One of the many FORA workspaces spread across London and the UK, Montacute Yards sits right at the epicentre of the city’s creative community. It is a space absolutely brimming with planting, quite literally from floor to ceiling, making it a true beacon of biophilic design.

The Project

Montacute Yards incorporates both interior and exterior planting, each presenting their own unique opportunities and challenges.

While the indoor planting focuses on creating healthier, more inspiring places to work throughout the building, the terraces transform the rooftop into an extension of the workspace itself, somewhere people can step away from their desks, meet colleagues, or simply enjoy a moment surrounded by nature.

The Terraces - Outdoors

The terraces are, in short, stunning.

With panoramic views across the heart of London, they provide one of the most spectacular outdoor workspaces in the city. The Gherkin, itself an iconic example of architecture inspired by nature, dominates part of the skyline, creating an impressive backdrop to the planting scheme below.

The planting that sits atop these terraces is every bit as impressive.

Vibrant herbaceous shrubs create a constantly changing tapestry of colour, texture and scent throughout the seasons, while elegant birch trees gently break up sightlines across the space, introducing height, shade and a welcome sense of enclosure. Together, they create a landscape that feels far removed from the busy streets below.

Rather than simply decorating the terrace, the planting helps to define how the space is used, creating quieter corners for relaxation alongside more open areas for collaboration and socialising.

The Mezzanines - Indoors

One of the first things that stands out to any plant lover is the sheer abundance of natural light throughout the building.

A particular favourite of ours is the mezzanine workspace, where striking rows of statement planting are bathed in sunlight throughout the day. Large Monstera, Schefflera and Strelitzia nicolai stand proudly, softening the building’s contemporary industrial architecture; a pairing of planting and interior design that we’re particularly fond of.

The Shared Spaces - Indoors

Streaks of sunlight also illuminate plant-filled shelving, where integrated planting creates areas of prospect and refuge, breaking up the open-plan workspace into smaller, more intimate settings with a diverse range of uses. Whether for focused work, informal meetings or simply a quiet moment away from the bustle of the office, these green interventions make the space feel both functional and deeply connected to nature.

The result is a workspace that feels calm, creative and unmistakably biophilic, proving that even in the heart of Shoreditch, there’s always room for a little more green.

Maintaining a Greenhouse in Central London

To be the custodians of the planting at Montacute Yards is a real honour. This inspiring workspace, with its even more inspiring planting, sets a benchmark for what can be achieved in the City. With the right care and attention, we hope it will continue to inspire the people who work there, and remain one of Shoreditch’s finest examples of biophilic design for many years to come.

If you’d like to explore how we could create something similar for your own workspace, whether that’s a living wall, statement planting, integrated furniture planting or a complete biophilic scheme, take a look at our office planting page. Alternatively, get in touch with our team directly, we’d love to hear about your project!