sustainable landscape design
for people, nature and climate

Dog Kennel Hill Open Space

community
sustainability

Dog Kennel Hill Open Space is a good sized public park with a small native species woodland in East Dulwich, London.  The client, the London Borough of Southwark, in response to local resident consultation,  wanted to improve access and biodiversity across the site without losing it’s amenity function.  London Wildlife Trust instructed Elaine to prepare a Site Survey Plan to address the design opportunities as well as a Strategic Masterplan Design, Planting Proposals and a Construction Strategy Drawing  to assist potential contractors to tender for the implementation.

Site survey drawing

Following a site survey and further local community consultation Elaine prepared a Strategy Masterplan that featured improved access, new and better placed site furniture and a natural play area.  Biodiversity enhancements included proposals for over 500m2 native species rich hedgerow, with meadow grassland, bird and bat boxes and log piles, some general enhancements to the woodland and interpretation and community notice boards.

Messy and incoherent spaces
Opportunity for enhancement
Design Masterplan Drawing
A ‘Mood’ Sheet to show users the design intent
Construction Strategy Drawing

Just a year or so later it was rewarding to see that the curvy meadow border was thriving, the species rich hedgerow boundary was establishing well, the meadow grass verges were blooming and the woodland paths were well defined without losing the natural feeling of the woodland.

New area for a meadow grass verge is formed
New resin bonded path and replanted fruit trees
Curving long grass and meadow edge
The species rich hedgerow boundary is thriving
The meadow grass verge is flowering well
The woodland access paths have integrated well