Horatio’s Garden is a charity dedicated to creating and nurturing beautiful, accessible and sustainable gardens in NHS spinal centres for patients who would otherwise have little or no access to nature.

Mcmullan Studio designed a pod-like building for the organisation’s first Show Garden at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, designed by our long-time collaborators, Harris Bugg Studio. The project received a Gold Medal and the coveted Best in Show Award.

The Show Garden will later form the nucleus of a new, permanent space for Horatio’s Garden at the Princess Spinal Injuries Centre in Sheffield – opening in 2024, which will benefit thousands of patients, relatives and NHS staff for years to come.

Our garden room is designed as a place to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the garden and be uplifted by them. It is a private secluded shelter where patients and their families can spend time together – where they can laugh or cry – yet they will never feel isolated. Sitting within the garden room, they will feel connected to the landscape and the community in the garden.

The timber structure features a stunning reciprocal roof design, specifically designed to address the issue of monotony and lack of stimulation experienced by patients who are confined to staring at hospital ward ceilings, particularly those who cannot move or lift their heads due to spinal injuries. The nest-like character of this structure drawing inspiration from elegant yet straightforward designs used in various traditional cultures.

The building has been crafted from high performing, sustainable and healthy materials, drawing on the latest in building biology research - from natural sheep wool insulation to formaldehyde-free plywood.