South Hill, St Helier transforms the former government planning offices in Jersey into an exceptional 139-home residential community. Gillespies’ landscape design embraces and emulates the site’s rugged quarry setting, integrating lush planting, biodiverse courtyards, and enhanced public spaces to create a vibrant, nature-rich environment.
Inspired by the landscape
Inspired by the rugged beauty of Mount Bingham and the site's dramatic quarry backdrop, the design of the three buildings and surrounding public spaces feels as though carved from the rock itself. The development integrates 139 apartments into the landscape, with the buildings carefully arranged east to west to maximise views over the harbours and bay. Lush planting across facades and open areas enhances this distinctive character, giving the scheme a strong identity and a true sense of place.
At the heart of the development is a partially sheltered podium courtyard linking the three residential buildings. With panoramic views of the harbours and Elizabeth Castle, the space includes sunlit lawns, rich planting, seating, and play areas—fostering a vibrant, inclusive environment.
Raised planters with diverse species support biodiversity and improve microclimate. A central path leads to a belvedere, while a petanque court and lawns offer spaces for relaxation. Nearby, the Ravine Garden provides a quieter, sensory experience, with climbing plants softening the quarry walls and a playful route leading to table tennis tables.
Shaped by the Community
In collaboration with the Parish of St Helier, Gillespies led a design competition inviting local schoolchildren to help reimagine the adjacent South Hill Play Park. The winning ideas have shaped a playful and inclusive space, featuring natural materials, hillside play zones, and accessible facilities.
The benefits of the scheme extend beyond the residential development, with the upgraded park and improved walking and cycling routes enhancing access to nature and recreation for the wider community.
The landscape also prioritises biodiversity, with living roofs, green corridors, and resilient planting supported by rainwater harvesting—restoring and enriching this unique site for future generations.
Project details
Title
South Hill
Client
Jersey Development Company
Status
Ongoing
Project team
Gillespies, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Waterman Group, Buro Happold, Nurture Ecology, MS Planning, Hoare Lea, : Studio Fractal, Counter Context, John Cullen Lighting, Hoare Lea
Gillespies team
Stephen Richards, Andy Rose, Alison Baxter, Giacomo Guzzon, Pelin Su Karagoz, Leo Song