Applying sensitively designed landscape principles to a modern retail development
Client:
Highwood Group / Pennyfarthing Homes, Thrive Architects
Collaborators:
WSP, i-Transport, EPR, Burrell Tree Care, Turley
Status:
Completed
Forming Salisbury’s gateway retail destination, the landscape design and architecture work seamlessly to reconnect with the local landscape.
Situated along the main Southampton Road (A36) route into Salisbury, this important retail area, over the decades, lost its visual relationship with the River Avon and its historical connection with Salisbury Cathedral resulting in an ‘anywhere’ retail park.
River restoration works improved the habitat for the local water vole population and this riparian vegetation was extended into the site to create a rich planting palette. This has created an attractive sense of arrival with a generous pedestrian thoroughfare with seasonal planting linking to a viewing deck over the river.
Natural building materials blend with Green Infrastructure creating a richer sense of place and arrival for this important development. The proposals form a single portioned building set towards the rear of the site which in turn creates a generous frontage for landscape enhancements, parking, and exposure to the River Bourne which wraps around the site’s boundary.
Following on from Philip Deacon’s role as the main landscape designer (whilst at Influence Environmental), Phil worked through RIBA stages 5&6 with contractor Morgan Sindell to oversee the delivery and handover of the landscape design to achieve the maximum ecological credits for BREEAM.
The success of the scheme has seen well-known brands including Oak Furniture Land, DFS, Harveys and B&M established retailers occupy all of the units.
