Ruburbia Masterplan
Reinventing the business park by developing a new model of living and working in the landscape.
In the reinvention of the business park as a model, a series of new typologies have been developed that allow a mix between office space, co-working and workshop spaces as well as live/work units. These promote a mix of different size and types of work, as well as providing lifestyle opportunities unavailable elsewhere.
To rehabilitate the anti-social planning approach of the original business park great emphasis was place on forging connections to the surrounding landscape and to the neighbouring town. Reinforcing or establishing these routes for pedestrians and cyclists creates a more open and permeable boundary, encouraging relationships between and beyond.
The approach to landscaping was to relax the over-tended and formal arrangement of the current business park. This involved the softening of planting, introducing green corridors to allow ecologies to connect through the site, and the use of swales to deal with run-off water. In doing this, the landscape would be re-natured, providing greater ecological diversity and more pleasure and amenity for its users.
The project is a collaboration between SJS with Hawkins Brown and landscape architects TO Studio.
