Time to relax in the garden, fire up the grills and treat friends and family to a feast, and, for today’s housebuilders, designing outside space is now as important as indoors, reports GINETTA VEDRICKAS.

Developer London Square takes its name from the capital’s “lovely garden squares” says London Square North managing director Jo McDonagh, and all schemes have “beautifully designed landscaped communal gardens, offering a variety of spaces”.

Listing the numerous thoughtful areas now designed into the housebuilder’s city schemes–- a courtyard, rooftop terraces, a raised podium garden, garden square or children’s play area – McDonagh is a passionate advocate of the power of open spaces to bind communities together. Homeowners can enjoy private spaces, but also take advantage of London Square’s communal outdoor areas.

“For instance, the courtyard barbecue we created at London Square Bermondsey is a major hit with residents. The pandemic highlighted the need for apartments to have their own private outdoor space, be that a balcony, winter garden, terrace or patio, and designing outdoor spaces for year-round use is essential,” says McDonagh.

Garden designer James Smith, who won Gold at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show with London Square’s Community Garden, created a stylish winter garden for London Square Croydon, with furniture designed by television presenter and furniture restorer Jay Blades, to show how buyers can create an oasis outside.

London Square Earlsfield is a new development of family houses in south-west London, with private gardens designed for family living, together with apartments, all with outside space, set in communal gardens next to the 32-acre Springfield Park.

The show home at London Square Walton-on-Thames features a hot tub, pergola and terrace, space for an outdoor kitchen, as well as a summerhouse and climbing frame.

“The overall design of a London Square house and garden is intrinsically linked, and we pay as much attention to the space allocated for the garden and how that can be used, as we do to the interior design of the homes we build,” says McDonagh.

London remains one of the world’s truly global cities where people want to live, work and play, and Mount Anvil has spotted a shift in desire for greener, outdoor living in the city.

“In a post-pandemic and global warming world, wellbeing and healthy lifestyle is at the centre of conversations, with urban greening booming in new developments, focusing on sustainability, including vegetations and green roofs to improve London’s biodiversity and appeal to residents,” says Lucy Hopkins, marketing director of Mount Anvil.

The housebuilder recently launched Chelsea Botanica, where greener living is at the scheme’s heart and biophilic designs the development’s central theme. All homes have private outdoor space and landscaped gardens designed in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, implementing over 70 plant and tree species to increase London’s biodiversity and bring nature closer to residents. Communal outdoor areas include wooden yoga and pilates decks, social terraces and play areas, and woodland work pods equipped with Wi-Fi and power.

Berkeley Homes creates “fantastic outside spaces that provide a natural extension to the indoor living areas,” says sales and marketing director Ben Annetts. “These can be used flexibly, whether that’s space to exercise, relax or for a home office. We’re delivering a lifestyle.”

Annetts stresses that today’s homes must be both beautiful and practical.

“At Hartland Village, St Edward (part of the Berkeley Group) provides external power, lighting and water taps to every garden as standard, while spacious patio areas provide a great place for hosting barbecues, positioning a hot tub, or simply for relaxing in the evenings. Flexibility is key,” says Annetts.

“Open-plan living, kitchen and dining rooms lend themselves well to entertaining whatever the weather, and they lead seamlessly out into the gardens. Our residents are using their private outdoor spaces for living.” 

Immediate access to nature, without leaving home, is another benefit of private outdoor space as the long-term impacts of the pandemic linger: “Outdoor space is synonymous with community

and wellbeing. We all know that the pandemic had an impact on what people were looking for in a home, and our customers continue to prioritise these factors,” says Annetts. 

Hayfield specialises in village edge locations, where it has created several new communities centred around communal hubs. At Hayfield Wood, Blunsdon, in Wiltshire, a new community shop, café and play area has become a hub for residents and local villagers, says Hayfield marketing director Ranjit Kang.

“From selling local produce, arts and crafts, to celebrating local events on the green, the community shop and café has become the place to meet and mingle.”

A new parish building and community garden at Hayfield Green, Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, is also designated as a multi-use community space. “It’s great for an outdoor summer party with a sizzling barbecue.”

Gardens at Hayfield Crescent in Little Kimble, Buckinghamshire, incorporate a fully operational outdoor kitchen and entertaining space. “From cooking a full BBQ meal to relaxing by the firepit in the evening, the garden demonstrates a new external reception area for customers’ use,” says Kang.

At Hayfield Lodge in Over, Cambridgeshire, a garden pod has been transformed into a garden bar with seating, television and a bar, complete with wine coolers and Silestone worktops. “It’s not just the interior designs of the show homes customers want to see, but the external design of the garden too. Balancing green space with outdoor living has become key in promoting wellbeing and mindfulness.”

The sky’s the limit for Octagon Bespoke clients, says director Laurence Holder, highlighting demand for outdoor kitchens and different ‘zoning’ areas.

“There might be a chill-out zone with sofas around a fire pit, alongside a more formal dining area that’s covered from the sun. Likewise, the all-important outdoor kitchen and BBQ area is regularly requested, featuring high stools, a breakfast bar and also a kids’ space or leisure area to play,” says Holder, also seeing a surge in the popularity of outdoor cinemas designed for year-round use with feature open fireplaces.

“Gardens have truly become an extension of the house, so many of the requests that we now receive tend to reflect what’s inside. We’re essentially creating an additional kitchen/living space in most of our bespoke properties.”

Holder recalls recent installations in Hertfordshire and Surrey where outdoor timber pavilions house large screens, including one that’s the length of a standard diving board. “This particular client requested the area to be a sports-viewing facility, complete with an expansive seating area and plenty of room for hosting. They’re creating the perfect place to watch Wimbledon come July.”

Thakeham’s new village community, Woodgate at Pease Pottage, West Sussex, includes three-storey homes where outdoor living is at the design’s forefront. The four-bedroom Villas on the Green have a non-traditional layout, with the top floor dedicated to open-plan living with the kitchen, dining and living room connecting to an extensive roof terrace, perfect for outdoor living and entertaining.

Thakeham sales director Danny Rowland finds the villas are popular with relocating Londoners. “They are used to balconies and terraces as their outdoor spaces, but our villas boast not only generous roof terraces, but a conventional back garden as well.”

The housebuilder is now considering adding outdoor kitchens or dedicated BBQ spaces at future developments, as buyers see them as an extension of their living space. “It’s a huge lifestyle bonus and encourages a better quality of life.”

Redrow has long championed the role that nature plays in communities and is committed to delivering benefits for both nature and people, says group sales director James Holmear. Post-pandemic, he has watched a migration back into cities and towns where he hears of buyers’ frustrations in finding homes with green space.

“Over the last 50 years we’ve continually adapted our designs, prioritising well designed, energy-efficient homes with access to relaxing, nature-rich outdoor spaces that deliver a range of wellbeing benefits,” says Holmear.

Redrow’s research found that gardens are a key part of today’s homes, and a must have feature for over half (56%) of buyers who seek a “seamless flow of their style from indoor to outdoor, as it creates a contemporary garden landscape to match the style of our homes”.

The lines between indoor and outdoor living are blurring. “We’re also seeing an increase in biophilic design elements and earthy colour palettes. As people look to reconnect with nature and embrace more sustainable living environments – oversized lanterns, woven-style candle holders and collections of pots look great grouped together around outdoor seating areas to create the ‘inside out’ look.”