FEATURED PROJECT | Pattenbringan

Perched high above the Yarra River with views across Richmond, Pattenbringan is one of Toorak’s most treasured Victorian residences. Designed in 1881 by the renowned firm Reed, Henderson and Smart, the home carries a rich architectural legacy, one that deserved an outdoor environment equal in stature.

In a considered collaboration with Lauren Tarrant Design, Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture (NBLA) was engaged to reimagine the pool house and extensive gardens, weaving together history, atmosphere and contemporary liveability across the 1900-square-metre property.

Lauren’s restoration of the home’s exterior set the tone, creating a more moody backdrop to elevate the new garden. From there, Nathan’s landscape design introduced a series of composed outdoor rooms, each responding to the home’s heritage character while supporting the modern extension.

A hedged entry courtyard of Portuguese laurel leads to elegant flagstaff steppers and the front porch, flanked by two sculptural garden beds. One retains its original raised sandstone border, now densely planted with clipped spheres of Buxus and Raphiolepis to introduce a sense of grandeur befitting the Victorian façade. Moving toward the contemporary extension, the landscape loosens into an organic composition of ornamental grasses and flowering spires, signalling the transition from historic architecture to relaxed living.

Around the pool, an evergreen hedge and line of slender silver birches form a soft, structured frame. Beneath the canopy of the established Magnolia in the rear corner, a layered understory of shade-tolerant species brings texture and depth, anchoring the garden in maturity and calm. The new pool house, complete with outdoor fireplace, creates a warm, year-round gathering point that overlooks the garden’s shifting seasons.

Through thoughtful collaboration and a deep respect for the site’s heritage, the redesigned landscape marries the old with the new, allowing Pattenbringan to feel both timeless and alive.