s East.
Photography: Juris Puisens & Hande Renshaw
The courtyard of the Woollahra home, complete with a pool, is a sanctuary for its owners. Photo: Juris Puisens
Mike Cass, founder and director at Mike Cass Creative. Photo: Hande Renshaw
The courtyard view from inside the home. Photo: Juris Puisens
A diverse mix of plants feature in the courtyard. Photo: Juris Puisens
The compact garden is a relaxed sanctuary that’s also perfect for entertaining quests. Photo: Juris Puisens
Hi Mike—what did you most want to achieve in the landscape design for this project?
What we always shoot for, functional sensory overload. To coordinate this relatively small space, making it feel larger and achieve the wish list requested by our client. Clients wants more, they always do… our job is to provide as many of this items as possible while retaining proportion and sensitivity.
Design elements you used to achieve this?
Less an element, more a method. This was achieved having the spaces designed in response to a central path. We were part of a team tasked with designing the rear facade of this family home. Our design responded to the door ways opening centrally, this created the opportunity to install stepping stones that lead directly to the gardens destinations. Not unlike a hallway delivered in early architecture. The rooms and spaces are individually connected to this path.
What foliage did you use in the design?
It was paramount to include as much planting as possible, adding cascading and climbing species. This is a must when when utilising walls and raised gardens in small spaces, its not a problem its an opportunity.
Equally important was to fill the central and negative spaces with plants in clear view from the lounge, dining, kitchen, and even the upstairs bedrooms within the family home. Applying greenery to each area and surrounding surfaces provides illusion of size and grandeur.
Plant list includes: Frangipani, Ornamental Pear trees, Rosemary, Buxus, Silver falls, Ficus pumila, Zoysia, Oriental pearl, Tanika, Pratia, Autumn crocus, Gaura.
How important was the flow and direction of the compact space?
It was crucial.
What design rule do you adhere to when designing a modern garden... what’s the most important focus for you?
Great question—modern gardens ask for more. Like architecture, outdoor design has taken a radical new approach since I started out in this industry 34 years ago. Add this to smaller land sizes and a new found respect people have for great design, smaller spaces now deliver much more than clients were previously prepared for.
Our ‘focus’ is something I always harp on about, actually its two things:
1. Proportion: how we regulate the sum of all parts and their relationship with ‘everything’. This includes, but not limited to, scale, size, synergy, symmetry and structure.
2. Compromise: an agreement where concession provides true outcome.
How large was the area that you were working with?
The area totals approx 90 square metres. Everything you see in the images including the green roof over the garage.
A mix of foliage and plants soften the paving and timber deck of the courtyard. Photo: Juris Puisens
‘We knew we wanted to design a roof garden on top of the garage. In this design it was the obvious timeless add on—it’s been done many times before and it will be done many more,’ says Mike Cass. Photo: Juris Puisens
“Like architecture, outdoor design has taken a radical new approach since I started out in this industry 34 years ago. Add this to smaller land sizes and a new found respect people have for great design, smaller spaces now deliver much more than clients were previously prepared for.”
‘For the fence we chose a vibrant gold, added some gentle flake, then coated it with multiple layers of matt clear finish to take it exactly where we felt it needed to go,’ says Mike Cass. Photo: Juris Puisens
The crazy paving is a feature in the courtyard, the perfect solution when working with an irregular shaped layout. Photo: Juris Puisens
‘ Honestly, having clients who trust and support the process allows us to successfully do what we do,’ says Mike Cass. Photo: Hande Renshaw
You managed to fit a lot into a small space... what was the main challenge when designing in such a compact footprint?
I guess we discussed it earlier in question 5. But to expand, the usual challenge is outlining the compromise during the meet the client/consultation phase. Small spaces can and do deliver a plethora of creativity but there is a congestion point. The point where the requests of any space out do the area you have. In this case ‘the compromise’ is the harmony between what you want and what you can have.
The most rewarding part of your job is?
Always the clients. Those who put their trust behind you to live and breathe the process. We are tasked with making something for people they often didn’t know they wanted or needed. The level of responsibility entrusted in us is NEVER taken for granted. And investment of this kind should be treated with equal respect. The clients, their families and friends should in the end be living in a space that delivers more than they hoped on every level.
The most important design focus when you start each project?
Oh there’s so many, the first was the answer above, the clients. The second focus would be the oldest cliche in the book, ‘feeling’. Getting to know the people you are working with and for, understanding the families/clients needs and wants before running full steam into an idea you have been carrying for time.
As creatives we come with some amount of ego, this is the moment, as designers, we mix both parts.
What was the behind the decision for the black wall which houses the garage ? Why a bold dark colour instead of something more subdued?
The garage is a perfectly square black box. As the building was various whites, the obvious contrast this time was black. We knew it would connect to the pool and accentuate the cascading foliage of the roof garden above. Black became the obvious timeless add on. It’s been done before and it will be done many more.
Tell us about beautiful the tiles and steeping stones used on the project…
The tiles we chose for this project are a wonderful pink limestone product from Gather Co. We wanted something that sat seamlessly amongst the other materials selected while still packing a unique punch. This was one of those occasions I knew early in the process this was the right product. The reason for crazy paving was simply to compliment their irregular shape while representing a diverse range of textures in the design. Our hard surfaces often uniquely represent the products we chose and visa versa.
Lastly, tell us about the gold slatted fence to the pool - what material is it and way did you choose this material/feature around the pool instead of glass?
Haha! Easily the biggest talking point on this project. I knew it might get some attention but I did not know just how much. To be fair it was a simple one. We were involved in the home’s architecture during the design phase. It was apparent that the leading metal finish through the project would be brass as it offers a subtle golden hue. It was used in many rooms throughout the house and landscape. Outdoors, it appears in the retaining walls, the boundary pool wall and even the BBQ.
So, with the pool fence design complete, this allowed us to celebrate its central location and make the statement it needed to. GOLD! We chose a vibrant gold, added some gentle flake, then coated it with multiple layers of matt clear finish to take it exactly where we felt it needed to go. Honestly, having clients who trust and support the process allows us to successfully do what we do.