Breathing Space | Rotherham

3 Jul

Our Breathing Space garden has found its permanent home at Breathing Space, Rotherham NHS Trust, thanks to the wonderful support of Project Giving Back.

Opening officially in September 2026, our Chelsea garden has been reimagined and expanded to suit its new setting. The floating terrace and canopy remain at the heart of the design, still anchored by the two beautiful pine trees that defined the original garden.

The enlarged landscape builds on the concept of the six-minute walk test—a therapeutic assessment used to measure an individual's functional capacity and physical conditioning. Within the more restorative setting of a garden, we have abstracted the familiar form of an athletics track to create a continuous circular route. Along this journey, visitors encounter a series of rest points and activity zones, including outdoor gym equipment such as exercise bikes and treadmills, encouraging gentle movement and supporting health and wellbeing in a natural environment.

The Breathing Space terrace is now connected to a new garden building, constructed from the charred timber that originally formed the Chelsea garden boundary. Generously supported by E.ON, this new addition will provide a welcoming 'warm room'— a sheltered space for year-round use and quiet reflection.

Below are some development visuals illustrating the proposed garden layout and exploring the orientation of the new warm room in relation to the main building and primary access route.