Regional special
MANCHESTER 1
BUSINESS CLASS Project value £105k Build time Eight weeks Size of project 1.7 acres Best Commercial Build Award at the Northern Design Awards 2017
1 Visualisation of a view into the courtyards by AP Visual 2 Grids of grasses with David Harber sculpture ©Darren Chung 3 View towards the courtyard from the entrance to the development ©Darren Chung 4 Granite paving surrounding to contemporary office buildings ©Darren Chung 5 Bird’s eye view of the proposals – visualisation by AP Visual
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Pro Landscaper / April 2018
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landstruction and cw studio create a series of modern outdoor spaces for The colony, a contemporary office and business complex in wilmslow
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he Colony is a combination of luxurious offices and professional business space set within spectacular landscaped grounds. Located in Wilmslow, the state-of-the-art venue also offers a private members club as well as a sophisticated and luxurious setting for both weddings and events. The site had been on the market for a while and the default position from previous viewings was to convert the site into residential use. The cofounders identified the need for a high-end, discrete space for local businesses to work at within Cheshire. They also had a shared concept that was in quality development, and the design needed to add value with both internal and external hospitality areas. For the landscape design, the brief was to create a contemporary and elegant landscape that provided an attractive and high-quality setting for the new modern buildings. Perfect pairings Designed in conjunction with McNulty Architects and built by Nomadic Construction, The Colony covers a site of just under two acres and includes a stunning kitchen architecture showroom, 20,000 square feet of flexible serviced office space, and ‘The HQ’ – a
communal working area with an onsite restaurant and bar, micro-offices, meeting rooms and outside space. Designed by CW Studio up to the planning stage, the exterior landscape was then completed by Landstruction and aimed to connect the building with its rural setting, as well as creating a peaceful and intimate setting for its users. The collaborative approach between both CW Studio and Landstruction provided the perfect combination of skills and expertise to deliver an exclusive backdrop to the recently renovated buildings. Design and build The new-build offices within the Cheshire greenbelt use the rural vernacular in a contemporary way, and the landscape design for this new development aims to connect the buildings with their incredible rural setting and create a peaceful and intimate setting for their users. At the heart of the development is a courtyard featuring a grid of formal planting beds that contain swathes of grasses. A spherical puddle stone artwork at the centre creates a strong focal point, while stone seating provides places to meet and rest. Striking ornamental grass planting around the buildings echoes the surrounding countryside, while a
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22/03/2018 09:52