RHS Hilltop

Overview

The UK’s first dedicated horticultural scientific centre of excellence has opened to the public – protecting the future of plants, people, and the planet at the iconic RHS Garden Wisley, situated in Woking, just 30 minutes outside London.

RHS Hilltop has been dubbed The Home of Gardening Science, and at a cost of £35 million, is the largest ever investment in horticultural science.

The site boasts 3 purpose-built laboratories, a herbarium and digitisation suite, learning studios & a teaching garden, interactive displays and a world class collection of horticultural exhibits across 3 gardens that brim with ideas that reflect the latest research.

RHS Wisley’s library and archive contain rich and varied collections, including botanical art, 28,000 horticultural books & records, which places itself as the most complete record of the UK’s horticultural heritage.

Partnership

HAG Ltd. were chosen by Geoffrey Osborne Ltd. to work on RHS Wisley’s impressive and forward-thinking purpose-built space to offer fire protection & security solutions across the site, including in the herbarium and café.

With over 35 years of industry experience, and being well known for our quality, integrity, and reliability, we were the perfect choice to offer solutions to fire protection and security needs, meaning a more streamlined experience for the main building contractor.

Andy Jasper, Programme Director of the Wisley Strategic Investment Programme:

“We are so proud to announce the opening date of RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science. Working so closely and collaboratively with Contractors and Consultants was wonderful and together we have overcome the challenges of Covid-19. We would like to express our most sincere thanks to all the teams and individuals involved in this project who have worked so hard and with such passion and commitment.”

The Project

Like many new builds, RHS Hilltop used the very latest in environmentally friendly techniques in their build process. This included installing their own renewable energy sources, using high levels of insulation and astonishingly, 99% of waste during construction was recycled.

The RHS Hilltop facility measures 4,750 square meters and was part of a wider 5-year transformation program at RHS Wisley. With an investment of £35 million, it is easy to see how seriously the Royal Horticultural Society are taking their legacy and setting themselves in good stead for scientific research in the future.

HAG installed fire curtains and fire shutters across the site, which are essential to ensure safety and time to exit the buildings in the event of fire. Our insurance-certified roller shutters were supplied and fitted to their exacting standards and are fully covered by LPCB Certification, to give optimum security protection.

We were pleased to be involved in such a stunning development and look forward to working with both Geoffrey Osborne Ltd and the RHS again in the future.