| Title: | 3 Sheldon Square, Paddington, London, UK |
| Markets: | Retail and Workplace |
| Client: | British Land |
| Services: | Landscape architecture |
| Region: | United Kingdom |
| Status: | Complete |
| Team: | Gillespies and Morris and Company |
| Photography: | Secchi Smith and Gillespies |
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 concept of the office building is undergoing a significant transformation. Biophilic design in the workplace has gained significant traction in recent years, driven by studies showing its positive impact on health, well-being, and productivity.
The retrofit of 3 Sheldon Square in Paddington for client British Land seeks to challenge the default corporate look and feel of an office building, challenging the conventions of workplace design and improving the well-being of occupants by creating a repetitive, sustained and palpable connection with greenery.
Our response to this brief was to create a series of accessible hanging balconies that would transform the appearance of 3 Sheldon Square, originally designed by Sidell Gibson in 2001.
Cascading planters, suspended from an eye-catching red steel pre-fabricated structure designed by Morris and Company, soften the building’s exterior, creating striking views for neighbouring buildings, and passers-by alike.
These new balconies offer 450 square metres of accessible outdoor space for gatherings, along with 80 square metres of greenery that visually connects to the adjacent Paddington Central Amphitheatre designed by Gillespies.
We selected a Mediterranean-style planting palette for its resilience and adaptability to both sun and shade. Drawing from the RHS 'Plants for Pollinators' guide, the species were carefully chosen to maximise seasonal interest, enhance biodiversity, and help regulate building temperatures year-round. This approach not only boosts ecological value but also ensures the planting’s long-term resilience in the face of future climate challenges.
By retaining the original structure and envelope, Morris and Company have effectively created a brand-new building. This transformation breathes new life into a structure just two decades old, demonstrating how existing buildings can be retrofitted to meet Net Zero challenges and future sustainability goals.
