Newton Nursery

A once in a generation opportunity to transform how the client manages Scotland’s national forests and land, led to the redevelopment of Newton Nursery. The work will facilitate innovation and enable a move towards net-zero carbon emissions through woodland creation and a sustained restocking programme. 

The key drivers behind the project include improving operational efficiencies, improving tree production capacity, reducing environmental impact, creating future resilience in building functionality and driving innovation. Behind all this was a desire to bring staff together to feel and work as one combined team, with office and field based teams having equal access to amenities and a greater appreciation for each other's roles. 

The redeveloped site comprises a glasshouse, adjacent standing out area, machine storage building, a cold storage building containing three temperature and humidity controlled cold store rooms and a secure seed storage cold room. Additional office, meeting and ancillary spaces enable full operational capacity in a single site. 

An initial masterplan defines the spaces, adjacencies and functions that are carried out on site, informed by extensive engagement with all stakeholders, including the staff working within the existing facility which sat nearby. 

The building placements are driven by efficiencies around the glasshouse, the main feature at the heart of the site covering 12,000 square metres, and its adjacent ‘standing out’ area. Where typically the different functions would be divided through separate buildings, it became clear that bringing the buildings together would promote better operations and workflow, welfare environment and vehicle and pedestrian segregation. 

Key operational spaces which support the glasshouse activities now directly connect to the glasshouse itself, with the office and welfare hub building relocated to join the operating centre. This realises efficiencies and a more collaborative working environment for field and office staff through a physical and visual link which enables the sharing of high-quality welfare amenities, including a ‘mess’ room which serves as a central social gathering point.

The flow of the connecting sections is aided by the one storey design throughout, mimicking the height of the glasshouse. Views from every room along the length of the adjoining office building provide a continual visual connection to the main event from every space. 

Natural materials are used where possible, in particular timber which is celebrated in all its forms. The hub building, also serving as the primary entrance, is timber clad which will weather to naturally blend with the external environment. 

In contrast, industrial buildings are metal clad where vertical green panels mimic the surrounding trees and countryside. 

The physical connection between the metal frame of the agricultural facilities and the timber framed office building was an innovative approach suggested by the client, given there are no specific allowances yet defined in the planning systems or building standards. The challenge was embraced by the design team and thanks to perseverance and commitment,  has paid off through the delivery of a functional and streamlined facility.

The result is a state-of-the-art tree nursery combining a glasshouse and operational buildings, increasing tree growing capacity from 7 to 25 million trees per year.

From an innovative client brief, a highly functional solution supports the streamlining and smooth operation of this unique facility.