RHS Garden Bridgewater: Watching a £30m garden grow.

The problem

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. It promotes horticulture through flower shows and by sponsoring gardening projects throughout the country.

Royal Horticultural Society is currently transforming the grounds at Worsley New Hall, a 19th-century mansion in the heart of Salford, into a new 154-acre garden. Designed by renowned landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, the £30 million-plus RHS Garden Bridgewater is due to open in Spring 2021 and will be one of the largest gardens in Europe.

As part of the planning process, Royal Horticultural Society approached us to produce a virtual reality (VR) model of some parts of the garden.

Our solution

Using Unreal Engine and the 3D immersion software Twinmotion, our Enterprise team worked closely with the Royal Horticultural Society team to model three sections of the RHS Bridgewater Garden including the Curators Garden, Community Garden and Kitchen Garden.

The buildings within the environment were created using a combination of photogrammetry, 3D sculpting and standard 3D modelling techniques, before plants and trees were added to complete the experience.

The VR model allowed the Royal Horticultural Society to experience the space ahead of time. They could walk around the garden of the future, see the grasses swaying, hear the birds singing, see the fruit trees matured and even enjoy watching the planting develop through the seasons.

The work was used as a discussion piece for engaging with key stakeholders about the design and going forward it will be used in marketing and provide assets for the garden’s official opening.