The project for the Wild Garden Trust followed out of an invitation by Prof. F. Torzo and assistants A. Lebot and J. Redpath, to investigate the possibilities that arise when regarding buildings from the 12th to 18th century in Southern England as possible foundations for contemporary  life. 

As stated in the brief;
“By exploring the value inherent in the existing structures, or fragments thereof, we can derive reasons to retain and add to these, emancipating the ruins from the condition of still images or romanticized postcards. We believe that the most vital tool for preservation is the care that only life and use can bring. ”

The roughly defined program was meant to include a multitude of public destinations/facilities, in alliance with a small number of residences for those who work on-site, all revolving around a plant nursery. Out of the three proposed sites, Waverley abbey; a 12th century Cistercian abbey, was chosen as an interesting case for this challenging proposition.

In search of a way to suitably house the Wild Garden trust in and among the ruins of Waverley Abbey, the type of the cloister garden is explored and adapted, creating public and private gardens enclosed by both old and new. Finding a ‘geborgenheid’ in the vastness of the floodplain and creating again a place for life and work. An earnest, austere and warm architecture is what is strived for, with an absence of superfluities that somehow reminds of the lives of the Cistercian monks and lay brothers that were lived here before.

Upon entering the floodplain, looking to the south-west, one is greeted by a fragmented hint of a building that is largely obscured by a rich thicket. The thicket will, at some point during its lifetime, reinstate the presence of the former church in the open plain, before continuing to grow even larger. When approached further along the path, an opening is visible and the silent north facade with the central entrance presents itself.

Roughly situated on the footprint of the former cloister, a public garden is created, surrounded by the entrance, the main hall, the remains of the chapter house, which might serve as a scenography for open air performances, and the kitchen and restaurant, extending with an open air room into the former Lay-brothers’ refectory. The second garden, characterised by a more narrow profile, is enclosed by the native tree nursery that extends into the former monks’ dormitory, seven guest residences and a communal kitchen. Linking the more private and domestic sphere of the residences with the more public program is the library, modestly sticking out above the rest of the building and serving a wide view of the floodplain from the reading room. The library provides literature and a small herbarium for both visitors and guest researchers and/or artist.

The aforementioned nursery hosts different subspecies of the Whitebeam (Sorbus Aria) as well as black poplar, willow, alder and sessile oak among other endemic species that are loosing habitat in the area. This is done to assist in the restoration of Englands biodiversity through reforestation, whilst simultaneously offering a resource for green woodworking workshops in the main hall when the trees are planted around the abbey.