Finsbury Square Roof Terrace Landscape Design

Legal & General Investment Management on behalf of London & Oriental needed to refurbish 38 Finsbury Square to provide best in class Grade A commercial office space with new roof terraces and amenity areas. Nicholas Pearson Associates was commissioned to provide landscape design and technical support for roof terraces, balcony planters and a biodiverse roof so that the client and design team could deliver flexible, attractive and robust outdoor spaces. Working alongside Tate Hindle and the wider professional team, we focused on integrating planting, seating, access and services within a constrained rooftop environment, whilst responding to planning conditions and the structural limits of the existing building in central London.

The Landscape Challenge

The project required detailed landscape proposals for new roof terraces, balcony planters and a biodiverse roof within a complex post-modern commercial building on Finsbury Square. We needed to respond to existing planning conditions, including biodiversity objectives and Urban Greening Factor requirements, whilst working within strict structural weight limits, balustrade design constraints and the microclimate of an elevated urban site. Technical coordination with Tate Hindle, Waterman Group and specialist suppliers was essential to align planter geometry, balustrade heights, access routes, services and roof build ups with the overall refurbishment design and Building Control requirements.

Our Approach

We began with a briefing workshop with Tate Hindle to clarify the client’s objectives for the terrace, balcony planters and biodiverse roof, and to review the planning conditions attached to the consented scheme. This early stage work helped us understand how the landscape architecture could support the vision for a best in class Grade A office with quality external amenity. We then prepared concept layouts and mood boards that set out planting themes, colour tones and hard landscape materials for each level, ensuring that proposals related to the interior design and architectural expression. Throughout this stage we liaised with Logic to test how the initial concepts could be translated into practical planter and seating details that suited structural constraints, fixing requirements and maintenance needs. We maintained a design workbook so that design decisions, technical options and emerging details could be recorded and shared with the client and project team.

The Landscape Design Solution

Our landscape proposals combined clear structure with seasonal variety for the main roof terrace, private terraces and the biodiverse roof. The primary terrace focused on a compact multi-stem Sorbus commixta tree as a focal feature, supported by a planting palette suited to shade, wind and rooftop conditions, using lightweight, water retentive and pH neutral growing media to address structural constraints. We set out the planting strategy, including native and non native species, to create year round interest with spring bulbs, summer perennials, ornamental grasses, autumn colour and evergreen structure across the different levels. For the hard landscape, we coordinated integrated seating and planters, developing layouts, sections and typical details that resolved levels, edge conditions, accessible thresholds and routes around the terrace. English oak was selected for key seating elements to balance durability with visual warmth, and we allowed for discreet irrigation controls housed within a planter cabinet together with linear lighting to support safe and comfortable evening use.

Design Communication and Coordination

Clear communication with the client and design team was central to progressing the landscape design during RIBA Stage 4. We used the design workbook, mood boards and general arrangement plans to explain options for planting character, terrace layouts and furniture arrangements at each level of the building so that decisions could be recorded clearly. Regular meetings and presentations helped Tate Hindle and the client review iterations and confirm priorities for the primary terrace, balcony planting and biodiverse roof, including the feature tree, seating strategy and access routes. The coordinated technical drawing package, including planting schedules, sections, setting out information and outline specifications for irrigation and lighting, provided a clear basis for tender and allowed the wider professional team to integrate landscape requirements into their documentation and cost plans.

The Result

The final landscape technical design package supported preparation of tender information for the refurbishment of 38 Finsbury Square and provided London & Oriental with coordinated landscape proposals for external levels. The planting and hard landscape strategies responded to the structural constraints of the existing building whilst enhancing the usability of the terraces for future office tenants and supporting the project’s best in class ambitions. Our work also addressed planning conditions linked to biodiversity through biodiverse roof proposals and Urban Greening Factor calculations set out in the landscape documentation.

Client representative Nick Wells commented, “Thanks for all your work, the designs look great”, in feedback provided to the project team.

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