Set within the rolling hills of Ewingsdale, Cooke Landscape Architecture embeds a series of gently tiered outdoor spaces that maintain a continuous connection to the surrounding setting.
Mirroring the restraint of the architecture, the landscape extends this clarity outward, allowing the ground plane to carry the primary spatial experience.
Photography above by Tom Blessing Studio.
Progressing through a deliberate sequence, each tier introduces a distinct condition while remaining compositionally unified.
Open lawn panels, low planting bands, and calibrated edges establish a rhythm that moves between enclosure and release.
A restrained material palette of gravel, concrete, tile, and timber reinforces continuity across the site.
These elements are applied with precision, aligning with the architectural language while allowing planting to soften transitions at the ground level.
Planting operates as both structure and atmosphere.
A predominantly native palette supports resilience, while massings of Poa, Ficinia, and Westringia define the lower layer with subtle movement and density.
Melaleuca trees rise lightly through the composition, extending the vertical field and echoing the broader landscape context. Interspersed plantings of Gaura and Pratia introduce a finer grain, softening edges and contributing seasonal variation.
The site organizes around a series of controlled relationships.
A rolling lawn opens the central space, while the pool is embedded into the slope and held within a concrete frame.
A glass fence recedes visually, allowing planting to read continuously across the edge. Along the far side, an in situ concrete wall establishes a clear boundary and anchors the composition.
Visibility between the pool and adjacent interior spaces reinforces a continuous dialogue between inside and out.
Views are maintained from both the living areas and main bedroom, positioning the elements of the landscape as both focal point and extension of daily life.
Nearby, a productive garden sits adjacent to the kitchen, supporting routine use while strengthening the connection between architecture and landscape.
Additional elements such as the tennis court and garden areas contribute to a broader pattern of occupation across the site.
These spaces introduce variation in scale and use, allowing the landscape to adapt over time while maintaining a consistent spatial language.
Rather than separating building and site, the project operates through alignment.
Material, planting, and spatial structure work together to produce a landscape that feels grounded, continuous, and closely tied to its setting.
Led by Effie Cooke and based in Northern NSW on Bundjalung Country, Cooke Landscape Architecture is a practice grounded in the design of landscapes that feel cohesive, enduring, and closely tied to place. Working across Australia, the studio approaches each project through a careful reading of site and a clear understanding of how clients live, shaping outdoor environments that are both immersive and highly resolved.
The work spans a broad range of scales, from compact urban courtyards to expansive rural properties, alongside new residential homes, major renovations, and development applications. Across each project, a consistent approach emerges, one that integrates planting, material, and spatial structure to form landscapes that are both restrained and deeply connected to their setting.
While rooted in the Northern Rivers, the studio’s projects respond directly to the environmental and cultural conditions of each site, ensuring that every landscape is specific, grounded, and built to endure.
Credits:
Landscape Architecture by: Cooke Landscape Architecture
Architecture by: Fraser Mudge Architects
Builder: Morada Build
Landscaper: CAPO Landscapes
Photography by: Tom Blessing Studio
