Little George Street landscape and public realm
Developing a landscape and public realm design for Frome Colourworks
Project information
Client
Dandara Living
Partners
Bristol City Centre
Location
Developing a landscape and public realm design for Frome Colourworks
The Challenge
We were tasked with developing a landscape and public realm design for Frome Colourworks, a mixed-use building on the edge of the River Frome in Bristol. The development consists of a 298 bed student residence, community centre and affordable workspace on the edge of the River Frome. The project required a design that would open up the river to the public, create a new riverside walk, and establish new gardens that would draw the riverside habitat and nature into the building’s courtyard and public spaces. Additionally, the design had to include sustainable drainage and flood prevention solutions.
Our Role
As part of the design team led by JTP, our landscape team took a collaborative approach to develop a design concept that focused on opening up the river Frome to the public and local community. We designed a series of gardens that included decked walkways, amenity space, roof terraces, sunken gardens, and rain gardens. These gardens featured landscape solutions for sustainable drainage and flood prevention, allowing water to flow under the building and planting to flow through at various levels.
Outcome
The planning application for the Little George Street Landscape and Public Realm design was successfully submitted to Bristol City Council. The design creates a new riverside walk and a series of gardens that draw the riverside habitat and nature into the building’s courtyard and public spaces. It provides access to nature for the community, general public, and students, while also increasing biodiversity through the establishment of new habitats. The gardens create spaces for quiet contemplation, recreation, and socialising, and they provide a transition and setting to stitch into the surrounding context. The design also includes planting and landscape detail influenced by the historic use of the site as an oil and colorworks, producing dyes. Since it is one of the first development applications within the Frome Gateway, the proposal provide a transition and setting to stitch into the surrounding context, particularly as the Frome Gateway begins to take shape.
