Project Overview
- Client: Horatio's Garden
- Location: Sheffield
- Department: Royal Injuries Centre
- Duration: 52 Weeks
- Brief: Construct a therapeutic garden
RLX Construction is proud to have delivered the latest Horatio’s Garden at the Royal Spinal Injuries Centre, based at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, which won the ‘Best in Show’ show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. This ambitious project saw the transformation of a former car park into a beautiful, fully accessible sanctuary for patients, visitors, and NHS staff—supporting both physical rehabilitation and emotional wellbeing through the healing power of nature.
At the Northern General Hospital, the available site was a car park adjacent to the spinal unit—uninviting and entirely unsuited for patient use. Working closely with Horatio’s Garden, hospital staff, and lead garden designer Charlotte Harris, RLX Construction took on the challenge of transforming this space into a thriving garden environment with complex technical and accessibility requirements.
RLX managed the full delivery of the project, including:
- Site clearance and excavation of the former car park
- Groundworks and drainage modifications to support soft landscaping
- Construction of accessible pathways with gentle gradients for wheelchair users
- Installation of structural garden elements, including a timber-framed garden room, greenhouse, raised beds, and water features
- Lighting, irrigation, and electrical systems to ensure year-round use and safety
- Coordination with specialist trades, landscape architects, and the NHS facilities team
Every detail of the garden was built with accessibility and dignity in mind—providing raised planting areas for horticultural therapy, shaded seating areas for family visits, and open spaces for physiotherapy in a peaceful outdoor setting
About Horatio’s Garden Charity
Horatio’s Garden is a national charity that creates and nurtures stunning gardens in NHS spinal injury centres across the UK. The charity was established in memory of Horatio Chapple, a young man who had a vision to improve the wellbeing of patients with life-changing spinal injuries. Each garden is thoughtfully designed by a leading landscape architect, with accessibility, inclusivity, and therapeutic value at its core.
Horatio’s Gardens are known for offering a serene, natural space where patients—often confined to hospital beds or wheelchairs—can reconnect with the outdoors, family members, and their own sense of peace. The gardens also provide space for physical therapy, quiet contemplation, and social interaction, all of which play a vital role in the recovery journey.
Challenges and Achievements
Working within a live hospital site required meticulous planning, coordination, and sensitivity. From managing vehicle access on tight hospital roads to minimising noise and disruption near patient wards, our team remained flexible and responsive throughout the build.
The result is a seamless and calming environment that doesn’t feel like part of a hospital at all. Feedback from patients, staff, and the Horatio’s Garden team has been overwhelmingly positive.
A Project with Purpose
At RLX Construction, we are honoured to have played a role in this extraordinary project. Horatio’s Garden Sheffield is more than a building job—it’s a long-term investment in patient wellbeing, community healing, and compassionate design.
We believe in construction that has lasting impact. This garden exemplifies our commitment to projects that combine technical excellence with genuine social value.
To learn more about Horatio’s Garden and how you can support their work, visit Horatio’s Garden Sheffield & East – Horatio’s Garden.
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