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3 Sheldon Square

Integrating biophilic design into office retrofits through innovative, prefabricated landscape solutions

Paddington, London, UK

With workers seeking better experiences and stronger connections to nature, British Land is redefining office design with a focus on wellness. At 3 Sheldon Square, cascading planted balconies enhance this connection, offering a pioneering approach to integrating nature into office environments.

Reimagining the corporate landscape

The traditional office building is being redefined as companies prioritise wellbeing, sustainability, and urban greening in their workspaces. At 3 Sheldon Square in Paddington, a bold office retrofit for British Land sets out to challenge conventional corporate aesthetics by integrating biophilic design principles to enhance occupant health and productivity.

Responding to growing demand for green infrastructure and sustainable workplace design, the retrofit introduces a tangible and ongoing connection to nature. Working in collaboration with architect Morris+Co, Gillespies’ landscape architecture team designed a series of planted, hanging balconies that visually and functionally transform the 2001 Sidell Gibson-designed office building.

At the base of 3 Sheldon Square is the newly completed Paddington Central Amphitheatre by Gillespies. © Edmund Sumner

The landscape approach concentrated on ensuring benefits of light, fresh air and a connection to nature were experienced inside and out. © Jack Hobhouse

Planting for biodiversity, resilience and wellness

The landscape strategy at 3 Sheldon Square prioritises biodiverse, climate-resilient planting that supports urban greening and wellbeing in the workplace. Designed in collaboration with Morris & Company, cascading planters are suspended from a bold red steel prefabricated structure, softening the building’s architectural edges while enhancing the streetscape experience for neighbouring offices and passers-by.

The new planted balconies introduce 450 square metres of accessible outdoor space, designed to encourage relaxation, informal gatherings, and social connection. In addition, 80 square metres of robust, climate-resilient planting visually links to the adjacent Paddington Central Amphitheatre, a recently completed public realm project also designed by Gillespies.

A Mediterranean-style planting palette was selected for its ability to thrive in both sun and shade, offering seasonal interest, reducing heat gain in summer, and providing thermal regulation in colder months. The mix of drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly species enhances biodiversity and contributes to climate resilience in an urban context.

The design extends a unified planting strategy from the amphitheatre through to the elevated balconies above, creating a stepping-stone habitat that supports pollinators and connects fragmented ecological networks. Using the RHS’s Plants for Pollinators as a foundation, the result is a visually cohesive, nature-led landscape that blurs the boundary between architecture and green infrastructure, allowing the two developments to be perceived as one harmonious entity.