Biodiversity & wellbeing central to Camden office building retrofit

Tenderstream member Grant Associates has revealed the landscape strategy behind the recently approved redevelopment of Fox Court in Camden, which reimagines a hard-edged 1970s office building as a future-focused, biophilic workplace. The Fox Court site sits within a historically rich part of central London, where new interventions must carefully respect neighbouring sightlines, heritage assets, and the existing urban environment. Working collaboratively with architects Buckley Gray Yeoman and developer General Projects, Grant Associates designed a layered series of green terraces and roof-level ecologies that demonstrate how biodiversity, wellbeing and ecological value can be embedded into a highly constrained urban office retrofit, whilst meeting mandatory requirements.

Rather than treating landscape as a decorative afterthought, the approved scheme places it at the heart of the building’s transformation. With limited ground-level space and a sensitive historic context between Bloomsbury and Hatton Garden, the project required a vertical landscape strategy capable of delivering environmental and social benefits within a tight urban footprint. A sequence of stepped terraces wraps the building, each with a distinctive planting palette designed to deliver seasonal interest, texture and colour, while supporting pollinators and urban wildlife. This vertical layering creates opportunities for habitat connectivity and movement through the site, helping the scheme meet Urban Green Factor and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements. At roof and terrace level, the landscape incorporates green roofs, habitat panels and wildlife boxes, alongside durable, recyclable materials selected for longevity and low environmental impact. 

In addition to ecological performance, the landscape strategy plays a key role in shaping the building’s social life. The terraces provide a variety of outdoor environments, from quiet seating and contemplative spaces to areas designed for informal meetings, exercise and social interaction. By offering access to nature throughout the building, the scheme supports occupant wellbeing and encourages more flexible, healthier patterns of work.

Chin Chen, associate director at Grant Associates, states: “The project highlights the expanding role of landscape architecture in urban redevelopment. From ecological design and placemaking to regulatory compliance and long-term resilience, landscape is fundamental to delivering truly sustainable retrofit projects that establish a renewed and distinctive identity.”

Lucy Nordberg

Tenderstream Head of Research

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