Culham

ASA Landscape Architects were appointed by the UKAEA to design a new vibrant landscape to replace the tired patch of grass in a quadrangle within the Culham Science Centre. The brief was to design a place that would be used as a meeting area for lunch and other social events, supporting the restaurant situated within the building. The focus is on the tenant’s mental well-being by encouraging rich social experiences.

Katie Dixon from ASA Landscape Architects explains: “We wanted to create an exciting landscape and have based our concept on the idea of the atom and its energy and motion. By dividing the landscape into smaller areas with the use of paths, avenues of trees, linear planting beds with grasses and Corten steel screens, we wanted to encourage more intimate spaces for smaller group gatherings and meetings. This was further enhanced by including a range of outdoor furniture by mmcité throughout the site to facilitate meeting areas,” she ends.

“It was an inspiring project,” Jana Tyrer from mmcité comments on the cooperation, “the architects together with the client have decided to use grey HPL and bicolour orange and grey powder coating of steel construction to match the company colours of UKAEA.”

Playful yet very comfortable and calming environment, Culham’s quadrangle makes a perfect example of the new approach to public space, and its set up.