Our client was initially inspired to transform their space after seeing our display at the Queensland Garden Expo in early July 2022. Unprepared for what was possible in a smaller space, the showcase garden got the client excited about what could be achieved in her own backyard in Moffat Beach, Queensland (Kullawundhur, Kabi Kabi Country).
To bring you along on this award-winning project, it’s important to share the underpinning context of water conservation in Queensland, how we see small spaces and the Garden Expo that started it all.
A Backdrop of Water and Dreaming Big in Compact Spaces
In the land of droughts and flooding rains, the cultural backdrop around water in Queensland, Australia is that of conservation — of being water wise. During periods of drought, there’s lots of public education around how to conserve water through daily usage tips that range from personal hygiene and optimum sprinkler times to topping up the pool and keeping the car clean. It’s even taught in schools from a young age. Our droughts are devastating, and every little bit helps.
With a lifelong career in landscaping, finding a way to build water features that lasted while settling into the cultural backdrop of water conservation became essential. The water feature industry in Australia is growing but is still comparatively quite young. While we live and breathe water features, the general public is still just being introduced, in large part.
While some of our peers focus on larger-scale water features, our early years were spent in London with a Chelsea award-winning landscaper, working on projects with much smaller footprints and much tighter access.
Many London backyards are limited with tight access — an education we’re very grateful for. It’s there we found a deep appreciation for the design and project management considerations when navigating compact spaces. Moreso, when you’re willing to put in the work, you can really make small gardens something truly incredible.
It wasn’t until the Queensland Garden Expo in 2022 that we were able to bring all these elements together under one, unencumbered Taylor’d Waterscapes design — only limited by footprint and the simple brief that it be taken down after three days.
Garden Expo: The Three-Day Project Inspiration
In early July of 2022, peak winter in our part of the world, we had the privilege of designing and constructing a showcase water garden and surrounding landscapes at the Queensland Garden Expo.
Our design was inclusive of, but not limited to, the water feature, pathways and stairs, gazebo, firepit area, rainwater harvesting (using the roof of the gazebo), rockscapes, softscapes, stairs and lighting.
The central feature — a 10-meter ecosystem pond and stream — flowed from the gazebo to the firepit area in cascading falls, ending in a negative edge that fed the reservoir beneath the permeable floor of the recirculating shower. We conceptualized and handcrafted the outdoor shower from reclaimed timber and brass fixtures to match the handcrafted timber bollard lights we make ourselves.
This feature used everything we love about what we do — different aspects, multipurpose spaces in a compact spot, recycled timber, lighting and unfettered access to explore and enjoy peaceful spaces.
This project was only possible with the support and skill of Tom at Garden Art, who we have collaborated with many a time, and Josh from Earth Art Design, who contextualized the space with the hand-carved, wooden furniture that ranged from a curved bench seat and a tall table with mushroom features to a glass-top, wooden-based lowset table with matching chairs.
The Garden Expo project was a bucket load of preparation work, creative design, a week or two to construct, three days of conversing with people, then left with just a few days to pull it all apart and return it back to a bare slope. In saying that—
Moving to Moffat Beach: Our Client’s Brief
After seeing our work and talking to us at the Expo, our client wanted to transform her backyard. She felt her existing yard was bland and vacant; she wanted the sound of running water in her home and views from their second story.
Additionally, she had grandchildren and liked the look of the recirculating outdoor shower we had installed at the Expo. While it could be used to rinse off sand from the beach, the drive to have the recirculating shower in her own yard was more for water play for her grandchildren — without being wasteful of water.
Here in South-East Queensland, our weather is quite generous. Outside a few short weeks in winter and the odd windy day, beach weather is pretty well year-round.
The Water Feature
This multi-feature aquatic landscape has a 3- to 4-meter waterfall that starts at the level of a pre-existing retaining wall. The waterfall flows down to a deep underground reservoir, one shared with the recirculating outdoor shower.
Permeable paving sits atop the reservoir, acting as the shower floor and reservoir roof, while serving as a functional and aesthetic element to the feature.
The Set-Up
The site prep for this project included removing the existing drainage pit, AstroTurf and part of the existing retaining wall, in addition to digging out a 2.5-by-1.5-meter space for the underground reservoir.
The drainage pit was relocated at the end of the project and the AstroTurf reinstated, but our part of the retaining wall had been replaced with a waterfall — which leads us to our challenges.
Fitting In
Careful partial removal of the retaining wall meant ensuring the structural integrity of the remaining wall while, on a design aspect, ensuring the transition from the wall to the water feature looked right. We approached these challenges with considered design and careful execution.
Further, the project presented significant logistical challenges, primarily due to restricted site access that required all materials to be transported manually — by hand or wheelbarrow — through a narrow garage door opening.
Our Favorite Features
The standout feature on the Moffat Beach project has to be the custom-built outdoor shower. It really is an incredible feature — visually, but also for the very real benefits of having a Queensland home, and Queensland summers, with young children who now have the option to interact with natural water while being water wise.
The only thing we changed about the outdoor shower from the Expo to the Moffat Beach installation was acid washing the brass and crafting a timber tap indicator to tie in with the overall blue and timber tones of the design.
Awards for the Recirculating Water Project
Happy with our work and attention to detail, the client went on to have us do the full planting on the project, including the installation of trellises.
For us, the Moffat Beach feature is a delightful project. The clients are happy, and the project went on to win Best Residential Feature at the 2024 Landscape Queensland Association’s Construction Excellence Awards. Click here to view more projects from Australia.
About the Author
With a lifelong career in the landscaping industry, Daniel Taylor has specialised in water features since 2016. Based in Queensland, Australia, Taylor’d Waterscapes uses the Aquascapes method and materials to create “living water” ecosystems and one-of-a-kind pieces of living art in Southeast Queensland and internationally.
