PATH Design Studio

Hawthorn Residence | Front Garden

Working with a significant level change across the site, the front garden was designed as a series of layered spaces that bring planting and custom landscape elements together.

🌿 Layered Planting —
Plants of different heights, forms and textures create depth throughout the garden, softening the substantial stonework and bringing greenery between the different levels.

🪨 Stone Bench & Custom Pergola —
A substantial bench made from a single piece of stone sits within the custom-built pergola, creating a dedicated place to pause and enjoy the front garden. Together, the two elements form a distinct garden space within the upper level.

Together, the layered planting, stonework and custom elements create a softer garden experience across the different levels.

Landscape Design & Construction
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

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Kew Residence | Light & Structure

After dark, the pergola becomes less about the structure itself, and more about the relationship between light, shadow and what sits in between.

✨ Layers of Light —
Rather than illuminating every surface evenly, light catches selected edges, planting and structural elements. Brighter moments sit against deeper shadows, creating a sense of depth within a relatively small space.

🌿 Light through Planting —
As climbing plants weave through the lattice, leaves interrupt and soften the light. The result is never completely static — foliage, shadow and texture overlap to create a composition that changes as the garden grows.

◻️ Lines, Frames & Shadow —
Posts, beams and lattice divide the view into a series of frames. At night, these geometric lines become more pronounced, contrasting with the softer and less predictable forms of planting.

The beauty of landscape lighting is not simply in what it illuminates.
It is also in the shadows, layers and moments it leaves behind.

Landscape Design & Construction
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

Hawthorn Residence | Sandstone Front Fence

Designed as part of the overall front landscape, the boundary fence creates a strong sense of definition and security while maintaining visual connection between the residence, garden and streetscape.
⚒️ Solid Steel Fence — Constructed from solid steel, the black vertical fencing creates a substantial and refined boundary while its open form allows views through to the planting and architecture beyond.
📐 Council Permit — The proposed fence height exceeded the standard requirements, so a permit was obtained through Council to allow the increased height while ensuring the design remained compliant.
🏡 Natural Sandstone — Natural sandstone was selected in a tone that complements the existing residence, creating a cohesive connection between the front boundary and architecture. 🌿 Layered Planting — Planting in front of and behind the fence softens the strong lines of the steel and sandstone, adding depth and allowing the boundary to sit naturally within the overall front garden. Together, the solid steel fencing, natural sandstone and layered planting create a clearly defined boundary that feels integrated with both the architecture and landscape.
Landscape Design & Construction�
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

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Balwyn Residence | Pool Details

Designed within a long and narrow side passage, the pool brings together a shallow play area, swimming zone and integrated spa, making efficient use of an otherwise underused space without compromising the main backyard.

🧱 Mosaic Detailing — Green mosaic tiles continue across the pool floor, walls and stepped forms, creating a consistent material language throughout the changing depths.

📐 Tile Layout — Subtle variations in tile layout add definition to key edges and transitions, introducing detail while maintaining a cohesive overall finish.

💧 Depth & Reflection — Changing water depths, light and reflections bring out different tones within the same blue-green palette, adding depth and variation across the pool.

🪨 Limestone Coping — Pale limestone coping provides a restrained contrast to the green mosaic tiles, creating a clean transition between the pool and surrounding landscape while allowing the water and mosaic texture to remain the focus.

Landscape Design & Construction
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

Kew Residence | Driveway

Located along a busy main road with limited convenient street parking, this residence required a more practical approach to vehicle access. Despite the sloping site, the driveway was designed to provide generous on-site parking, making everyday loading and unloading easier while also accommodating visitors.

🚗 Practical Parking — The expanded driveway creates flexible space for multiple vehicles, reducing reliance on street parking and providing convenient access close to the house.
🌿 Hard & Soft Balance — With a larger driveway required for practical reasons, planting along the driveway and front boundary helps soften the paved area and maintain a balanced relationship between parking and the front garden.
🪨 Exposed Aggregate Concrete — The exposed aggregate finish provides a durable surface while its restrained tone complements the grey façade and surrounding landscape.
📐 Saw-Cut Control Joints — Carefully positioned saw-cut joints help control concrete cracking while breaking down the visual scale of the large driveway surface, creating a cleaner and more considered finish.
Together, the driveway responds directly to the client’s everyday needs, creating practical on-site parking while remaining integrated with the architecture and front landscape.

Landscape Design
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

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Balwyn Residence | Custom Water Feature Wall

Designed as a visual backdrop to the pool, the full-width water feature helps define the long, narrow space and creates a strong focal point within the pool area.

💦 Water Feature Wall — Water flows across the textured surface of the wall, with the horizontal detailing adding movement and variation as the water travels down the surface.

🛠️ Fully Custom-Made — The water feature was custom fabricated specifically for this project rather than adapted from a standard system. Key components were prefabricated off site to suit the dimensions and requirements of the pool area.

📐 Custom Detailing & Installation — The drainage system and top capping were specifically designed and fabricated for the water feature, with on-site measurement and installation coordinated to achieve a clean, integrated finish.

Together, the custom fabrication and considered detailing allow the water feature to sit naturally within the architecture while creating a distinctive backdrop to the pool.

Landscape Design & Construction
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

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Looks like the PATH crew is officially geared up. 😄🌱

A big thanks to our friends at Coolabah Turf for the goodies — always great working with people who look after their landscapers as well as their lawns.

Coolabah Turf

Balwyn Residence | Backyard

Designed around the client’s everyday needs, the backyard balances usable outdoor space, functionality and a considered relationship between hard and soft landscape.

Project highlights:

🪨 Paving & Lawn — The layout maximises usable paved space while meeting Council requirements for the balance between hard and permeable surfaces. Rather than treating this as a limitation, the paving and lawn were carefully shaped to create a distinctive geometric relationship, adding both flexibility and visual interest to the backyard.

🏡 Custom-Designed Alfresco — Designed specifically around the client’s lifestyle and requirements, the covered alfresco extends the living space outdoors and provides a versatile area for dining, relaxing and entertaining.

🌿 Planting — Garden beds and boundary planting soften the paved areas and frame the open lawn, bringing greenery into the space without compromising its usability.

💡 Landscape Lighting — Integrated wall and step lighting adds warmth to the backyard after dark, while improving visibility and creating a more comfortable evening environment.

Together, the paving, lawn, planting and custom-designed alfresco create a backyard that responds to practical requirements while remaining open, comfortable and visually connected.

Project Team

Architecture：
Mezz Group Australia

House Builder：
MeridianBuilderGroup

Landscape Design & Construction：
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

Natural Stone Paving Supplier：
RMS Traders - The Home Of Stone™️

Building supplies：
JCMelBuildingSupplies

Turf：
Coolabah Turf

Garden Lighting：
HAVIT💡
Gardens at Night™

📍 Balwyn, Melbourne

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Balwyn Residence | Pool & Spa

A long and narrow side passage transformed into a complete pool and spa area as part of our recently completed Balwyn project.

The pool was positioned within this secondary part of the property to meet the client’s requirements while minimising the impact on the main backyard and shared outdoor space. The layout also retains practical circulation alongside the house.

Project highlights:

🏊 Pool Layout — The elongated layout incorporates a dedicated pool shelf for loungers, a swimming zone and an integrated spa, creating multiple functional areas while making efficient use of the available space.

☀️ Pool Shelf — The shallow pool shelf provides a space for outdoor loungers, offering an area to relax beside the water while enhancing the everyday usability of the pool.

💦 Pool & Spa — The swimming zone and spa are integrated within one continuous layout, allowing both functions to be accommodated efficiently within the available footprint.

🧱 Custom Water Feature Wall — The water feature wall was designed specifically for the site. Its dimensions, top capping, concealed drainage system and water pipework were all custom coordinated for this project, with key components prefabricated off site before installation.

🪨 Pool Finishes — Green mosaic tiles, pale stone coping and the textured water feature wall create a restrained material palette that connects naturally with the surrounding architecture and landscape.

🪵 Composite Decking — Composite decking provides practical access along the pool edge while allowing easier inspection, maintenance and future replacement of individual boards when required.

Together, the pool, spa and surrounding landscape respond directly to the client‘s lifestyle requirements, transforming a previously underused side space into a practical and well-defined outdoor area.

Landscape Design & Construction
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

Project Team

Architecture
Mezz Group Australia

Lanscape architecture & construction
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

Swimming pool
Momentum Pools

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Balwyn Residence | Front Landscape

A front landscape designed around the practical needs of everyday living, creating a welcoming arrival while maintaining a clear relationship with the architecture.

The front garden combines generous off-street parking, a clearly defined pedestrian entry, low-maintenance planting and integrated landscape lighting.

Project highlights:

🚗 Driveway & Parking — A generous driveway provides practical off-street parking while maintaining clear access between the street, entry gate and front door.

🪨 Limestone Paving — Used throughout the main pedestrian areas in a linear layout, creating continuity from the entry gate to the house and adjoining garden paths.

🏡 Front Fence & Entry — The front fence combines rendered masonry piers, black vertical fencing, an automated driveway gate and a separate pedestrian gate. Its height complies with the relevant local requirements without requiring a Council planning permit.

🌿 Low-Maintenance Planting — Structured planting, open lawn and clearly defined garden beds introduce greenery while keeping ongoing maintenance practical and manageable.

💡 Landscape Lighting — Garden lights are positioned along the entry path and planting areas to support movement through the front garden and add depth after dark.

Together, the driveway, pedestrian entry, planting and material selections form a practical and clearly organised front landscape that responds to the client’s everyday needs.

Project Team

Architecture:
Mezz Group Australia

House Builder:
Builder Group

Landscape architecture & construction:
PATH | Landscape Design, Construct, Maintain.

Natural Stone Paving Supplier:
RMS Traders - The Home Of Stone™️

Building supplies:
Mel Building Supplies

Turf:
Coolabah Turf

Garden Lighting:
Gardens at Night™

Project Location

📍 Balwyn, Melbourne






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