EBBA have been selected to design the latest Horatio’s Garden in North Yorkshire, a significant new chapter for an extraordinary national charity. Horatio’s Garden creates beautifully designed, fully accessible gardens within NHS spinal injury centres across the UK, offering patients and their families restorative spaces that support rehabilitation, social connection and emotional wellbeing. These gardens are not just landscapes; they are places of refuge, dignity and hope during some of life’s most challenging moments.

Our ambition has been to design a space that feels deeply rooted in North Yorkshire, one that resonates with its landscapes, light and material character while also providing an uplifting, welcoming environment for patients, visitors and staff.

The design draws inspiration from the rugged beauty of the North: its moorlands, drystone walls and the rocky landscape. We are interested in working with materials that feel authentic to this context through the use of stone, timber and metalworks, helping to celebrate their inherent qualities rather than overworking them. There is a deliberate robustness to the palette, acknowledging the toughness of the regional landscape, balanced by softer planted elements that introduce seasonal change, colour and movement.

An economy of means underpins the architectural language of the project. We are exploring simple methods of assembly and honest construction techniques that allow materials to express themselves clearly. Rather than relying on complexity, the design seeks clarity and restraint through carefully considered junctions, modular components and repeatable elements that create coherence across the site. This approach not only supports buildability and long-term maintenance but also reinforces a sense of calm and legibility within the garden.

A key theme throughout the design is the interplay between heavy and light elements. Solid stone walls and grounded structures anchor the garden, offering shelter and enclosure, while lighter canopies, screens and planted layers introduce permeability and openness. This dialogue between weight and delicacy mirrors the surrounding landscape and creates varied spatial experiences. Within the landscape are intimate corners for quiet reflection, generous communal areas for gathering, and accessible pathways that gently guide movement through the site.

Accessibility is central to every decision. The garden is carefully planned to ensure that patients with spinal injuries can move independently and comfortably throughout. Level thresholds, generous turning circles, tactile planting and thoughtfully positioned seating all contribute to a space that empowers rather than restricts. Sensory planting, seasonal interest and views to nature are woven throughout, supporting both physical rehabilitation and mental wellbeing.

Collaboration has been fundamental to the project’s development. Working closely with Studio Pollyanna and Arup, we are bringing together expertise in landscape, engineering and placemaking to ensure that the garden is not only beautiful but technically rigorous and sustainable. This integrated approach enables us to consider environmental performance, structural clarity and long-term resilience alongside the experiential qualities of the space.

As the project moves toward construction, we look forward to seeing the garden take shape on site in Spring. More than a design exercise, this is a commitment to creating a meaningful, lasting environmenta and a place that supports recovery, fosters connection and enriches daily life for those who need it most.