News
a PLACE to Learn & Wellbeing Club
We are looking forward to our next instalment of a PLACE to Learn and our Wellbeing Club allocation too 😊 Last year we were lucky to visit the Furnitubes factory, Robin Taachi plants, Boxhill for a landscape character assessment, Deepdale trees and the Sky Garden @ Fenchurch - thank you to all of you for hosting us. Next on the list - the Lovell Stone quarry in Swanage! This month we have also been given a new allocation for our Wellbeing club fund to spend on a wellbeing activity of our choice. Last year we were able to attend dance classes, theatre shows, art classes, pilates classes and gym classes to name a few - spoilt for choice!
January 2025
Green Park Landscape Management
PLACE is appointed to provide landscape management advice to Green Park facilities management team. We carry out inspections and prepare reports in order to inform the onsite landscape maintenance team on their daily operations. Through the autumn and winter we regularly visited Green Park to carry out the annual Waterways, Tree and Ditch surveys. The weather was good to us this year and even balmy!
December 2024
Vince Street approved!
1 Vince Street has won planning approval from Hackney Council for a 14-storey tower near Old Street roundabout. The building features offices on the upper levels and commercial use on the ground floor. The development also has a podium garden at level 5 with planters, benches, trees and mixed shrubs to be used by tenants of the building. Ecology has also been incorporated into the façade design with a bird box and insect hotel on the roof.
November 2024
a PLACE to Learn – Furnitube street furniture factory
The team visited the Furnitubes factory in Sittingbourne as part of our ‘a PLACE to Learn’ initiative. Furnitubes is a street furniture manufacturer who produce products such as seats, benches, planters, picnic benches and tables, litter bins, cycle parking and bollards. During the visit we learnt how the manufacturer produces the furniture and what materials they use. The products are made in the UK which minimises lead times and reduces the impact on the environment. The products are also rigorously tested to withstand the external elements. It was great to see the full process from sheet metal through laser cutting, bend forming, punching, welding and fabricating then over to the paint shop!
November 2024
St Olav’s Planning Approved!
St Olav’s in Rotherhithe has received planning consent. The Co-Living development includes two residential buildings with commercial space on the ground and first floors. The site will incorporate biodiverse roofs and the ground level entrance area will feature raingardens, play space and spill out space for residents in what is a new Street linking Southwark Park with Lower Road. Offsite proposals for refurbishing a Christopher Jones Square pocket park and play space are also included.
October 2024
East Ferry Road receives planning
We are super pleased to secure planning for this 26 unit residential scheme on the Isle of Dogs! A constrained urban site but designed to allow for genuine in ground landscape to ensure longevity of urban greening in the future. BNG targeting 130%!
October 2024
a PLACE to Learn – Robin Taachi Plant Nursery Visit
The team visited Robin Taachi Plants nursery in Diss, Norfolk as part of our ‘a PLACE to Learn’ initiative. Robin Taachi Plants is a leading commercial nursery in the UK. We were guided around their two farm sites, reviewing their wide plant range including shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, ferns, hedging, field grown specimens and instant hedges. They also shared their experiences in specifying plant density for various plot sizes and other professional tips. We all enjoyed the CPD day with our knowledge enhanced.
September 2024
Warwick Mills receives Planning Permission
We are pleased to announce Rochdale Borough Council have granted permission for the redevelopment of Warwick Mills, Middleton. The Grade II Listed cotton mill is to be converted into a sustainable mixed use development which will feature apartments as well as business space, retail space, private courtyards, and leisure facilities. Wince Brook bounds the south of the site and a footpath runs along this with naturalistic planting to guide people to enjoy quiet time and nature. The main courtyard in the mill has various zones to meet different user requirements, from a playful route for the children, a calm personal seating space to a group gathering area, all residents can relax and enjoy their time here!
September 2024
Stockley Park wins BALI Award
Stockley Park has won a BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) Award! Stockley Park is a 35-hectare Grade II listed business park in Uxbridge. PLACE work alongside Nurture to manage the landscape with the aim to ensure the park adapts to changing climatic conditions and bio-diversity aspirations.
September 2024
The Earnshaw shortlisted for New London Awards
The Earnshaw has been shortlisted for the Built Workspace award at the New London Awards. The Earnshaw is a mixed use commercial space with external terraces, a communal rooftop pavilion and a kitchen garden. It is designed as a best in-class office building, incorporating smart technologies and WELL standards. For more information please click here.
August 2024
a PLACE to Learn - 120 Fenchurch Street
120 Fenchurch Street roof garden was the location of our most recent visit. The gardens feature four different areas and includes wall planting, self clinging climbers, wire trellis climbers, apple, pear and fig trees, wisteria trees, box hedging, shrubs, bulbs grasses and perennial borders. The gardens are open to the public and more details can be found here. They are well worth a visit!
August 2024
Cricklewood Public Consultation
Cricklewood went out to Public consultation on 13th, 15th and 17th July 2024. PLACE was in attendance to answer any landscape related questions relating to the design. The Co-Living scheme features three main buildings connected with a central communal space (both internal and external) for residents. A couple of roof terraces provide the external amenity with a series of intensive roofs in the central core providing tree planting at higher levels to greatly enhance biodiversity connections from neighbouring sites.
July 2024
End of Year Show - Greenwich Uni
Yet again Greenwich had put on an excellent display of creativity across multi-disciplines. The quality of design and presentation was really interesting to view and see what the next generation are thinking in terms of landscapes of the future.
June 2024
Wood Street Public Consultation
Our Co-Living scheme went to public consultation on 12th June and 15th June 2024. The mixed use development looks to regenerate a brownfield site in north east London. The scheme makes the most of extensive views across the local cricket pitch and tennis club and provides a generous central urban green oasis for use of the wider public – this seemed well received. Lots of feedback gained and now to consolidate for a submission in Autumn.
June 2024
1% for the planet
PLACE are proud to be members of 1% for the planet. This is a global organization that connects businesses and individuals with approved environmental nonprofits. The organization encourages members to donate 1% of their annual sales or salary to environmental causes. The aim is to tackle pressing environmental issues by fostering partnerships and ensuring impactful donations. The organisation has facilitated over £200 million in environmental contributions, supporting a variety of initiatives related to climate, food, land, pollution, water, and wildlife.
May 2024
a PLACE to Learn - Deepdale Tree Visit
The team visited the Deepdale tree nursery in Sandy, Bedfordshire on 16th May 2024 as part of our Place to Learn initiative. The nursery has over 300 varieties of tree within 100 acres of land. As part of their stock they have a fine selection of Air-Pot and field grown trees all year round and these are fully plant passported also.
May 2024
BCO Awards 2024
The Earnshaw (Castlewood House) has been shortlisted for the Commercial Workplace Regional (London) award as part of the British Council for Offices Awards. PLACE were commissioned by Royal London Asset Management to carry out the landscape design for the 231,000 sq ft mixed use commercial space, which includes over 8,000 sq ft of external terraces over six floors featuring a communal roof top pavilion with stunning views and a kitchen garden with edible plants.
April 2024
Sierra House Planning submitted
Sierra House has been submitted for planning. The proposal is for a 95,000 sq ft commercial development in Maidenhead. The development will feature two arcades and multiple roof terraces. The surrounding area will be regenerated to enhance activity and new seating areas and planting will be installed.
April 2024
a PLACE to Learn - Boxhill Landscape Character assessment
The team visited Boxhill which is located in the North Downs near Dorking in Surrey. Box Hill is part of the National Trust portfolio. The aim of the visit was to carry out a landscape character assessment of the surrounding area. We provided the landscape design for Boxhill in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, to read more click here.
March 2024
Tree planting at Green Park
The team were at Green Park for a tree planting event being organised by Mapletree. This was part of the LifeTerra initiative www.lifeterra.ue/en – Let’s Plant! 60 planters came armed with shovels to plant 450 trees in 90 minutes which included native species such as field maple, common alder, rowan, common hawthorn, English holly, small leaved lime and silver lime. The trees have been planted at nine locations across the park which will provide support to animals as they grow and also act as a flood prevention system during Winter.
February 2024
Colchester Site Visit + Colchester lighting
The Northern Gateway Leisure Park is a new leisure destination for Colchester. The development includes a new cinema, bowling alley, hotel and a variety of restaurants. Completion is expected in May 2024. PLACE are currently attending site on a regular basis to monitor the construction quality and progress and the installation of hard landscaping and soft landscaping. As part of the project, PLACE designed different lighting features to catch people’s attention. This includes recessed floor lights, blade light beams and projectors for tall tree lights. The light beams and projector lights have recently been switched on and they make the journey from the car park to the cinema fun and playful!
For more information please click here.
February 2024
St Olav’s submitted for planning
St Olav’s has been submitted for planning. The Co-Living proposal includes two residential buildings with commercial space on the ground and first floors. The site will incorporate biodiverse roofs and the ground level entrance area will feature rainwater gardens, play space and spill out space for residents. Wider off site proposals for refurbishing a pocket park and play space are also included.
February 2024