Hillier's visitor centre, Romsey: a project by David Lea

David Lea is known for his refined and sensitive designs and for his long-standing concern for issues of sustainability. Sadly, many of his projects remain unbuilt. The latest of these is a visitor centre for an internationally renowned garden and arboretum in southern England. The design, described by Peter Blundell Jones, marks a break from Lea's customary use of pitched roofs and embraces the planning freedom which flat roof allows. But its greatest significance lies in the inspired manner in which the building acts as gateway to a remarkable landscape described by Jan Woudstra.