Courtyard Concept Moodboard

 This mood board is my envisioned concept for the courtyard activity. Focusing on rich greens, white flowers and soft organic shapes. The main seasons of interest will be winter and early spring when the snowdrops are in bloom. Both snowdrops and the serpent are symbols of Ostara, the pagan celebration of the spring equinox. The word Ostara comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess name, Eostre, who represented spring and new beginnings. The colour red is central in Ostara traditions, with eggs being dyed red to symbolize rebirth and to honour the Sun. The Acer bark is a muted burnt ochre red, adding to the seasonal interest in the bleaker months, and fitting the spring theme.  The solid wall of the courtyard has been clad in mirror, as it is the North Wall of the site. Maximising winter light in the courtyard and creating depth. The combination of glass and mirrors will mean the landscape looks endless when standing in the courtyard. 

Growth and Decay is the overarching concept for the design, vernal renewal, rebirth, and resurrection after winter’s dormancy. Snakes symbolize regeneration and transformation, and as hibernating creatures, they also reawaken in Spring. Due to the constant shedding of its skin, snakes are seen as a symbol of new life, and in many of the world’s creation myths in Proto-Indo-European culture, the Goddess in the form of a snake laid the “World Egg”, which was split open by the heat of the Sun which the yolk of the egg represents, while the outside shell is seen as the womb of the Goddess. The whole, therefore, is uniquely symbolic of creation, birth and new beginnings.