Urban greening can’t be an afterthought – it’s fundamental to sustainable design

When you think of landscape architecture, hedgerows and planting beds are probably the first images to spring to mind, or perhaps a city park. Your first thought probably isn’t the lights of Piccadilly Circus or a tower block in Victoria. But to create the sustainable, wellbeing-focused buildings and designs of the future, this is where we must do battle.

The dial has shifted on sustainable design. Developers and occupiers know that asset values will be defined in large part by their environmental and wellbeing credentials. However, while it is increasingly accepted that reducing buildings’ carbon footprints requires earlier design engagement and planning, the same is not always true for the landscape and natural elements.

A late-stage green wall or interior planting won’t do the job. Getting the full value from landscape and green design requires real forethought and planning from the earliest conceptual stages.

Behind the bright city lights

Stantec’s landscape architects have been working on a landmark project that exemplifies how to approach a building’s sustainability in the beating, urban heart of London. Lucent is the reimagining of a commercial office building right behind Piccadilly’s famous lights, offering new workspace, retail and residential space. From its inception, it was clear that developers Landsec wanted nature at the heart of the design. In its vibrant, central location, Lucent could offer an oasis of calm, green-filled space for recharging as well as working.

Our teams were involved from the start, working closely with the architects and engineers and planning backwards from this ambition to assess what was needed to bring it to life. The focal point of the plans quickly became the central atrium, with a full, mature Whitebeam tree growing up through the middle of five floors of office space. Across this atrium, a winter garden, more than 20 roof terraces and green walls, more than 600 plants offer a diverse natural biome. The building supports wellbeing as well as sustainability with every user of the building within easy access of these green spaces.

Planning sustainably from the start

It would not have been possible to achieve all this without landscape having an early seat at the table.  These plants are designed to grow and flourish. The Whitebeam tree can be enjoyed year-round and has a narrow spherical crown that will broaden with age. To ensure the natural elements succeed, the building’s structure and design had to provide the right light, water, shading and microclimate control – not to mention be able to physically support the weight of the tree and its soil.

This had to be done while achieving high energy efficiency ratings, minimising embodied carbon, and creating functional and appealing spaces.  Even the project programme was governed by nature.  The schedule revolved around finding an appropriate mature tree and moving it into place at the right time in the early stages of construction. Bees, drawn to Whitebeam trees, had moved in before construction had ended.

If the plans for the natural elements had come later, the horse would have already bolted. It’s essential to be collaborative from the beginning, with technical rigour and robust understanding of nature and sustainability dovetailing together. Landsec know this well and our teams are already engaged on other projects, from the redevelopment of Portland House in Victoria to Timber Square in Southwark.

Lucent is raising the bar for nature-based design in dense urban environments. The key is taking sustainability and nature seriously. Landscape design cannot be an afterthought. If we want to challenge the norms of our sector and keep raising the bar ever higher – for wellbeing, for sustainability, for nature-led design – then landscape teams need to be at the table from day one. The future of the built environment deserves to be nature-led. All it takes is thinking ahead and planning for it.