Accordia centres on the landscape concept of the collective enjoyment of the environment for both residents and visitors. It is a series of garden enclosures within a broader landscape setting, much like Sissinghurst, Hidcote or their Renaissance garden precedents. Each garden has a function or a theme, eg. ‘The Kitchen Garden’, ‘The Long Walk’ or ‘The Central Lawn’; all linked by a network of paths and clearly defined by walls, hedges and boundaries. The idea is an extension of the individual house concept for this site, where pockets of outdoor space are attached to specific rooms or activities.Rather than trying to make each piece of the public landscape all things to all people, Grant Associates wished to provide a hierarchy of spaces and uses across the site, i.e. ‘The Grand Garden’. In this way, a walk -through the site takes in a sequence of quite different spaces, characters and functions. This concept ultimately encourages greater use and enjoyment by residents. It is a concept that is sustained by the history of the site as the grounds of Brooklands House and by the legacy of mature trees that are a feature of the place.The proximity of the Botanic Gardens and the surrounding tapestry of allotments and large villa gardens reinforce the sense of a garden setting.