Client FCDO Services | Date 2021 - 2024 |
Landscape Architect Gustafson Porter + Bowman | Accessibility and Inclusive Design Consultant Burdus |
Electrical Engineer MDN | Contractor Maylim Limited |
QS Edmond Shipway | Project Team Mark Major, Charlotte Armstrong |
Photographer James Newton | |
We were engaged by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government, as a part of the team transforming the existing quadrangle at the heart of the Foreign Office Building on Whitehall from a primarily vehicular space to a communal social and event space suitable for people of all abilities, including children. Pedestrians have priority, but parking for staff, visitors, postal vehicles, and vans remains. The courtyard is also occasionally used for formal events such as state visits and Remembrance Day services.
The design addresses the functional needs of all users and stakeholders, while also delivering an aesthetic response to the sensitive new landscape and existing historic architecture and an inviting atmosphere for social opportunities.
Guided by Universal Design principles, we considered safety, security, and accessibility, collaborating closely with experienced consultants and the FCDO project team, evolving our designs around their input and extensively testing our ideas.
We strategically lit key routes and vertical features, including specific specimen trees, creating framing and reference points that aid legibility and enhance the user experience.
Changes in technique and colour temperature help to demarcate the different zones within the shared space. At the perimeter where vehicles operate, key routes and parking spaces are lit for enhanced safety in a brighter neutral white from mid-height columns, carefully sized and positioned to preserve views of the facades by day.
In the central areas, low-height bollards highlight pathways, while lawn and planting areas are left in darkness, creating an inviting contrast with the warm pools of light that mark out the social garden ‘rooms’ and seating areas.
The facades remain largely unlit – a deliberate decision that saves energy, minimises light pollution, and mitigates the risk of damage to the historic fabric while contributing to a sense of focus and intimacy in the courtyard.
Gentle up-and-down lighting within the entranceways, porticos and first balconies draws attention to areas that are typically in shadow by day, creating an inviting after-dark character that helps guide users through the space.
Gentle up-and-down lighting within the entranceways, porticos and first balconies draws attention to areas that are typically in shadow by day, creating an inviting after-dark character that helps guide users through the space.
The view from the office windows was also a key consideration. Looking down during the hours of darkness, the lighting helps preserve a connection to nature and landscaping that makes an important contribution to a sense of well-being for those who work in the buildings.