Modernist Design

Shute House Gardens

 01 

Jellicoe

Beck, C. (2018). The Gardens at Shute House - Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe’s final garden. [online] House & Garden. Available at: https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/gardens-shute-house [Accessed 25 Jan. 2023].

‌

Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe

The late architect, planner and  landscape architect had a career that spanned almost 70 years, in which he won many awards. His portfolio includes over 100 different designs, and each of them are considered to be revolutionary pieces.

Design Process

Over the years Jellicoe used classicism, modernism and post-modernism. He found the concept of subconscious design to be intriguing and he used landscape design to demonstrate the relationship between visible and invisible worlds. This mature approach posed the opportunity to curate many acclaimed compositions. 

Review

I admire the mixture of texture Jellico uses in the smallest of spaces. His attention to detail is very focused, and as a result, his gardens feel more immersive. Shute house gardens - specifically - showcase some of the most traditional spaces but are produced with effortless bursts of colour. Every hidden area has been critically and purposefully designed from a narrative standpoint. 

Moreover, there is a contradiction between the harsh lines of the ponds and streams, that flow adjacent to the naturalistic arrangement of the vegetation. I see that he has combined the styles he has used throughout his life and made one complete picture describing what he likes most about each genre of design.

Overall, Shute gardens illustrate the typical English garden and compliment the age and history of the estate. This is one of my favourite gardens I have come across so far in my research, purely because it claims to be exactly what it is; a well designed, striking garden, with no unnecessary additions.