Malvern East – Family Sculptural Garden

Sculptural Play Space with Corten Steel and Climate-Smart Planting

Three boys. One front yard. Zero interest in a precious garden.

That was the brief in Malvern East.

This architectural home had presence, clean lines, confident curves, strong materiality. But the front yard? It needed to work hard. It had to handle cartwheels, tiggy, footy practice, birthday parties and still look sharp when guests walked up the path.

We weren’t designing a showpiece.

We were designing a 20-year performer.

And in Melbourne, especially in clay-heavy, frost-prone pockets like Malvern East, that means starting below the surface.

Reading the Site: Clay, Fall and Family Reality

Before we sketch anything, we read the block.

Malvern East sits in that classic Melbourne condition, reactive clay soils, cool damp winters, dry summers that can bake the ground hard. Turf fails fast here if it’s laid straight onto compacted clay. Drainage becomes an issue. Frost can hit low pockets. Summer irrigation can become constant if plant selection is wrong.

So we started where intelligent design always starts:

With the ground.

We assessed soil compaction. We looked at fall and water movement. We planned drainage before we planned lawn shape. Our construction manager was straight onto it, if we don’t fix what’s underfoot, no amount of sculptural steel or lush planting will save it.

This is the part no one sees on Instagram. But it’s what makes the difference in Year 5, Year 10, Year 15.

We improved soil structure. Built the turf base properly. Allowed for runoff. Created a lawn zone large enough to actually function, not a decorative strip pretending to be usable.

Because three boys don’t tiptoe.

They charge.

The Lawn: Big, Simple, Built to Cop It

Sometimes the most intelligent move is restraint.

Instead of carving the front yard into fragmented shapes, we created a generous, uninterrupted turf space. Big enough for games. Big enough for gatherings. Big enough that wear spreads naturally rather than forming one tired patch in the middle.

We selected a turf variety suited to Melbourne’s seasonal swings, one that handles winter dormancy without collapse and recovers quickly through spring.

But turf is only as good as its base.

Drainage and soil prep were the real heroes here. We layered, conditioned and tested before laying anything green. It’s not glamorous work. It’s muddy. It’s heavy. It’s the team on the tools doing the grind.

But it means this lawn won’t fail in two winters.

That’s builder honesty.

Sculptural Anchor: The Corten Bottle Tree

Now for the drama.

At the entry, we installed a Corten steel bottle tree sculpture. Not as decoration. As structure.

Corten is one of those materials we keep coming back to because it earns its place. It oxidises. It weathers. It develops a protective patina that stabilises over time, perfect for Victoria’s wet/dry cycles.

It doesn’t pretend to stay pristine.

It ages honestly.

That rust tone picks up warmth against the architectural facade. It creates contrast against green lawn. And it anchors the garden visually from the street.

When guests walk up, they notice it. When the boys play, it becomes part of the backdrop. When it rains, the surface deepens in colour. When it’s dry, it glows.

Form and function working together.

That’s the sweet spot.

Framing the Play: Succulents, Structure and Durability

A big lawn without framing just feels empty. So we created planted edges that do three things:

1. Contain the play space.
2. Soften the architecture.
3. Reduce maintenance burden.

We used hardy succulents and drought-tolerant species suited to Melbourne’s conditions, plants that can handle dry summers and won’t collapse at the first frost.

Structured forms. Repetition. Rhythm.

Succulents work particularly well in clay-dominant soils when drainage is addressed. They don’t demand constant watering. They hold shape. They provide texture without becoming unruly.

This isn’t about trendy plant lists.

It’s about performance.

We layered planting heights to create subtle enclosure without blocking sightlines. Parents can sit and observe. Kids can roam freely. The planting does its job quietly.

And because we chose species with longevity in mind, this garden won’t require a full refresh in five years.

Low maintenance doesn’t mean boring.

It means intelligent.

Curves and Circles: Echoing the Architecture

The home featured soft architectural curves. So we repeated that language outside.

Subtle circular gestures. Gentle arcs in planting beds. A flow that guides movement naturally from street to entry.

Design isn’t just about what sits in the garden. It’s about how it relates to the house.

When landscape echoes architecture, everything feels intentional.

Nothing feels stuck on.

We explored a few directional options early in concept phase, straight formal lines versus softened geometry. In the end, the curves won because they felt welcoming. Less rigid. More family-oriented.

That’s where art and builder meet.

We sketch. We test. We walk it. We stand back. Then we build it properly.

Climate Logic: Why This Works in Melbourne

Melbourne can deliver four seasons in a week.

Cold mornings. Wet stretches. Sudden heat spikes.

So every decision here was tested against that reality.

• Corten steel: stable oxide layer, handles wet/dry cycles.
• Turf: selected for recovery and seasonal resilience.
• Soil prep: improved structure for clay conditions.
• Planting: drought-aware, frost-tolerant performers.
• Drainage: accounted for winter saturation.

We design for place.

That’s the difference between aesthetic landscaping and intelligent landscape design.

Built for Real Families. Built to Last.

We didn’t design this for a photoshoot. We designed it for three boys running flat out.

The lawn’s been tested. The planting’s held up. The steel’s aging beautifully. No fragile corners. No high-maintenance fuss.

It took the whole team, soil sorted properly, drainage done right, Corten installed with precision, planting chosen for Melbourne’s reality.

That’s what we do.

We think deeply. Then we build properly.

Because the real test isn’t month one, it’s Year 7.

And this garden’s built to get better with time.

Thinking About Your Own Front Garden?

If you’re building or renovating in Malvern East, or anywhere across Melbourne and regional Victoria, and you want:

• Space for kids to actually play
• Sculptural elements that elevate the home
• Materials that age honestly
• Planting that performs in real conditions
• A garden that won’t become a second job

Let’s walk your site.

We’ll read the ground, talk through how you live.
We’ll explore what’s possible, Because the constraints might differ from project to project – But the thinking stays constant. And that’s what makes it last.