The Natural History Museum's transformation of its gardens, as part of its wider Urban Nature Project, won a Holcim Foundation Award in 2023 for its ambitious initiative that aims to return nature to cities by transforming the previous gardens into an urban oasis, creating significant new areas of habitat and biodiversity. Moderated by Andrew Tuck, Editor-in-Chief at UK-based magazine Monocle, the panel featured insights from four industry experts on the significance of education, community engagement, and sustainable design.

Fostering Education and Connection

The panelists emphasized the importance of education in fostering urban biodiversity. Keith Jennings, Director of Estates, Projects & Masterplanning at the Natural History Museum, described the project's educational mission during the panel: “What better way to create advocates [for the planet] than to create a fantastic new landscape that describes deep time, urban nature today, and a hopeful future in this garden we’ve just been standing in.”

The grounds aim to become a globally relevant urban nature epicenter for research, as well as a key setting for training, and education. It creates an immersive, educational experience through geology, botany, and tactile elements, including an evolutionary timeline of geology, flora and fauna telling the story of life over 540 million years through to the present day.

The project team hopes to inspire future generations to appreciate and engage with nature, serving as a model for how urban spaces can enhance ecological literacy among the public, encouraging community involvement and appreciation for the natural world. Edmund Fowles, Founding Director at Feilden Fowles and architect of the garden’s buildings, described how education was at the heart of his work: “The way that water is harvested off the buildings is really explicit,” he says motioning to the Nature Activity Center, which has been designed to harvest rainwater from its overhanging roof made from timber, which integrates a rainwater collection system. “There's a bit of interpretation, signage, which tells the story of why we've done that, the way that the blocks are shuffled on the column just makes it feel really easily legible about how the building is put together and made, and hopefully will interest some young people and inspire them,” Fowles continued.

In the development of the Urban Nature Project, to ensure that accuracy of knowledge was being shared with people of all ages, the project team involved experts at every step of the design process. Neil Davidson, Partner at J&L Gibbons and landscape architect of the gardens, explained “It was the sharing of knowledge that came from the scientists in the museum to help us as designers conceive something that was scientifically robust, but also we could develop it in a way which would be a joyful place to visit, an immersive place to visit.“

Quality through Community Engagement

The panel discussed a key factor in achieving the garden's reimagination: the exceptional quality delivered during construction. Beyond the research and design, the success of the project relied heavily on the craftsmanship and dedication of the on-site teams.

Fowles highlighted the vital connection between the community and the natural environment, stressing that designs should not only cater to aesthetic values but also foster a sense of ownership and pride among local residents. He suggests talking passionately and getting people excited about the project by communicating the aim clearly helps set a tone for the workers involved on-site. “Lots of the trades that we spoke to said, 'I'm going to bring my grandkids here. I can't believe I'm doing a job at the Natural History Museum,’” Jennings added. 

Davidson explained the decision to prioritize locally sourced materials, despite the higher costs. "We’re stuck in this cycle where the question is, ‘Where is the cheapest material?’ rather than ‘Where is the best quality material closest to home?’" He noted that this choice paid off with reliable supply chains, satisfied suppliers, and tradespeople who took pride in their work.

A Vision for the Future

Victoria Jessen-Pike, Director at Publica, provided an external perspective to the discussion on what projects like this mean for the future. As cities continue to expand, the lessons shared by these experts will undoubtedly contribute to creating greener, more sustainable urban spaces. “We're hoping in 20 years to have green avenues across the whole of the West End. It's not a fast [process], it's going to take time”, she shared.

Jessen-Pike also reflected on the broader impact of the project: “This project is groundbreaking, and I’d be so interested to see what other museums are going to do in response to what you've put out here.”