Merlin Place

Hedgerow Haven

The landscape design aims to restore and reconnect green infrastructure between Cowley Road and the wider landscape framework. Prioritising active travel from Cambridge North train station, the design opens up the site with a new street frontage, improved access, and landscape interventions that respond to existing surface water flooding challenges.

• The concept proposes a cohesive green network that includes:
• A new planting strategy along Cowley Road, increasing green space and permeability.
• A network of internal pedestrian routes linking the street frontage to the site interior.
• At the southern end of the site, a strategy to retain the existing pine tree character while introducing a surface water retention area featuring aquatic planting and an informal cobble and boulder garden.
• Along Milton Road, native wildflowers are interplanted beneath retained tree canopies, with additional native tree planting proposed to replace specimens removed for health reasons or to facilitate the development.

 The landscape vision supports biodiversity, BNG of over 15%, improves user experience, and strengthens visual and ecological connectivity across the site.

Cambridge Science Quarter

The existing site is dominated by impermeable hardstanding used for car parking, with limited pedestrian infrastructure or amenity space. A single vehicle access point on Cowley Road reinforces its car-centric layout. Although semi-mature trees line the perimeter, offering a degree of green structure, the site lacks a cohesive public realm.

To the south, a mature pine grove creates a distinctive landscape character, with ivy-clad trunks and boundary hedges providing privacy from surrounding roads. The topography rises to the north along Milton Road, with mature trees including Italian Alder, Lime, Black Pine, Norway Maple, London Plane, and Fruiting trees, contributing to a rich and varied canopy.

Tree cover is one of the site’s strongest assets, offering both ecological value and visual screening from adjacent infrastructure. Retention and enhancement of this green infrastructure provide a foundation for a more human-centred, biodiverse landscape approach.

A Vibrant Welcoming Space

The design establishes a welcoming new public realm along Cowley Road, leading to a landscaped plaza and café terrace at the building’s entrance. Key features include:

• Plaza Planting: Three feature Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Trees) are planted between structural building columns to frame the arrival space. Set in tree grilles within a formally arranged plaza, they provide a distinct identity and sense of arrival.
• Active Travel Integration: Outdoor bicycle parking is distributed across the site, integrated between trees and near café seating zones. A direct cycle route to the external bike stores is proposed, preventing unnecessary movement through pedestrian zones.
• Café Terrace: The rounded building façade defines a curved seating area for the café, creating a dynamic space that blends into both existing and proposed planting. Retained mature trees provide natural enclosure and shade, supporting outdoor working and informal interaction.
• Materiality: The paving design draws from the internal architectural palette, with paving materials and colours reflecting the interior reception and café areas, creating a seamless transition between inside and out.

The overall design balances formal structure with ecological richness, transforming a formerly vehicle-dominated site into a socially inclusive, green, and accessible landscape