TOWNSHEND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

Radcliffe Observatory Quarter (ROQ) is located on the old Radcliffe Infirmary Hospital site beside the Grade I listed Radcliffe Observatory, just North of the city centre in Oxford. The site was occupied by the NHS until 2007, when the hospital closed, and the area as then taken over by Oxford University to be developed as a new site for the University's departmental buildings, including the new Humanities Building and Library and the Mathematics Institute. Townshend Landscape Architects were appointed as Landscape Architects to develop a site wide Landscape Strategy for the ROQ Masterplan, as well as designing the public realm for the Humanities Building, the Mathematics Institute and the Fountain Courtyard which is surrounded by existing listed buildings including St Lukes Chapel and The Radcliffe Infirmary building. The ROQ Landscape Strategy discusses the proposed Landscape design, materials, furniture, lighting and planting to enable a unified site to emerge. The public realm will be designed to connect and contribute to the overall character of the proposed development and integrate within the infrastructure and building context of the surrounding area; existing and proposed. The Radcliffe Observatory Landscape Strategy was completed in August 2009 and the Humanities Building and Library, Mathematics Institute and Summerville Student Accommodation have all received detailed planning consent. The fountain courtyard was granted planning consent in 2009 along with the Infirmary building.