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Projects / A rain garden — Zagorje

Making room for water.

Water lingered on the heavy, poorly draining soil beside a house in Zagorje. The landscape design connects water collection and drainage with a clear planting structure and interest through the seasons.

An overhead view of the pond, timber deck, diagonal planting beds and long driveway.
3D visualisation · Water, planting and the approach to the house considered together.
Location
Near Krapina
Type of space
Private gardens
Project status
Landscape concept design
Landscape design
Dandelion Studio / Bruno Jelinić

The water that caused the problem becomes the starting point for the design.

01 / Context

A private house near Krapina sits at the foot of a hill. Water collected on the site, and plants and lawn struggled in the waterlogged soil. A long, narrow driveway further shaped the experience of the front garden.

02 / Constraints

The heavy, poorly draining soil couldn’t readily absorb excess water. As well as water already collecting on site, the design had to account for runoff from the hill. Planting and drainage were therefore developed together.

03 / The design decision

A small rain garden to the right of the driveway is designed to collect water and connect to a pond. An overflow beneath the timber deck carries excess water off the site. The collection and overflow system also considers larger flows from the hill, while the pond becomes a focal point of the garden.

04 / Raised beds and diagonals

Raised beds lift the planting above the wettest soil. Their diagonal arrangement breaks the driveway’s long axis, opens up new views and gives the space more depth. Corten and clean outlines respond to the contemporary house, while grasses and perennials soften the edges.

05 / Autumn and winter are part of the design

Developed in autumn, the project deliberately uses 3D visualisations to explore autumn colour and winter character. Trees, grasses, perennials and bed edges provide a structure that remains clear beyond the growing season. Seasonal change is part of the intended experience.

Water collects on the lawn beside the gravel driveway at the foot of the hill.
Before · Water collecting on the heavy soil.
A plan showing the pond, deck, diagonal beds and water collection area across the driveway.
Concept plan · The arrangement of the pond, planting and water collection alongside the driveway.
An autumn view of the pond, deck, corten edge and ornamental grasses, with the house behind.
3D visualisation · The pond as a focus for both water and space. Autumn view.
A detail of stone in the water, a corten edge and timber deck beside planted beds.
3D visualisation · Corten, stone and timber connect water with the shape of the space.
A winter view of the house, driveway, pond and snow-covered planting.
3D visualisation · In winter, the outlines of the pond and planting beds remain clear.
A winter detail of frost-covered grasses and perennials.
3D visualisation · Grasses and perennials in winter.

06 / Project stage

An unbuilt landscape concept. The plan and 3D visualisations show the proposal in autumn and winter. The photograph of the original site documents the waterlogging problem.

Water in landscape design
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