BACKGROUND

OOBE has been commissioned alongside Stallan Brand and Turner and Townsend to develop the new landscape scheme for Hawick High School. The site is located in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, in the county of Roxburghshire, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Slitrig and Teviot. Hawick is the largest of the Border towns with a long history stretching back to the 1100s and remains one of Scotland’s leading textile hubs, famous for its knitwear, cashmere and hosiery.

Similar to Hawick Tartan, the design is based on a strong grid pattern. The grid has been applied across the landscape, defined by the alignment of the proposed and existing buildings. Influence from the historic rig pattern can be seen in the varied and irregular scale of the grid pattern created within the surface of the hard landscaping.

THE CONCEPT

Planting has been incorporated to soften further the grid layout, including ornamental planting, rain gardens, trees and hedging. Tree planting is positioned to contribute to the spatial definition of pocket spaces and create planting buffers on the site boundary to the north and east. The formal grid layout is contrasted by more informal, naturalistic garden areas towards the riparian environment north of the site, creating significant soft landscaping areas that will enhance the natural setting and support biodiversity.

The design provides a publicly accessible green open space, drawing on the historic context of the Common Haugh, which benefited the town and its people.

RESULTS

By offering shared spaces that welcome all, Hawick High School will become a community asset, providing access to green spaces for students, local residents and visitors.