Jardin Opulent

An open frontyard leading to a surprising and opulent shaded backyard.

Topio designed two gardens for a private villa in Vincennes, France.

These two gardens revolve around two very distinct visions; an English-style front yard, floriferous, undulating, and bright; a framed, geometric, shaded back yard.

The front part is organized around a route and “discoveries”; a flexible path that winds through a landscape carved with mounds, in a “natural” spirit. The shrub beds form persistent and structuring hedges which offer privacy to the garden. Entering through the gate, three multi-stem trees reinforce the notion of threshold through a shaded space. Here, the view towards low beds of perennials is filtered by trunks. In the evening, the trees are subtly lit from below, while the planting beds reveal themselves under indirect light. The whole front yard is transformed into a contemplative garden from the living room windows.

The back yard, or courtyard is mainly shaded; it offers all the characteristics for the composition of a « cocoon patio ». It should be seen as a unique space, a surprise, a second living room directly linked to the kitchen – a modern and structured place.