Because of the scale of Inverness Airport Business Park and the variety of topography, the developers are emphasising the importance of good design in both landscape and architecture, to instil a sense of visual coherence and consistency across the site.
As a result of topography and current land use the business park footprint encompasses four distinct zones. To the northwest is the Woodland Zone where a mix of business and industrial uses are planned around an orbital service road. Adjacent to this is the Landscape Zone partly defined by the airport access roads and thus highly visible. Airport hotels and other high profile businesses encompassing Business Categories 1, 2 & 3 will be attracted to this location. The Airside Zone will focus on airport related business such as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. The Tornagrain Zone, located between the airport and the A96, is characterised by a more structured layout reflecting its position alongside the trunk road and adjacent to the proposed new town of Tornagrain.
To establish coherent and consistent design quality over such a large and varied site the developers recognise the imperative of good design. They have consequently commissioned Make, Ken Shuttleworth’s architecture practice, to oversee the project. In conjunction with the judicious planting of over 150,000 trees within their landscape remit, Make are also compiling a Design Code for the built environment. The Code will provide guidance to architects on building orientation, materials and elevation. In addition Title conditions and Codes of Practice with regard to, for example, car parking and grounds maintenance aim to maintain the quality of IABP over a long time frame thus retaining the Parks role as the pre-eminent business location in the Highlands.