A backyard outdoor patio with a wooden deck, garden beds, and a covered pergola structure. There are trees, shrubs, and a black metal fence surrounding the area.

Water-Wise Urban Garden Transformation

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Scale: 150 m²

Completion: 2017

Water-Wise Transformation in Urban Context

A compact urban garden transformation that redefines a constrained ground-floor space into a functional indoor–outdoor living environment, using water-sensitive design and locally grounded material strategies.

Key Moves

  • Indoor–outdoor spatial integration through decking and planting

  • Permeable surfaces supporting infiltration and groundwater recharge

  • Locally sourced materials including stone and corten steel

  • Integrated greywater and rainwater harvesting system

  • Indigenous planting adapted to Cape Town’s water constraints

  • Backyard garden with a raised wooden deck, black metal patio chairs around a dining table, a pergola with a wooden slat roof, and a grassy area with trees and shrubs enclosed by a white wall and metal fence.

  • Outdoor dining area with a metal table and chairs on a wooden deck, adjacent to a grassy backyard with trees, a brick wall, and a mountain view in the background.

  • Outdoor patio with a large metal table and eight chairs, surrounded by trees and greenery, with a wooden pergola overhead.

  • A small outdoor patio area with a round wooden table and matching chairs, gravel ground, a garden bed with green plants, trees, and a metal fence in the background.

  • A rectangular orange planter with lush green plants, next to a wooden deck with leaves scattered on it, steps leading up to a white railing, and a Buddha head sculpture on a ledge.

  • Backyard garden with a tall palm tree, green trees, a wire fence, and a stone border around a grassy area under a partly cloudy sky.