Project:  Interior landscaping refurbishment

Client:  Pinsent Masons, Glasgow

Interior landscaping contractor: phs Greenleaf

Installation Date: March 2026

Number of units: 40

Awards: Best Project 2026 and Gold Leaf Award

The refurbishment of Pinsent Masons’ Glasgow office by phs Greenleaf demonstrates how imaginative interior landscaping can transform a commercial environment. Combining live and artificial plants, bespoke containers and integrated planting, the 40-unit scheme brings warmth, character and visual interest to a contemporary workplace, while complementing the wider office refurbishment.

Working in collaboration with the client and its architects, phs Greenleaf developed an innovative planting scheme that responded to the office’s colour palette and architectural features. The result is a cohesive, modern design that softens the industrial character of certain areas and introduces planting throughout the workspace.

A defining feature of the project is the considered combination of live and artificial planting, sometimes within the same container. This approach allowed the team to create a consistent visual identity while responding to the different conditions and practical requirements of the office.

The scheme incorporates potted plants and trees, troughs and planting integrated into seating areas. Bespoke fibreglass containers sit alongside Lechuza Balconera planters and Capi units, with a selection of contemporary colours introducing contrast and complementing the interior finishes.

Vulcaponic was used as a top dressing throughout the scheme, including on replica trough displays, helping to maintain a consistent, natural appearance across both live and artificial installations.

One of the project’s most striking features is an artificial tree that extends through the ceiling. Designed to conceal an unsightly stainless-steel pipework, the tree turns a challenging architectural detail into an intentional design feature. Positioned in a darker area where live planting would have been less suitable, it provides height and visual impact while demonstrating how artificial planting can solve practical design challenges.

The planting scheme features a broad selection of live and artificial species, chosen to create variety in form, scale, texture and foliage. Live planting includes Areca palms, Strelitzia, Philodendron ‘Red Emerald’, Sansevieria, Zamioculcas, Ficus lyrata, Dracaena ‘Dorado’, ferns, Chamaedorea, Ficus benghalensis, Alocasia, Ficus elastica ‘Robusta’, Monstera and Scindapsus, with selected specimens trained on moss poles to add height and structure.

Artificial Strelitzia, Kentia palms, Calathea, Aglaonema, Syngonium, Dieffenbachia, Sansevieria and ferns complement the live plants, allowing the design to extend into areas where environmental conditions or maintenance considerations may limit the use of living specimens.

The scheme also incorporates species commonly associated with NASA’s research into indoor plants and air quality, including Sansevieria, Dracaena, Scindapsus, palms and ferns. 

The project required careful planning and close coordination between phs Greenleaf, the client, the architects and the building management team. As Pinsent Masons was relocating from one premises to another, the planting scheme formed part of a wider refurbishment programme. The installation date was postponed twice as construction progressed, requiring the project team to remain flexible and adapt its plans to the changing schedule.

Access to the building presented further challenges, particularly when manoeuvring larger units and distributing them across several floors. By working closely with building management in advance, the team coordinated the delivery and positioning of the planters to ensure an efficient, smooth installation.

Some of the bespoke troughs also presented challenges relating to their depth and width, while the replica tree required particularly precise positioning to achieve the correct angle as it extended through the ceiling. Close collaboration with the building team enabled these details to be resolved, ensuring the finished installation met the design requirements.

The Pinsent Masons Glasgow project illustrates how thoughtful interior landscaping can do more than introduce plants into an office. Through the careful integration of live and artificial planting, considered container selection and creative responses to architectural challenges, phs Greenleaf has delivered a scheme that enhances the character of the refurbished workplace.

The project was recognised with both the Best Project 2026 and Gold Leaf Award, reflecting the quality of its design, execution and overall presentation.

Leaf Awards judge Ian Drummond praised the scheme:“This was a beautiful project, really well considered and designed and maintained to a high level!” He also highlighted the artificial tree as a particularly successful element, noting that its purpose became clear in the finished space. Positioned in a darker area and concealing the pipework, the tree continued up into the ceiling and looked impressive. He added that the client was very happy with the result.

The award-winning installation demonstrates how creativity, technical problem-solving and close collaboration can combine to deliver an outstanding interior landscaping project that responds to both the practical needs of a building and the experience of the people who use it.