New visitor centre, exhibition, restaurant and educational facilities for the University of Liverpool’s world-renowned and nationally important botanic gardens, set within sensitive green belt landscape. • The new visitor centre, including a restaurant, lecture theatre, and retail and exhibition space, was designed to radically improve facilities for visitors, students and staff. • Visitor and management facilities were rationalised to improve public appeal, efficiency, long-term viability and revenue potential. • Key requirements were flexibility, ease of management and disabled access. Major improvements were also made to existing buildings, pedestrian and vehicular access and external garden areas. • The innovative, ecologically based and sustainable design incorporated highly insulated lightweight timber frame construction, a ‘green’ roof, natural lighting, passive stack ventilation and recycled rainwater. • Demonstration of special circumstances allowed planning permission for development within the green belt and detailed studies of environmental impact, traffic generation and public transport provision were key issues.