About the project

As part of the Florence Nightingale Garden at the 2021 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we crafted a 60-foot pergola using Douglas Fir cross-laminated timber (CLT), designed to be both a structural and symbolic centrepiece. The pergola was created to reflect Florence Nightingale’s commitment to natural materials and their role in supporting health and wellbeing.

Engineered for strength, precision, and sustainability, the CLT structure enclosed the garden on three sides, creating a defined yet open space for rest and reflection. Its clean lines and warm timber tones demonstrated how mass timber can bring a sense of calm and modernity to therapeutic environments.

Following the show, the pergola will be permanently installed at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, forming the heart of a new healing garden a lasting legacy of Nightingale’s vision and a compelling example of CLT’s potential in healthcare design.