project overview: green park, reading
Key facts
Developer:
Prudential Property Investment Managers (PruPIM)
Location:
Reading
adjacent to Junction 11 of the M4 motorway on the southern outskirts of Reading, close to the River Kennet.
Area:
72 hectares (180 acres)
Contract value:
£500,000+
Schedule:
1980 - present
Client reference:
Name: Kevin Ashman
Position:
Tel: 020 7548 6835
E-mail: kevin.ashman@prupim.com
Professional team
Master Planners: Foster & Partners
Engineering Consultants: Peter Brett Associates
Architects: Various, including: Foster & Partners, Nicholas Hare, RHWL, EPR, Siddell Gibson, SBT, HOK and Tate Hindle
Property: Agents Campbell Gordon & Knight Frank
The project
The transformation of a bleak, low-lying flood plain on the southern approaches to Reading has created GreenPark, one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious business parks, comprising a complex of offices and leisure facilities around stunning water features that provide a high quality working environment for its occupiers.
Following a master plan devised by Foster & Partners, an area of low grade agricultural land lying within the flood plain of the River Kennet has been transformed into a stunning integration of stylish world-class buildings within a superb natural setting where native plant and wildlife species can flourish.
On completion of Phases I and II, GreenPark will provide 209,000 square metres (2.25 million square feet) of high quality business space for around 10,000 working people. More than half this space is already occupied by some of the world’s leading corporates such as Cisco, VERITAS and Logica.
Vision
The vision for GreenPark is to create an ideal business environment that is both inspirational and stimulating and one which provides the perfect backdrop to suit a wide range of companies - from multinationals to smaller emerging businesses that need space to grow. Its clear design guidelines, ranging from the quality of architecture to leisure activities, ensure that the very highest standards are maintained throughout.
Project history
The history of GreenPark dates back to 1981. A local farmer visited PBA’s offices seeking advice on how to obtain planning permission for the development of an initial 80 hectares (200 acres) of low grade sewage farm land previously used for growing peas. The land suffered from a number of significant technical issues - flooding, restricted access and contamination.
PBA recognised the enormous potential and value of the land and led negotiations with Reading Borough Council, local authorities and a variety of other stakeholders to obtain the necessary approvals and agreements to commence development of the site – a process that took 15 years!
In 1996, world renowned architects Foster & Partners were appointed as master planners for the proposed development and PBA was instrumental in introducing property investors, Prudential, to the scheme.
Problems overcome
Over the life of the project, PBA has provided a wide range of multi-disciplinary consulting services including project co-ordination and management through the feasibility, pre-planning and planning stages. The single biggest hurdle to overcome was flooding. The key to unlocking the full potential of the scheme lay in the development of an innovative flood relief scheme.
PBA carried out the complete infrastructure design for GreenPark including on-site and off-site drainage and utilities provision, extensive highway engineering works, surface and foul water management including a foul water pumping station, culverts, headwalls, bridges and pumping station shafts, and road and drainage adoption agreements. Environmental work included landfill gas and groundwater migration studies, contamination studies, an environmental audit and obtaining Environment Agency consents for works affecting flood plains and terrain relief shaping.
Better access to GreenPark is under constant development and includes plans for a new local railway station on the nearby Reading-Basingstoke Line for which planning permission has already been granted. The park’s system of cycle-ways and footpaths will also be integrated with Reading’s wider network to provide cross-town routes for cyclists and pedestrians.
Phase III is still being planned and will take into account a further 93,000 square metres (1 million square feet) of business and leisure accommodation.
