About This Project
A Gold award-winning landscape design and construction project in Abbotsford, this compact rear courtyard proves that considered design has no minimum footprint. Working within the rear boundary of a cosmopolitan inner-city home, Esjay Landscapes + Pools took a restrained brief and resolved it into something quietly exceptional: a courtyard that functions as an outdoor room, feels like an extension of the interior, and holds the character of the home it serves.
The design works with the existing structure rather than against it, layering new elements with care and precision. Architectural concrete forms the primary surface and bench elements, every edge clean and every junction considered. Black vertical batten screening defines the boundary, creating enclosure without heaviness, while lush planting softens the palette and brings the space to life through every season.
A soft grey and black colour palette runs throughout, unifying the hardscape and joinery into a composition that reads as a single piece. This is the kind of landscape design thinking Esjay applies across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, where space is precious and every decision carries weight: material against material, planting against structure, light against shadow.
The outdoor entertaining zone is where the courtyard earns its keep. Designed for the way people actually live in inner-city Melbourne, it is a place to cook and gather, to sit with a drink as the city quietens around you. The Esjay portfolio spans Abbotsford, Fitzroy, Collingwood and across the broader inner north, and this project stands as one of its most refined small-scale works.
Recognised with a Gold Award at the Landscaping Victoria Industry Awards 2023 in Residential Landscape Construction, the Abbotsford courtyard is a reminder that excellence in landscape design and construction is measured in resolution, not scale.
Awards
Landscaping Victoria
Industry Awards 2023
Residential Landscape Construction
Under $75,000
Project Overview
Landscape Design: Esjay Landscapes + Pools
Landscape Construction: Esjay Landscapes + Pools
Architectural Concrete: Hungry Wolf
Your space, however small, deserves great design.
Some of the most satisfying projects begin with a courtyard, a side passage, or a compact backyard that others have written off. If you have a space with potential and are ready to talk about what it could become, book your free initial meeting with the Esjay team here. Still in the early stages? Our FAQ page is a good place to start.
Date
2022