Great Ormond Street Hospital, London

Location

London

Client

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Design

Andy Sturgeon

Quantity

200 cu. meters of lightweight green roof soil

Overview

A calm, contemporary roof garden for staff has been created on the seventh floor of the Octav Botnar Wing at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust for Children (GOSH).

Scope of Work

A calm, contemporary roof garden for staff has been created on the seventh floor of the Octav Botnar Wing at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust for Children (GOSH).

The Friends Garden is the creation of landscape designer Andy Sturgeon (winner of four RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold medals) and Andy Budgen, of architect Spacelab (who created the hospital’s RIBA award-winning Orangey). The Construction was carried out by Les Hewett at “The English Garden Company” Claygate, Surrey. The roof garden was officially opened on Thursday 21 August by TV gardener Charlie Dimmock, star of BBC One’s Ground Force. Boughton Loam supplied its unique lightweight green roof soil for the planted beds as well as rootzone for the turfed areas.

The garden is automatically lit from dusk giving the space a magical quality and extending its use well into the evening. The glass-fronted pavilion, with seating and a built-in television, opens up on two sides to feel like a sheltered roof, but also allows staff to enjoy the garden away from the elements. A small indoor exhibition space greets staff as they arrive at the garden.

The garden has areas for relaxing, socialising and eating and remembers the two GOSH staff; Nazy Mozakka and Mala Trivedi, who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks in London in July 2005.

In consultation with family, friends and staff, words that best represented the personalities of Nazy and Mala were chosen. These words appear throughout the garden on planters, glazing and paving as well as appearing on a large feature wall in the garden.

Sixteen 6.5m tall Hornbeam trees are anchored to the structure of the building through the planters (to prevent movement by the wind) and are under planted with grasses.

Landscape designer Andy Sturgeon said:

“Our practice has designed dozens of roof gardens in London but this has been the most exciting and challenging by far. This is a unique space I’m sure it will get plenty of use throughout the year.”

For more information on the range of lightweight topsoil’s Boughton Loam supplies or if you have a particular specification for a roof top garden or green roof project, please call Simon Hedley on 01536 510515