The Linden Pavilion

The brief

A new pavilion within the grounds of a Scottish botanical garden, conceived as a place for quiet contemplation of plant life and the cycle of seasons. The programme is minimal: a café, a small library of botanical texts, a winter garden, and a changing exhibition space for botanical illustration.

The form is derived from the cross-section of a linden leaf — a simple biomorphic geometry expressed in glulam timber and low-iron glass. The structure is entirely column-free inside, a single continuous space that feels simultaneously enclosed and transparent. The glazed panels are fritted with a botanical pattern that casts leaf shadows across the interior floor.

The building is designed to achieve PassivHaus certification: south-facing glazing captures winter sun, while deep overhangs and operable louvres prevent summer overheating. A sedum roof hosts sixteen species of native wildflower.