The tree trench arose from the need to protect the buried archaeological resources which is abundant within the Tower Environs and the clients desire to have all paving laid on a stable substrate. Working to these criteria effectively created a sealed planting zone less than a metre deep. The solution was to line the trench with a root barrier with drainage cells at the base which was stepped in order to maintain moisture. The trench was drained at the lowest point to avoid water logging. A network of ventilation pipes was then installed in order to deliver air to the tree roots.

In addition to the arrival space we were commissioned independently by the Tower of London to design a small garden space adjacent to the Tower Moat. We stripped out previously ornamental plantings replacing them with an indigenous scheme of low shrubs and native herbaceous plants.