Date
01.03.2026
Japanese-Inspired Garden Retreat receives Planning Permission
Our design for a bespoke garden retreat near Hadley Woods in North London has successfully secured planning permission from Enfield Council. Conceived as a holistic sanctuary for health, fitness, and wellbeing, this architectural pavilion is deeply inspired by Japanese bathing rituals and the striking materiality of Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban).
Curated Sensory Ritual
The spatial layout is designed as a processional journey. Users are guided through a curated sequence—from a calming internal shower out to an external shower, before arriving at the sauna and hot tub. This deliberate progression heightens the ritualistic experience, dissolving the boundary between the interior and the lush surrounding gardens, designed by Adolfo Harrison Gardens.
At its architectural core, the project is a sensory celebration of cedar. The design engages multiple senses: the warming aroma of untreated interior cedar, the visual poetry of its natural silver weathering, and the tactile richness of the charred Yakisugi cladding, which serves as a traditional, chemical-free weather preservative. Furthermore, cedar’s inherent antimicrobial qualities make it the perfect functional choice for a wellness space.
To maintain a deep connection to nature while respecting privacy, natural light is maximised through a combination of elegant timber-framed windows and thermal satin glass block walls. These glass blocks are carefully designed to evoke the ethereal quality of traditional Japanese Shoji screens, reflecting their minimalist aesthetic while diffusing soft, ambient light into the more secluded zones.
Selected material palette of cedar in natural and charred (Shou Sugi Ban) forms, and satin glass block walls evoking traditional Japanese Shoji screens
Conceptual proposed plan view, inspired by the drawings of Hiroshi Yoshida
Treading Lightly on the Landscape
Crucially, the building is designed to tread lightly on its environment. Elevated on mini screw piles, it avoids heavy concrete foundations, a method specifically chosen to ensure the dense root networks of the surrounding trees remain undisturbed. We are currently developing the detail design with the intention of using lightweight, modular, pre-fabricated timber construction in collaboration with Natural Building Systems, aiming to recycle existing framework and materials wherever possible.
Complete with an external fire pit, this garden room will soon provide a beautifully sustainable, restorative retreat nestled amongst the trees.
Conceptual proposed section-elevation view, inspired by the drawings of Hiroshi Yoshida
