We started working on this development on East Road at its the inception. We collaborated with General Public Agency who had been instructed to develop a public realm strategy with Rocket Developments, alongside the architectural team from Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands.

The proposed development of a student residential block and a hotel included two main public spaces: a break out/leisure space for the student accommodation, and an extension to Corsham Street to link through to East Road, which increased permeability to the site leading to an enlivening of the spaces beyond. We were asked to undertake the landscape design for these public and semi-public spaces, each of which had a very different character.

The courtyard needed to encourage multiple occupation by the students as well as visual interest from above. The design needed to be playful and engaging and include as much planting as possible, all the while allowing for different activities to coexist. Drawing inspiration from traditional university college buildings, the space was intended as a planted respite from the city beyond.

The length of the space leant itself to a long green wall, punctuated with light boxes installed with a linear Corten bench along the base to soften the urban feel. The granite ground finish sets to enhance the courtyard feel and provide a high quality base for the space.

The courtyard design encourages playful occupation. Raised beds of grass were created to lie on, timber and Corten benches of different heights and sizes were designed to sit, perch or lean on and allow for social interaction as well as individual use of the courtyard space allowing for people to use it at different times or simultaneously for a variety of uses. Encouraging people to use the courtyard, as well as provide visual interest lighting, was really important. The colonnade is up lit using ground lighting, and lights are embedded into the sides of the benches as well as the large light boxes in the green wall.