Brentwood Visitor Centre

Satish Jassal Architects has developed a landscape-led masterplan for a brownfield site in Brentwood, transforming a collection of derelict stables, kennels, barns and vacant dwellings into a new visitor centre, public gardens and eight family homes.

The scheme is organised around a central landscaped garden, forming the heart of the development and establishing a strong sense of place. Both the visitor centre and the homes are oriented towards this shared space, connected by a network of landscaped paths and clear visual links that promote movement, interaction and community use.

The masterplan integrates architecture and landscape from the outset, creating a series of distinct yet interconnected garden spaces. These are designed as legible character zones, allowing visitors to navigate the site intuitively while experiencing a variety of environments.

The central gardens combine formal and informal planting, lawn areas and ecological features to support biodiversity and year-round use. A key component of the scheme is its educational role, with dedicated areas for growing vegetables and demonstrating seasonal planting cycles. These spaces provide hands-on learning opportunities for local communities, particularly children.

The visitor centre supports this function through a combination of physical and digital learning environments, acting as a focal point for education, engagement and community activity.

This project demonstrates how brownfield sites can be reimagined as landscape-led developments, combining housing, education and public realm to create a cohesive and sustainable place