A site plan with green marked zones labeled C1, C2, C3, featuring pathways, water bodies, and architectural elements, architecture by MOXON Architects.

Seven Lochs

North Lanarkshire, Scotland

2013

Client Central Scotland Green Network

Road & Rail

At almost 20sq km, the Seven Lochs Wetland Park is Scotland’s largest urban nature park and a major new destination for outdoor recreation. Developed for the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) and Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership (GCVGNP) the three proposed green bridges within the Seven Lochs Wetland Park will allow the connection of wetland and woodland habitat as well as the communities that are divided by the M73.

A minimalist isometric landscape with pathways, trees, and a building, featuring a train, with architecture by MOXON Architects.

Minimalistic map of a park with trees, pathways, and sculptures, with road signs indicating M73 and A752, architecture by MOXON Architects.

The existing crossings over and under this highway were the starting point for the proposal. As perfectly serviceable structures in their own right, the crossings would be retained and augmented or adapted, rather than replaced.

Three aerial sketches of roads and intersections with trees, arranged horizontally, with a green circle around each, architecture by MOXON Architects.

A highway runs under a wide, modern overpass surrounded by lush green grass and trees. The overpass features smooth, curved lines, blending with the natural landscape. The road curves gently through the scene under a clear sky.

Each of the three design routes is characterised by a low-key materiality, by and large comprising a simple path, alternating between compacted gravel and timber boardwalk.

Line drawing of a community landscape with various areas, including nature, buildings, and greenery, with labels and highlights; architecture by MOXON Architects.

Line drawing of a landscape with various animals in circles above, a bridge labeled C2, trees, and a tunnel, architecture by MOXON Architects.

Along the way, animals and nature are invited onto the bridges in different ways: for example jetties and bird hides on one, provisions for equestrians on another, and allotments for growing fruits or vegetables at either end of the third.