Plant Basingstoke
Shortlisted for RIBA South Awards 2026
Shortlisted in Refurbishment category of AJ Architecture Awards 2025
Ketley Staffordshire brown brindle bricks and pavers
Architects - Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios, Grant Associates, Twelve Architects, Studio Knight Stokoe
Contractors - C Field Construction
A heritage led transformation
Plant, Basingstoke, the Grade II listed former Mountbatten House, has undergone a major heritage‑led retrofit to secure its future as one of Britain’s most significant modernist buildings. Originally designed in 1973 by Arup Associates with pioneering garden designer James Russell, the building is celebrated for its stepped profile and cascading roof gardens, over 6 stories, both listed independently for their architectural and horticultural importance.
The refurbishment restores the building’s original vision: a seamless blend of workplace, landscape and wellbeing. Now reimagined as a regional hub for growth, Plant offers over 19,500 sqm of flexible workspace and amenities, including a new café, gym, cycle facilities and a multi‑purpose events space.
Clay materials rooted in original design
The 1960s garden terraces featured quarry tiles and brown brindle engineering bricks, materials chosen for their robustness and compatibility with the building’s landscape‑driven architecture and these areas have been restored and maintained. As part of the retrofit, Ketley’s brown brindle bricks were selected to extend and enhance the new entrance sequence, strengthening the visual connection between the refurbished gardens and the building’s public realm. To complement this, Ketley brown brindle square‑edged pavers were installed within the redesigned parking and arrival areas. Their colour, texture and durability echo the clay materials used across the original site, ensuring continuity between past and present while meeting the demands of a modern commercial environment.
The scheme has achieved both BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum certifications and includes sustainable features such as rainwater harvesting and photovoltaic roof panels. The landscape has been improved to be more climate resiliant with 22,500 new plants being added and and additional 86 trees. The new garden, designed by Studio Knight Stokoe, fulfills the original design vision, to be informal, elaborate, romantic, overflowing and tumbling.
