Ravara Training and Resource Centre

Ravara Training and Resource Centre offers daycare support for adults with learning disabilities, as well as specialist care for individuals with complex needs in its intensive support unit. The brief was to revitalise an overgrown, inaccessible outdoor area into a fully landscaped, wheelchair-accessible sensory garden, designed to be user-friendly for all visitors. Our scope included a complete transformation of the space, focusing on accessibility, sensory engagement, and the creation of an inclusive, therapeutic environment for both service users and staff.

Key Features:

• wide, flat paths made of non-slip, permeable materials like resin-bound gravel to ensure accessibility.
• interactive garden features such as the canopy, rainbow chimes and congas that catches the light and invites users to stimulate and engage their senses of sight, smell, hearing and touch.
• provision of comfortable benches surrounded by calming, low-maintenance plants where visitors can meditate or reflect.
• the garden features low-maintenance, sensory plant species that boost biodiversity and sustainability while minimizing upkeep and conserving resources. Moreover, toxic plants have been omitted from the planting palette to prioritise visitor safety.
• incorporating sustainable and eco-friendly materials, such as sustainably sourced hardwood timber, permeable paving with locally sourced gravel aggregate, and low-energy lighting.