Shaping a Cambridge net zero workplace campus through planning and landscape design

Brooklands Business Campus Redevelopment

South of Cambridge’s historic centre, an underused 1960s office building and surface car park sat in a sensitive location between homes, workplaces, and a conservation area. The site no longer met modern expectations, and any redevelopment needed to respect the surroundings and residents’ privacy and well-being.

Working with the clients and architect, we set out to create a sustainable workplace campus with landscape at its heart. The building and landscape design needed to consider and respect the complex surroundings, which included listed buildings, modern office buildings, Victorian residential properties, and the Brooklands Conservation Area. Local engagement confirmed the surface car park was a blight for residents and that the redevelopment could have a positive impact.

Taking references from the character of the surrounding Victorian homes, our landscape design introduced a biodiverse, publicly accessible courtyard garden to replace the former car park. Strategic planting filters views from neighbouring properties to improve privacy.   

Featuring a sequence of garden rooms, the courtyard is designed for exploration. Seating, shelter, and plantings invite visitors to linger and socialise. Centrally, a linear water feature with lilies and irises provides year-round interest and habitat for wildlife. Rain gardens, fed by the site’s rainwater system, connect building and landscape and support sustainable water management.

Brooklands is the first major net zero carbon in operation workplace campus in Cambridge and  provides a blueprint for sustainable urban growth. The campus has quickly attracted occupants, with 50 percent of space taken within 12 months.