Virtual Haven
Garden Sponsor
About the Garden - Small Show Garden
Virtual Haven showcases the potential of virtual reality (VR) technology in garden design. It offers visitors an opportunity to step into the virtual world, using a headset to explore the initial design concept before viewing the completed garden in real life.
Conscious of sustainability, this garden has been built with reclaimed materials and is designed to encourage biodiversity with a number of pollinator-friendly plants. Asian influences, gathered during designer Darragh Collopy’s travel to Thailand, can be seen through the use of bamboo. The design includes areas for meditation and growing herbs, making this a functional space that combines beauty and practicality.
About the Designer
Designer Information
Darragh Collopy holds a BSc. in Product Design & Innovation and is pursuing his postgraduate studies in garden design with the Garden Design Academy of Ireland.
Darragh was a National Finalist in the EU’s Trash-2-Cash programme in 2013 and won the Downlight Design Challenge in the same year. He was later named as a final inventor on a European patented downlight.
Darragh lived in Thailand for five years, gaining experience in permaculture while working on a hydroponic farm and attending permaculture courses at the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Park. These experiences sparked his passion for a sustainable, eco-friendly virtual reality business.