One of the many threads woven into the design of the Bishopsgate house was the desire to protect existing trees and facilitate the natural propagation of native trees to minimize growth of non-native species.  To achieve this, we selected certain trees for conservation, designated areas for natural propagation by local birds and specified giant shade trees found in the area to further develop the vision.

There was an old Jambu Laut standing  about 25 metres tall that was l right in the middile of the site. The client agreed to conserve this tree as  it would take years for the landscape to mature enough replace the shade this tree provided. This tree was protected during the construction provided a central focus to the landscape design as well as a sense of continuity with the quality of Bishopsgate.



This neighbourhood is known for the Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans) tree. Tembusus were scattered across what was once a very large estate. The Tembusu flowers twice a year, the seeds drop and a lot of Tembusu saplings germinate. During the period before the adjacent plots were developed, the untended site was covered in young Tembusu seedlings which had dispersed aided by the birds’ droppings.  We designated a 6M swathe in which no construction was to take place to allow for propagation by the birds.  Within months, both Cassia Fistula and Albizia seeds yielded strong trees.

Beginning with the top left image in a clockwise manner: 1. a sapling emerging in the shade of a Tembusu Tree, 2. a young tree takes root amidst construction materials in a matter of months (2 April 2006), 3.  In just four months, the Albizia grows from 1.5 to 3.5 meters (August 2006), 4. By the end of the construction stage, the tree is over 12 meters in height, upstaging the Jambu Laut that had been there for decades (June 2008).

In the design of the Bishopsgate house, the trees play a central role in the conservation of the heritage of the site, establishing a sense of place . The concept for the garden was to leave as much of the land untouched and grow large shade trees that would eventually provide a canopy over the house. With a strong preference for deep shade and natural ventilation, the client embraced the spaces defined by giant shade trees as a focal point for the house from which the land can be contemplated by generations to come.