Woodhatch Place - Contextual studies & thematic approach

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Woodhatch Place, now the main offices of Surrey County Council since 2020, was originally Woodhatch Lodge, a private residence until 1930. Built in the late eighteenth century and expanded substantially in the Victorian era, it was set in private gardens and wooded grounds.

It became a commercially owned building in 1939, changing ownership to Canon (UK) in 1996. Planning permission was gained to demolish the mid-twentieth century offices and Victorian wing of the house, restoring the original Georgian part of the house and constructing a large new office building - both of which still stand today as Woodhatch Place.

The county of Surrey itself has a rich heritage spanning thousands of years, with traces of both the Bronze and Iron Ages. Today, Surrey is England's most wooded county, with woodland covering over a fifth of the area.

Due to the site's location, name and heritage, the approach for the site's technical design will pay homage to the county's rural environment and woodlands while promoting sustainable, circular design where possible. The aim is to have a naturalistic approach when it comes to hardscaping, using circular materials where feasible. While there will be native tree planting, there will also be ornamental trees in some of the gardens linking to the heritage of the original house and the ornamental private gardens of the 1800s.



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