Dementia Care Village Landscape Design, Seaford

Studio Loci has developed the landscape strategy and masterplan for a specialist dementia care village in Seaford, East Sussex. The proposals create a safe, familiar and therapeutic environment that supports residents’ independence, orientation and wellbeing.

Key features include:

• A landscape-led masterplan informed by dementia-friendly design principles.
• A recognisable Village Green, Village Hub and sensory garden.
• Clusters of bungalows arranged at a familiar, domestic scale.
• A central folly inspired by Seaford’s Martello Towers, creating a distinctive landmark and point of orientation.
• Clear sightlines and simple spatial cues to support intuitive wayfinding.
• Continuous circular walking routes with no confusing dead ends.
• Direct connections between private terraces, shared gardens and communal spaces.
• Regular seating and rest points positioned throughout the village.
• Sensory planting providing seasonal colour, scent, texture and movement.
• Orchard and kitchen gardens encouraging activity, engagement and social interaction.
• Calm, uncluttered spaces designed to avoid overstimulation.
• Soft, planted boundaries that provide security without creating an institutional character.
• Parking and servicing positioned around the site perimeter to maintain a peaceful, pedestrian-focused environment.
• Retention of mature vegetation and new habitat-rich planting to enhance biodiversity.
• Sustainable drainage incorporated through permeable surfaces and landscape-led SuDS features.
• A strong landscape response to the site’s coastal character and proximity to the South Downs National Park.

The resulting landscape feels less like a traditional care institution and more like a connected collection of homes set around familiar gardens and shared village spaces.