El jardín de las encinas

Location

Torrelodones

Size

500 m²

Typology

Naturalistic garden

Year

2025

Client

Private

Botanical excerpt

rhamnus alaternus, erica arborea, cistus ladanifer, artemisia arbotanum, filipendula vulgaris, matricaria tchihatchewii, parthenocissus quinquefolia

We envisioned this space for all its inhabitants—human and non-human alike. A garden for everyday life.

The project was structured around two main goals: bringing a wilder spirit back to the garden and creating a play space that connects children with their surroundings. With two little ones in the house, we felt it was essential for them to discover, explore, and truly make this place their own.

One of our first interventions was to reduce the paved area: we chose to remove tiles and open up green zones, giving plants back their protagonism. We prioritized the use of native species, specially adapted to the local climate and ecosystem, allowing for a sustainable ecological balance and a richer habitat for wildlife. Our inspiration came from the flora of the southern slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama, near which the village is located.

The diversity of plant layers—trees, shrubs, climbers, groundcovers, grasses, and bulbs—creates a naturalistic garden that invites pollinators and enhances the biodiversity of the site. The design ensures an attractive landscape year-round, revealing the subtle transition of the seasons.

We zoned the garden according to use, combining intimate corners, welcoming and functional gathering areas, and play zones so that everyone can feel comfortable depending on their needs at any given time.

Fig. 5 Spatial layout of the project

Fig. 6

We created a new seating area by placing a slightly elevated wooden deck at the back of the garden. Whether used as an outdoor dining area or chill out, it is a versatile space that can be easily appropriated. It is surrounded by holm oaks that provide welcome shade during the hot summer months, as well as perennial planting beds that integrate it into the garden and preserve its sense of privacy. Next to it, we designed an outdoor kitchen as a simple, almost raw piece. We selected a color that blends with the wall behind it and a countertop made from local granite, echoing the stones placed throughout the garden.

Near the pool, a corner where nature and play meet: anchored rocks and logs for climbing and jumping, plantings that awaken the senses (aromatic, edible, pollinator-friendly), inviting observation and interaction. These intuitive or “free” play elements offer an open-ended setting for children to explore and invent. Like loose parts, they multiply the possibilities of play, stimulate imagination and creativity, develop balance and coordination, and the presence of controlled risk teaches children to assess challenges and gain independence.

Fig. 9

Integrating free play into the landscape design allowed us to bring visual and ecological coherence: using natural materials (wood, local stone), plantings with seasonal interest (perennials, low-water groundcovers), and combining children’s creativity, sustainability, and a carefully curated aesthetic.

This makes the garden function simultaneously as a place for enjoyment, learning, and landscape conservation.