CEMENT-FREE: EXPERIMENTAL URBAN GARDEN DESIGN, BATH

Small gardens are often where the most interesting ideas get tested.

This private garden in Bath gave us the opportunity to push the boundaries of sustainable garden design — specifically through the use of Cemfree, a cement-free concrete that delivers the strength and versatility of conventional concrete without the carbon footprint. Large in-situ cast features and all below-ground structures were built using Cemfree, proving that innovation and beauty can share the same foundation.

Simple concrete terraces guide movement through the garden, set among layered woodland planting and leading to an outdoor living space anchored by a cast concrete coffee table and cooking stand. A low retaining wall — once an unsightly block structure — was embraced rather than replaced, its weathered texture providing a quiet backdrop for wilder planting and giving the garden a genuine sense of character and place.

The garden room is constructed from oak and lined with Siberian larch, featuring a reclaimed barn wood wall — all chosen to develop a natural silver-grey patina over time, becoming more beautiful as the garden matures around it.

Nothing left the site unused. Excavated concrete and brick were crushed and repurposed into a soil-free growing medium, forming the basis of a biodiverse roof. Leftover sand creates habitat for bees. Stacked logs provide additional microhabitats for urban wildlife. The result is a garden design that is quietly experimental, deeply considered, and entirely at home in the city.