Landscape

Maxim Office Park

Brief

Maxim Office Park has been billed as the ultimate business park.  The aspiration for the design of the external works was to reflect this status.  The design sought to create a scheme with a sense of place that will differentiate it from the adjacent  more industrial uses.

Response

The overall landscape masterplan was developed to ensure a high quality, pedestrian focused core with ancillary services and car parking to the periphery.

The central area comprises a series of spaces linked by a linear water feature.  This has been designed to reflect the changing water courses found in Scotland's glaciated landscape.  Large ponds up to three metres deep have decorative fountains as focal points. The changes in level across the site have allowed the creation of dramatic waterfalls using tonnes of Scottish granite boulders.  The watercourses have shingle beaches and run in a sinuous curve through the site.

Outcome

Extensive tree planting through the site emphasises the natural shapes which together with colourful shrub planting and native water edge planting, increases the legibility of the site by creating individuality at pedestrian level. The edges of the site have been planted with a robust mix of native species underplanted with a shade tolerant wild flower mix.  Internally, groups of Dawn Redwood and Himalayan Birch provide dramatic separation between the spaces.

These spaces include terraced seating platforms, events spaces and a nine hole putting course. This course, that uses a state of the art artificial surface, was designed by our own golf architect and is endorsed by Alistair Forsyth, currently Scotland's leading golfer. The course and the welcoming parkland around can be used all year round and provides a relaxing break from the working environment.  A meandering jogging trail also circumnavigates the park for the more energetic.

Team