Chiswick Park

If you want to read this post on Chiswick park then start from the bottom as i have posted in the wrong order.

Species that i saw were: Swan, Canadian Geese, Egyptian Geese, Black-Headed Gull and Heron.


The northern part of the business park is still unfinished with another 2 office blocks to complete the 12. This northern part of the lake is rather quiet and seems to have features to bring in wildlife (mainly birds)
I enjoy the way the edges of different materials meet, there is a certain harmony created when the right elements are combined in a design.The materials used in this park have complemented the design 100%, the mixture of wood, fine grass, boulders and Conifer Trees has given this space a very natural wild feel. The implementation of these elements has been executed at a high quality level. The atmosphere of this place reminded me in a way of being at Centerparcs, with a community feel in an outside environment full of 'natural' features.A large water feature created using boulders cuts through the width of the lake by the bridge, this gives a big change in level of about 2m. The careful design of this powerful feature means it looks natural and sits well within the context. Boulders are used throughout this site and so helps connect the varied areas, giiving a very natural wild feel.Through the middle of the lake a wide wooden bridge stretches across. This connects the eastern side of the business park well with the western. Wood spreads across a large part of the land near the bridge and flows across the structure creating what feels like a continuous open space.To allow the sport area to be leveled flat they had to overcome level changes as the area is lower than the 2 offices next to it. Curved seating has been used as features around this space that rise in levels up to planting beds, these create amphitheatre-like zones and help contain this space. The gradual rise in levels accommodates many people sitting and is much more pleasing aesthetically than a wall.
There is a large open space between 2 of the office buildings which has been used for a sports play area. Markings across the space allow the workers to play games in their breaks and after work, this idea of incorporating play into a work day i find really encouraging for future work place regeneration.

The Inner Garden is the elevated land running through the centre of the site surrounding the lake, the buildings face into this space. This pathway that leads around the lake runs through a variety of terrain from a wooded surrounding into and over lower ground which serves as an overflow area for the lake.

The Outer Landscape has been designed in a functional way to allow free movement between the car parking spaces and the office buildings, There are many trees planted throughout the outside corridors, many being evergreen conifers. These have really helped soften the sharp exteriors of the glass edged Office Blocks and create more welcoming routes to the center of the site.
The park is a public space but with definite limitations to how it can be used as it is privately owned and maintained. A key aim of the landscape here was to create two definitive spaces, an 'inner garden' and the 'outer landscape'.Chiswick Park

Recently i realised that West 8 had designed a landscape for a Modern Business park in western London. West 8 are a Contemporary Landscape Design Team based in the Netherlands known for creating distinctive spaces by responding to the site context. The redevelopment of Chiswick Park was managed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and built by Stanhope.
The undermining motive for this project was to create a place that had a healthy balance between work and enjoyment, Enjoy Work was set up to take control of helping to lead the project in this direction.