The paths at Salaam are an extension of a private residence, and play a small, but important role, contributing to the question ‘What makes a garden?’. The design is simple and transient – a series of footpaths that meander through dense coastal bush and forest, restored to its natural state. Each path serves as a testament to the delicate balance between experiencing the wildness of nature and maintaining a sense of openness and predictability, ensuring safety within a preserved and untamed setting.
Initially, the site was smothered and suffocated in coppiced Neem trees, which obscured native coastal bushes that are essential to the landscape. In response to this, our main intention evolved into attuning to what naturally existed in the area, and designing towards it. Although Kenya is a tropical climate that is assumed to retain lush native vegetation, the reality is quite different. The Kenyan calendar year fluctuates between long, dry periods and vibrant, torrential rainy seasons, leading to dramatic changes in the natural coastal vegetation. During the dry season, the landscape resembles a skeleton of its former self, while the wet months bring a burst of lushness. This rare juxtaposition is only witnessed in native flora, and revealing this remarkable seasonal transformation was essential.
By restoring the natural forest, paths emerged naturally from the landscape, mirroring desire lines to create points between locations which allow people to naturally discover. From a design perspective, simply taking into account intuitive sense helps guide a journey forward: sounds of the sea, or strategic placings of fragrant indigenous jasmines. These simple “man-made” paths rely upon determined gestures which draw easy, wide clearings within the bush, making it instinctive for one to walk, to move forward, and to wonder and appreciate the transformation of tropic seasons. The idea is to encourage a sense of intuitive discovery.
Much like restoring natural essence, revealing human history also elicits a deeper understanding of place. We opened one of the paths to a densely forested circular outing to feature a stone fountain at its center. Built by Italian prisoners of war during WWII, the sculpture is carved with local stone. This point in the garden creates a unique moment to reflect on the experienced history of the land and its surrounding environment.
Essentially, this project reflects a deeper responsibility we have in our hands as landscape designers and architects. The native vegetation in many parts of the world is being overridden for more dramatic and tidier “formal” plant choices, and natural place is forgotten. These choices pose challenges to existing plant and animal ecosystems, and also prevent people from experiencing unique, natural cycles of environment. At the heart of our project at Salaam is to remember and embrace that which belongs.
Landscape Architecture: The Landscape Studio
Architect and Contractor: Halal Architecture, Lamu
Project location: Kilifi, Kenya
Year completed: 2014
Photo credits: The Landscape Studio
Published on February 17, 2025
