May Project Overview

Posted: 29 May 2025

As we celebrate our 50th year in business, we’re reflecting on 50 of our most memorable projects. We have been featuring them over on our social media channels.

In May we looked back at the following four projects…

ESP: Having outgrown their accommodation and seeking to support future growth, ESP approached ONE to assist them in producing a full planning application pack using a landscape-led design approach. In addition, ONE was appointed to produce the building services performance specification and manage the design and installation works on behalf of the client. Using the aspiration of ESP and a heavily design-led approach, the development was driven by the outcome of a Landscape Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and proposals developed in direct response to the constraints and opportunities of the application site and its location close to the designated Malvern Hills AONB.

Moorside: Moorside Power Station and Discovery Park. Located in Cumbria, just outside the Lake District National Park, Moorside is a proposed Power Station and Education Centre developed by NuGen. To shape the future of this landmark project, an international design competition was launched through the Landscape Institute, challenging designers to integrate 13 million cubic metres of excavated material into a dynamic and sustainable landscape. The brief called for innovative solutions to accommodate this material, creating substantial earth mounds and bunds to the north and south of the Power Station. It also required the creation of engaging landscape features, transforming the site into an exciting destination for the public. A unique challenge of the project was managing two spoil sites—one accessible and one remote. Drawing inspiration from nuclear fission, energy, and the natural world, ONE’s Landscape Architects developed a visionary design concept for Discovery Park, an outdoor science park that combines education, play, and exploration. The design harnesses natural forces like sunlight, wind, and gravity to create a series of interactive Learning Zones across the landscape, encouraging visitors to explore science through hands-on experiences. One of the most striking features of the design is a man-made rainbow, achieved using prism light and water particles, which elegantly connects the two separate spoil sites, creating a powerful visual symbol of unity and discovery. Discovery Park is a unique destination that seamlessly blends science, nature, and education, offering an inspiring experience for visitors of all ages.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre in Lagos: The client HME Technology asked ONE to review their proposals for a new Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre in Lagos, one of the fastest growing cities in the world and a major financial centre in Africa. The Centre needed to have functionality to deliver an excellent level of training and qualifications but also to be a place that would inspire students, staff and visitors to exceed expectations. The proposed design was inspired by Nigerian culture, landscape and architecture. The design solution uses patterning found in Nigerian textiles, pottery and crafts throughout the building with a dramatic circular roof design, detailed external cladding and patterning within the building interiors. From the prominent entrance, the journey through the building allows visitors to see all the education facilities in use, thereby expanding their knowledge of the opportunities and skills that the building offers. The training rooms are an angular shape that fits within a circular form, and with generous space at the end of each teaching bay for future expansion. Once delivered this will be the first of five other intended centres across the continent.

Jewellery Quarter Station, Birmingham: Let’s rewind to 1995, the year the Jewellery Quarter Station was reopened as part of the Midland Metro light rail development. Located in the heart of Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, and just around the corner from our current Birmingham office, this project remains a proud milestone for ONE. Blending function with heritage, the station’s design features a thoughtful mix of brickwork and steel, echoing the area’s rich industrial legacy. While modest in scale, the architecture complements the Jewellery Quarter’s conservation area, respecting its historic charm and low-rise streetscape. A true example of how modern infrastructure can enhance, rather than overpower, a city’s historic fabric.

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