Capital Square

Client: Barratt Eastern Counties
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
Architect: PRP Architects
Landscape Contractor: Oakview Landscapes
Fountain Contractor: Miles Waterscapes Ltd

Brief

Capital Square is a mixed-use development of 108 luxury apartments, retail units, and a day care nursery, built around two landscaped courtyards. A Section 106 Agreement with the planning permission required a water feature within a mixed use urban square. The brief was to provide a calm space that would provide a communal area for residents as well as appealing to the wider community. The square is overlooked by the balconies and winter gardens of the surrounding apartments.

Approach

The western fountain courtyard provides a contemporary landscape space with seating to view feature fountains. The primary landscape objective for the site was to create a high quality, safe, fountain courtyard that was complementary to the surrounding architecture.

Outcome

The BALI Award adjudicators described Capital Square as a "stunning urban courtyard". The scheme is popular with residents and has won our client a number of prestigious national housing sector/landscape awards, including the What Housing Awards 2006 Gold Award for Best Landscape Design.