PROJECT

Kents Hill Business Park, Milton Keynes

Bronze Clay Paver Award (2020-2021) winner in the category Commercial & Communal Gardens

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

McWilliam Studio

CLAY PAVERS

A mix of SeptimA Mahogany, SeptimA Auburn, SeptimA Taupe

PROCESSING

Stretcher bond

Photo's: Paul Childs - Spheroview

At Kents Hill Business Park, the landscape around Kestrel House and Redwing House has been completely renewed. The redesign improves accessibility, refreshes the courtyards, and introduces a cohesive clay-paver palette that ties both buildings together, creating a more welcoming and functional outdoor environment.

The project at Kents Hill Business Park in Milton Keynes focused on redesigning the outdoor areas around Kestrel House and transforming its enclosed central courtyard. The building, originally from the 1980s, was being refurbished by Circle Property, and improving the landscape was an important part of that upgrade. Later, Redwing House was added to the brief, allowing both buildings to share a coordinated but site-specific landscape design.

A key aim was to create a clear and welcoming arrival experience. The design improves visibility of the entrances and makes it easier for people to find their way around. The site has significant level changes, which required careful planning to ensure full accessibility. At the same time, these height differences offered opportunities to shape the landscape in a more expressive and purposeful way. By reorganising how pedestrians and vehicles move through the site, previously unused spaces became active and better connected.

Both buildings had inward-facing courtyards that had become overgrown and uninviting. These were redesigned to become modern, usable spaces with their own character.

• At Kestrel House, the design creates a calm central area framed by structured planting, giving the courtyard a clear and ordered feel.
• At Redwing House, the idea is reversed: a planted mound forms the centrepiece, surrounded by a continuous paved surface that supports movement and flexible use.

All proposals were developed in line with Part M of the Building Regulations, ensuring that accessibility and inclusivity were integrated into the layout and grading of the site.

Clay pavers were chosen for their precision, flexibility, and warm appearance. These qualities made it possible to form gentle curves and smooth transitions within the courtyard designs. Their colour was selected to complement the wider material palette, including corten steel and the seasonal tones of the planting, such as Molinia. This creates a strong visual connection between hard and soft landscape elements and ensures a cohesive, long-lasting character across both courtyards.