BD are delighted to have worked with Guide Dogs UK and the wider design team led by Kay Elliott Architects from the start of 2021 through to completion in December 2024 to develop the landscape design for their new South East Regional Centre offices and dog training centre on part of their existing site in the London Borough of Redbridge.
There were significant challenges and constraints with the existing site that sits within the Green Belt and with the adjacent Claybury Conservation Area that wraps around the southern and eastern boundaries. The existing site with existing made ground mounding brought additional challenges with providing everything that would be required from this hard-working site.
We held workshops with the Guide Dogs’ team including their training team to understand their aspirations that was to provide safe training routes that could replicate ‘real life’ situations as closely as possible with tactile paving, crossings and traffic control posts. Opportunities arising from the level changes across the site meant that we were able to design in areas such as access steps as part of the training route. We worked with the Access Consultant to ensure we were creating a safe, accessible route for staff, visitors and dogs despite the tricky level changes.
Working with Tim O’Hare Associates to identify areas of topsoil that could be re-used within the site and Curtins Engineers to develop a levels strategy to work with the site-wide drainage strategy, we were able to create a variety of soft landscape and habitat areas. A linear rain garden separates the footpath from the access road, receiving surface water runoff and also providing protection to pedestrians from vehicles accessing the site.
The drainage strategy included a large drainage swale that was planted with marginal species that are happy to sit in wet or damp soil that may otherwise have remained as grass and required a significantly larger below ground attenuation system than what was installed within the parking area.
The nature of the site provided opportunities for planting new trees that have sufficient space to ensure they can grow to maturity. These were strategically located to help filter views in and out of the site. A mix of native and ornamental planting within the car parking areas provides an element of screening, nectar and shelter for pollinators and a pleasant, welcoming approach for the site, and a welcome garden adjacent the main entrance to the building is planted with a feature multi-stem tree and sensory rich planting.
We were able to enhance the existing grassland with large swathes of wildflower seed sowing combined with a management regime for existing grass areas to reduce the amount of mowing, leaving some areas to grow longer and cut in phases to provide additional habitat areas for wildlife migrating across and around the site.
All of these elements including new boundary hedge planting combined to provide an Urban Greening Factor calculation of 0.43 for the site.
Designing landscapes balancing the requirement for hard landscape for servicing a site and soft landscape with a variety of green infrastructure typologies that can help intercept surface water drainage and provide connection with a biophilic environment can benefit the health and wellbeing of those accessing the site.
The project has achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accreditation and is in the top 10% of UK buildings for sustainability performance.
“When we started this project, we knew that the green belt status of the redevelopment land was going to be a vital part of it, and we wanted to make sure we did it right.
Having BD Landscape Architects carefully add to the landscape around the new centre has given us a space that is not only a perfect space to train our dogs, but can also be used by our staff and service users to relax, and is a haven for local wildlife.”
Anna Hoskyns, Senior Manager – Workplace Projects – The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
“It has been such a pleasure to work with Guide Dogs UK and the wider design team to help deliver this project that will help facilitate their life-changing work for so many people for years to come.”
Helen Kirk, Senior Associate – BD Landscape Architects
Data
Landscape Architects: BD Landscape Architects
Photo credits: Jack Hobhouse
Project team:
Architect: Kay Elliott Architects
MDA Consulting: Project Manager
Structural and Civils Engineers: Curtins
MEP Engineers: Box Twenty
Lighting Engineer & Access Consultant: Buro Happold
BREEAM Consultant/Assessor: SCS Partnership
Soil Science & Landscape Engineering Consultancy: Tim O’Hare
Transport Planning: Milestone Transport Planning
