Function meets flora in this harmoniously landscaped Dubai Hills garden
An eviction notice on their Dubai Hills rental home was the catalyst for Elisa Radeva and her husband, prompting their decision to invest in a home of their own. “We love the area, plus we wanted long-term security as we were planning to start a family,” she shares. After viewing newly handed-over units in the Golf Grove district, the couple made an offer in just a matter of days.
Garden landscaping was not even under discussion initially, as Elisa explains: “We wanted to do the bare minimum in order to make it liveable, then revisit the blank sand pit that was the garden when we had more time and headspace.” Once settled, and with time to breathe, attention finally turned to the outdoor space, beginning with a wander through the neighbourhood for inspiration. “One of the gardens, in particular, stood out, so we approached our neighbour and that’s how we brought Nabil from NGS Architects on board.”
Their first meeting resulted in an immediate alignment of vision and work ethic, and the dream garden project was green-lighted. Elisa elaborates: “The space itself isn’t very big, but we wanted to divide it into different functional areas. We also wanted to have plants that were easy to maintain and in keeping with the desert flora.” Unusually, their design brief also specified the creation of additional storage due to a lack of available space within the villa.
A keen eye for detail meant that Elisa and Nabil went through an exhaustive briefing process in order to establish the foundations for a clear-cut, polished plan of action, ending up with a realistic 3D render.
While functionality was key, the couple wanted a sleek, modern feel and Nabil’s insightful interpretation of the brief created a space “that feels bigger than it actually is, thanks to the multi-layered design.” To bring the renders to life, NGS Architects also designed a series of mood boards to illustrate how different colour combinations, textures and materials could work together.
“What is really amazing is that the garden looks exactly like the original renders”
A major challenge to the project was the fact that it was executed during summer, which meant reduced working hours – extending the original timeline. The end result, however, was well worth the wait, as Elisa shares: “What is really amazing is that the garden looks exactly like the original renders. We especially love the lighting, which brings the space to life at night and adds an extra-special wow factor.