Latest news with #JamesRussell
Scoop
38 minutes ago
- General
- Scoop
Reviewing Our Strategy To Go Predator Free By 2050
Are New Zealand's upcoming predator free goals on the right track? Should we stick with the current target species list as is, or include other predators like feral cats? These are just some of the questions that the public is being invited to comment on as part of a strategy review of the Predator Free 2050 goal for the next five years. It's running in tandem with another public consultation on the next plan to implement New Zealand's biodiversity strategy for the next five years. Both plans are open for public submissions until 30 June. The SMC asked experts to comment. Professor James Russell, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, comments: 'The Predator Free 2050 strategy review signals that the New Zealand Government continues to take Predator Free New Zealand (PFNZ) seriously and is taking the opportunity to reflect on lessons from the first 10 years to fine tune the next five years. This coincides with a shift in the governance of PFNZ with the duties of the Government's original lead agency PF2050 Ltd now being transferred to the Department of Conservation (DOC). PF2050 Ltd made critical contributions to getting PFNZ underway by spearheading new projects on the ground that involved the community, enabling innovators to deliver new tools, and expanding the conservation frontier to rural and urban landscapes. 'There are some big questions the review is asking for feedback on, one of the biggest being whether the PFNZ programme should be strictly interpreted only as an eradication strategy for possums, rats and mustelids, or whether the PFNZ programme should be considered more literally as the management strategy for all non-native predators in New Zealand, and so expand its scope to include other species such as feral cats and mice (which are major predators of lizards). Importantly, whatever the outcome, introduced predators excluded from the scope of PFNZ would still be managed, and it is recognised that introduced predators are not the only threat to New Zealand's biodiversity. 'The strategy for the next five years also needs to get the balance of investment right among planning, innovating and doing. Complete eradication of every last individual is not something that can be rushed into, and we need to make sure the PFNZ programme is being implemented in such a way so as to maximise the probability of successful eradication while minimising the costs, all the while generating the best outcomes for biodiversity. To ensure accountability, a set of new 2030 goals are proposed against which progress can be assessed to ensure PFNZ is continuing to proceed in the right direction at the right speed. 'To some extent the feasibility of achieving a Predator Free New Zealand is not so much a question of technical nor social feasibility, but simply one of cost – using technical and social innovation can we reduce the currently high cost of eradicating the target predators to a lower price which is affordable and acceptable to the New Zealand public and government. Predator Free New Zealand was always going to be an inter-generational programme and it is only a quarter of the way through its life, but its achievements are clear already and so is the fact that New Zealanders from all walks of life support these achievements.' Conflict of interest statement: 'James has received funding from the Department of Conservation, PF2050 Ltd and Zero Invasive Predators. He is on the organising committee of the Island Invasives 2026 conference.' Dr Duane Peltzer, Principal Scientist, Ecosystem Ecology, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, comments: Note: Dr Peltzer is commenting on both the Biodiversity Strategy review and the Predator Free 2050 review. 'The fate of our indigenous species and ecosystems is strongly affected by chronic threats from biological invasions including weeds, pests and diseases, and exacerbated by climate change. What is clear from Te Mana o te Taiao (the NZ Biodiversity Strategy) and embedded initiatives like Predator Free 2050 is that current efforts and approaches require greater resourcing and sustained effort to address these intertwined crises. 'The pair of implementation discussion documents out for public comment highlight major themes and critical actions clearly, and emphasise that co-ordinated actions are required across central and regional government. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's a stronger emphasis on economics, investment and resourcing of biodiversity and conservation management than has featured previously. 'The focus throughout these implementation plans is on government agency actions, and some consideration is given to supporting or resourcing communities, landowners and business (Action 6). However, there are many additional opportunities, and perhaps hope, for making new progress toward biodiversity goals like: Considering the potential role of international 'nature-based' investments for biodiversity gains; and, Building skills and capacity for innovation of our workforce could be supported through major science system reforms including the emerging 'public research organisations' (including my own organisation becoming a PRO for 'bioeconomy') and universities; Meaningful action to improve local and indigenous people's role in biodiversity management is seen as a priority internationally, and could build strongly on aspirations for land and economic welfare beyond 'increasing protection of biodiversity on private and Māori land'. 'Most themes and critical actions not only require co-ordination or innovation among government agencies as repeatedly recommended by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, but rely crucially on social acceptance and support. A tangible example of this is considering the inclusion of cats as part of predator free activities: technical progress on management will fail without better approaches to navigate the difficult social dimensions of feral cats as pets and predators. Similarly, other introduced species like deer and pines are loved or loathed depending on species, location and people's perceptions. This reflects our pluralism for biodiversity and biosecurity that is scarcely acknowledged in these plans, yet pervasive. Therein lies a grand unresolved challenge of 'implementation'; how do we best achieve aspirational goals across diverse communities and landscapes?' Conflict of interest statement: 'I'm a past member and co-leader of the 'Advancing our knowledge' Predator Free 2050 collaborative group, was engaged with development of te mana o te taiao as part of the New Zealand's Biological Science Heritage National Science Challenge, and am the incoming Portfolio Leader for the Managing Invasive Species Group within Manaaki Whenua which includes research on predator ecology and management.' Dr Courtney Addison, Senior Lecturer, School of Science in Society, Victoria University of Wellington, comments: Comment on inclusion of cats 'One of the key developments in the Predator Free Strategy Review is the question of whether the PF remit should expand to include cats, mice and hedgehogs. 'Until now Predator Free has, culturally speaking, focused on three relatively 'easy' targets: in Aotearoa, rats (excluding kiore) and possums have strong, undesirable cultural associations and are even reviled. This has made it relatively straightforward to propose killing those species, and indeed, the many active PF projects around the country reflect a widespread willingness to do so. 'Cats and to a lesser extent hedgehogs are a different proposition. Many New Zealanders own and care for cats, share their homes with them, and regard them as companions or even family members. They grieve cats when they die, and often go to great lengths to ensure their comfort and longevity. The Strategy document distinguishes between feral, stray, and domestic cats, but whether these distinctions are seen as meaningful by wider communities remains to be seen. 'PF2025 has anticipated these complexities, and the current consultation is a first step to solicit people's feelings about feral cat control. It's also a good opportunity to start a more expansive conversation about what kind of lives and relationships we want to have with other species, and how we might cultivate those. On a different note, it is surprising that the PF document makes no mention of animal welfare.' Comment on innovation 'Predator Free 2050 is such a tricky undertaking to write about. It represents a massive bet on the power of science and innovation at a time when those very things have been gutted by government. It's also a big swing for an aspirational environmental future—at a time when government has both withdrawn funding for conservation and made multiple policy decisions that directly jeopardise the environment. 'What to make of these seemingly incoherent moves? They reflect very transparently what innovation studies has documented in case after case—that bids for innovation, even if well intentioned and productive, are often used to justify the deferral of less flashy but important work in the near term. (It's worth noting that the 'linear model of innovation' that emerged in the mid-1900s was itself predicated on a link between basic and applied research. This model has been widely critiqued, but its imprint in the PF Strategy raises questions given the newly constrained funding environment for basic research.) 'Of course, that's not an argument against innovation or R&D, but we should think carefully about the dynamics that come with this path forward—especially given the aim to generate private and philanthropic funding. We have a recent cautionary tale in the government's stalled attempt to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction via privately operated carbon capture. Going all in on innovation for predator control while other aspects of the environment languish may be politically convenient, but irresponsible.' Conflict of interest statement: 'I currently hold a Marsden Fast Start to explore the social complexities of 1080 use in Aotearoa.' Dr Grant Norbury, Principal Researcher, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, comments: 'A review of the Predator Free programme is a very good idea. The four objectives proposed over the next five years are sound, but I worry that by 2050 we will still be struggling to develop the necessary tools and social licence to remove every individual target pest from the mainland. There is no doubt that better predator control methods and improved outcomes for some native fauna will be achieved, but there is a massive difference between developing better ways to reduce pest numbers versus removing every individual. And at what cost? What other conservation options could we spend the money on to achieve more reliable outcomes? Eradication of any pest requires a specific set of conditions that must be met, otherwise there is no point starting. We need the right technology to remove every individual (or very close to it) from every nook and cranny in New Zealand, whether it's a remote side valley in the backcountry of rugged Fiordland, or in a busy suburb in downtown Auckland occupied by thousands of people. Predators are like us – they have personalities, some are very shy and cautious of anything that looks different in their environment. If we cannot make every individual interact with whatever technology we devise to remove them, we're not going to win. Also, people will complicate matters. New Zealand is world-renowned for eradicating pests, but these successes have been almost entirely on uninhabited islands. On the mainland, we need to deal with the complexity of 5.2 million people going about their lives in towns, cities, farms, and industry. Pest eradication amongst millions of people will be a massive challenge.'
The Courier
13 hours ago
- General
- The Courier
Photos of Fife Cubs and Scouts having fun from the 1970s to present day
Were you in the Scout Movement in Fife? These images from the DC Thomson archive show Cubs and Scouts having fun and doing good deeds including lending a hand during Bob-a-Job week. The Scout Movement was formed in 1907 and has provided young people across the world with the opportunity to learn new skills and build lifelong friendships. Many ex-members will recall their promise to do their best and help other people. Others may have memories of camping under canvas in the great outdoors. Some of these photos have been unseen for years. You may find yourself or someone you know in our nostalgic gallery. A group of Fife Cubs visiting the Lochty Private Railway by Anstruther. For youngsters, many of whom had never been in any kind of train, this was indeed a memorable occasion in June 1976. Scouts from the 12th Fife (East Neuk) were out seeking odd jobs from neighbours to boost funds in the national 'Bob a Job Week' in March 1978. James Russell (left) and Lindsay Jack were car washing in Anstruther. The 26th Fife (Viewfield) Cubs showing off the Mowgli Shield in May 1979. The Mowgli Shield is Dunfermline District's Cub competition. Robert Baden-Powell liked the stories in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling when he started the Scouting Movement and leaders took names from the characters. Cubs of the 3rd (Fife) Dunfermline Cubs who won the Mowgli Shield in June 1981. Dunfermline has been inspiring generations of Scouts since 1908. The 12th East Neuk Cubs (Cellardyke) had a surprise party to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Cub Movement in March 1986. They were marking decades of fun, friendship and life changing adventures. Scouting was extended to a younger audience in 1916. Scouts from the 40th Fife (Touch) group in Dunfermline in July 1986 were camping at the Grandtully campsite in Perthshire. These Scouts were enjoying pancakes which were cooked on the campfire. The 40th Fife Scouts were learning how to canoe during the camp. Barry Parwell, Scott Liddell, Alex Bell, Catherine Lees (Assistant Scout Leader) and Michael Clifton were pictured sitting on the canoe in July 1986. These Scouts from the 40th Fife were cooking up a storm during the camp. Backwoods cooking is the art of cooking without using pots and pans. Major General Michael Walsh visited the 40th Fife (Touch) group during the camp. Walsh was appointed Chief Scout from 1982 to 1988. He had been a member of a Scout troop and had gained the King's Scout Award. Boys of the 115th Fife Scouts from Kirkcaldy were cooking on an open stove in July 1987 during a camping trip to Croftgarrow farm in Highland Perthshire. They were pictured with leaders Bill Green, Tom Braid and Ken Gilbert. Chief Scout George Purdie opened the new Cairneyhill Scout hall in 2001. The 83rd Fife (Cairneyhill) Scout Group rolled out the red carpet. The hall was built on land which was adjacent to Cairneyhill Primary School. The most famous event in the calendar is the World Scout Jamboree. Scouts from Auchtermuchty, Cupar, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy were pictured with their counterparts from Japan at the July 2002 event at Blair Atholl. Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from Balmullo marked the Queen's golden jubilee. They buried a time capsule in the garden at the village hall in July 2002 which included Scouting memorabilia over the past 50 years. Scouts, Cubs and Beavers from the 66th Fife (Aberdour) group celebrated the 100th year of Scouting with a weekend camp at Fordell Firs in May 2007. There were international celebrations to mark the centenary. Cubs, Scouts and Explorers from Dunfermline District hosted counterparts from the Netherlands at Fordell Firs activity centre in October 2007. They were celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jamboree on the Air. Cubs from the 81st Fife (1st Broomhall) group were introduced to the raingutter regatta in March 2009 which is a traditional activity for the Boy Scouts of America. The boat can only be propelled by blowing into the sail using a straw. Circus Starr performed two shows of circus skills, magic and comedy at Ardler Complex, Dundee, to raise funds for CHAS in February 2010. Our picture shows the performers with the 15th Fife (Freuchie) Cubs. 'You're going to need a bigger boat…' Ewan Penman from 11th Fife (Burntisland) Cubs won a national competition to name Deep Sea World's latest shark in April 2011 and chose the name Scout. He celebrated with his pals. Scouts from Cupar raised £600 for a trip to Belgium in May 2011. They were given donations in return for helping to pack bags in Tesco. Queen Anne High School was the setting for Dunfermline District Cub Scouts launching a year of celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of Cub Scouting. Provost Jim Leishman was the honorary guest at the event in February 2016. Explorer Scouts, leaders and volunteers from 8th Fife (St Andrews) spent 10 days in Kandersteg in Switzerland in August 2016. They camped in the grounds of Kandersteg International Scout Centre. Youngsters of the 4th Fife (Cardenden) Scout Group spent a busy summer in 2017 after a fundraising drive paid to insure their minibus. The group received £1,375 from the Co-op as part of a rewards scheme. Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance alongside Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and fellow leaders from the 5th (Fife) Scout Group in September 2017. Mr Torrance has been attached to the 5th since he was a Cub. Youngsters from the Kirkcaldy Beavers and 11th Fife (Burntisland) Scout Group were among those taking part in a beach clean in November 2018. The event was supported by the Marine Conservation Society. Dunfermline's 44th Fife (St Leonards Church) Scout group and Kirkcaldy's 5th Scout group joined Fife's new recycling campaign in January 2019. 58th Fife (Glenrothes) South Parks Explorer Scouts planting a golden orchard in March 2024 to mark five decades of The Tree Council. It is the final image in our Scouting gallery.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TD Insurance sponsors $104.5m Canadian catastrophe bond
TD Insurance has announced its sponsorship of a new catastrophe bond, Series 2025-1, which will enhance its reinsurance capacity via a multi-year risk transfer of C$150m ($104.5m) for protection against earthquakes and severe linked storms in Canada. The proceeds are invested in notes denominated in Canadian dollars from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This bond marks the first of its kind in the country, stated TD Insurance. TD Insurance said that it is the first Canadian insurer to sponsor a bond dedicated exclusively to catastrophe risks in the country. As per the Insurance Bureau of Canada, last year marked the most destructive season on record for insured losses due to severe weather in the country. The reinsurance protection provided by the MMIFS Re-issued cat bond will cover earthquakes and severe connected storms in the country on both an indemnity and per-occurrence basis. This coverage will be effective for a three-year term, starting from 17 January 2025 to 31 December 2027. TDI was advised by joint bookrunners GC Securities and the insurance-linked securities specialist division of Guy Carpenter, and TD Securities. GC Securities also acted as the sole structuring agent. TDI president and CEO James Russell said: "At TD Insurance, being there for our customers during their time of need remains our most important focus, and the issuance of a cat bond helps ensure we can continue to protect them when it matters most. 'At a time of increasing costs, we are always looking for ways to provide the best possible pricing to our customers, and this new bond is another tool at our disposal." TD Insurance represents a group of companies including Security National Insurance Company, Primmum Insurance Company, TD General Insurance Company, TD Direct Insurance Company and TD Home and Auto Insurance Company. "TD Insurance sponsors $104.5m Canadian catastrophe bond " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A slice of 1970s Babylon restored': living the office dream at the Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke
'Wellness' is all the rage at the fancier end of modern office development. Anxious to entice valuable employees away from the comforts of working from home, or from defecting to rivals, companies offer them spas, gyms and views of greenery. Proposals for gigantic office blocks in the City of London now come garnished with shrubs and trees and other forms of urban parsley dozens of storeys up in the air. There's a related mania for running green stuff up the outside of all kinds of buildings. All too often these plans exist more in the realm of gesture than reality, and come without full consideration as to what it actually takes for plants to flourish some distance from the ground. The idea of achieving wellbeing through multistorey vegetation is not new. It was put into practice a half-century ago with a building known officially as Gateway House, then Mountbatten House and now Plant, more popularly known as the 'Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke'. Designed by Arup Associates and the plantsman James Russell (1920-96), it provides six levels of gardens stepping up a sloping site, arranged so that its interiors would never be far from views of greenery, transporting office workers from the mess of roads and office blocks in which it stands up to a world of lush terraces that seem to flow into the surrounding hills. Created during a time when Basingstoke was a 'London overspill' area – a government designation that brought with it a smidgin of the forward-looking ideals of new towns, of providing new lives for escapers from the crowded metropolis – Gateway House was to be a model enlightened workplace for the then-200-year-old paper-making company that commissioned it, Wiggins Teape. Now, having fallen into some neglect, the building and gardens, which were Grade II-listed in 2015, have been brought back to life by an array of landscape architects and architects – Grant Associates, Studio Knight Stokoe, Twelve Architects and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios – whose combined approach has been respectful and discreet, rejuvenating the building and gardens, while adapting it to such things as changing climate and the need to tolerate drought. Their clients are the investors Mactaggart Family & Partners and Longstock Capital, who felt that the attractions of the building would overcome a less than buoyant market for office space. It is now a building to be let to multiple tenants; the AA has taken a chunk. Arup Associates were the architectural wing of the company founded by the great British engineer Ove Arup (1895-1988), who specialised in turning the dreams of modern architecture, from Lubetkin's penguin pool at London zoo to the Sydney Opera House, into reality. When acting as architects themselves, the practice that bore his name was relatively restrained and considered, while faithfully following modernist principles. For Arup Associates, the look of the building had to be closely connected to the way it was built. There had to be integrity and consistency of thought running through the whole project. With Gateway House they designed a grid of concrete pillars and shallow, pyramidal ceilings that give a sense of substance and unity throughout. The exterior is in steel, bronzed aluminium and glass, somewhat in the style of Mies van der Rohe, except that the blocks step up and down with an informality that the German-American master would never have countenanced. As the building was designed at the time of the 1973 oil crisis, there are overhangs to shade the interiors from the sun, and other measures to reduce the need for air-conditioning. It is a building with strong horizontals, a stack of planes that emphasise the flow of space from inside to out. It is as enchanting a headquarters for a stationery company as you could ever hope to see You ascend on arrival to a spacious entrance portico that leads to a generous reception area in the centre of the building from where, thanks to the slope in the land, you can go down as well as up to the office floors. Mostly, the architecture is dignified and calm, acting as a foil for the planting. James Russell, who had until then developed a quiet celebrity designing gardens in the grounds of country houses, here created a range of moods with an eclectic array of native and imported species, some of them gathered on his plant-seeking trips abroad. At Gateway House there are gardens themed around colours, such as gold and silver, and scents and seasons. Russell designed a wisteria terrace and a vine terrace, areas inspired by Japan and another dedicated to herbs, and an irregular pond stocked with coloured carp. Climbing roses scaled the corporate elevations. Trees were planted at the edge of the site, into whose now mature canopies office workers will (when they are not looking at the terraces or the countryside beyond) be able to gaze. The whole is a three-dimensional ramble through spaces intimate and expansive, sometimes connecting with the landscape beyond, sometimes looking inward to courtyards. It is a cubistic hillside, a stately home and – its landscape rearranged for a less hierarchic age – as enchanting a headquarters for a stationery company as you could ever hope to see. It is, for all its variety, unified. It is miraculously verdant, thanks to the attention paid to the hidden technicalities of soil depth and irrigation, of exposure and shade. The interior is suffused with green-tinged reflections. Much of the work of the £32m renovation is about preserving and enhancing these qualities, with such unnoticed but essential actions as polishing travertine paving, replacing soil that had become compacted, and refurbishing the curtain walls, while making a few adjustments and updates. A new helical stair swoops down from the reception area to the lower levels, and new spaces have been formed for communal dining. All of which is not only for the private delight of the companies renting office space: part of the gardens are accessible to the public, from where most of the rest is visible. Outsiders are welcome to wander into the reception area and go to the cafe there. Gateway House started something. Peter Foggo, the architect at Arup in charge of the project, went on to work on Broadgate, the 80s office development in the City of London created by the developer Stuart Lipton that set new standards in architectural quality and the design of open space. Current aspirations for wellness owe much to Broadgate, which in turn owes much to Gateway House. Many architects dream of getting plants and gardens to climb up their buildings, but anyone who really wants to know how to do it should make a trip to Basingstoke and see its slice of 1970s Babylon.
The Guardian
26-01-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘A slice of 1970s Babylon restored': living the office dream at the Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke
'Wellness' is all the rage at the fancier end of modern office development. Anxious to entice valuable employees away from the comforts of working from home, or from defecting to rivals, companies offer them spas, gyms and views of greenery. Proposals for gigantic office blocks in the City of London now come garnished with shrubs and trees and other forms of urban parsley dozens of storeys up in the air. There's a related mania for running green stuff up the outside of all kinds of buildings. All too often these plans exist more in the realm of gesture than reality, and come without full consideration as to what it actually takes for plants to flourish some distance from the ground. The idea of achieving wellbeing through multistorey vegetation is not new. It was put into practice a half-century ago with a building known officially as Gateway House, then Mountbatten House and now Plant, more popularly known as the 'Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke'. Designed by Arup Associates and the plantsman James Russell (1920-96), it provides six levels of gardens stepping up a sloping site, arranged so that its interiors would never be far from views of greenery, transporting office workers from the mess of roads and office blocks in which it stands up to a world of lush terraces that seem to flow into the surrounding hills. Created during a time when Basingstoke was a 'London overspill' area – a government designation that brought with it a smidgin of the forward-looking ideals of new towns, of providing new lives for escapers from the crowded metropolis – Gateway House was to be a model enlightened workplace for the then-200-year-old paper-making company that commissioned it, Wiggins Teape. Now, having fallen into some neglect, the building and gardens, which were Grade II-listed in 2015, have been brought back to life by an array of landscape architects and architects – Grant Associates, Studio Knight Stokoe, Twelve Architects and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios – whose combined approach has been respectful and discreet, rejuvenating the building and gardens, while adapting it to such things as changing climate and the need to tolerate drought. Their clients are the investors Mactaggart Family & Partners and Longstock Capital, who felt that the attractions of the building would overcome a less than buoyant market for office space. It is now a building to be let to multiple tenants; the AA has taken a chunk. Arup Associates were the architectural wing of the company founded by the great British engineer Ove Arup (1895-1988), who specialised in turning the dreams of modern architecture, from Lubetkin's penguin pool at London zoo to the Sydney Opera House, into reality. When acting as architects themselves, the practice that bore his name was relatively restrained and considered, while faithfully following modernist principles. For Arup Associates, the look of the building had to be closely connected to the way it was built. There had to be integrity and consistency of thought running through the whole project. With Gateway House they designed a grid of concrete pillars and shallow, pyramidal ceilings that give a sense of substance and unity throughout. The exterior is in steel, bronzed aluminium and glass, somewhat in the style of Mies van der Rohe, except that the blocks step up and down with an informality that the German-American master would never have countenanced. As the building was designed at the time of the 1973 oil crisis, there are overhangs to shade the interiors from the sun, and other measures to reduce the need for air-conditioning. It is a building with strong horizontals, a stack of planes that emphasise the flow of space from inside to out. You ascend on arrival to a spacious entrance portico that leads to a generous reception area in the centre of the building from where, thanks to the slope in the land, you can go down as well as up to the office floors. Mostly, the architecture is dignified and calm, acting as a foil for the planting. James Russell, who had until then developed a quiet celebrity designing gardens in the grounds of country houses, here created a range of moods with an eclectic array of native and imported species, some of them gathered on his plant-seeking trips abroad. At Gateway House there are gardens themed around colours, such as gold and silver, and scents and seasons. Russell designed a wisteria terrace and a vine terrace, areas inspired by Japan and another dedicated to herbs, and an irregular pond stocked with coloured carp. Climbing roses scaled the corporate elevations. Trees were planted at the edge of the site, into whose now mature canopies office workers will (when they are not looking at the terraces or the countryside beyond) be able to gaze. The whole is a three-dimensional ramble through spaces intimate and expansive, sometimes connecting with the landscape beyond, sometimes looking inward to courtyards. It is a cubistic hillside, a stately home and – its landscape rearranged for a less hierarchic age – as enchanting a headquarters for a stationery company as you could ever hope to see. It is, for all its variety, unified. It is miraculously verdant, thanks to the attention paid to the hidden technicalities of soil depth and irrigation, of exposure and shade. The interior is suffused with green-tinged reflections. Much of the work of the £32m renovation is about preserving and enhancing these qualities, with such unnoticed but essential actions as polishing travertine paving, replacing soil that had become compacted, and refurbishing the curtain walls, while making a few adjustments and updates. A new helical stair swoops down from the reception area to the lower levels, and new spaces have been formed for communal dining. All of which is not only for the private delight of the companies renting office space: part of the gardens are accessible to the public, from where most of the rest is visible. Outsiders are welcome to wander into the reception area and go to the cafe there. Gateway House started something. Peter Foggo, the architect at Arup in charge of the project, went on to work on Broadgate, the 80s office development in the City of London created by the developer Stuart Lipton that set new standards in architectural quality and the design of open space. Current aspirations for wellness owe much to Broadgate, which in turn owes much to Gateway House. Many architects dream of getting plants and gardens to climb up their buildings, but anyone who really wants to know how to do it should make a trip to Basingstoke and see its slice of 1970s Babylon.
