THE
London
supplement 2021
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WELCOME
THE
London
supplement 2021
W
elcome to the fifth edition of our London Supplement. When we published our last edition, London had just achieved National Park City status and it’s fair to say that since, London’s skyline has continued to evolve at a quickening pace – it’s landscaping even more so. On page 30, we delve into the iconic Battersea Power Station’s multi-billionpound overhaul as it moves away from industrial and towards community. As always, we have some of our prestigious portfolios for you starting on page 33 – including a peaceful roof terrace, a luxurious outdoor kitchen and a fantastic water park at Elephant and Castle..
Of course, we couldn’t talk about change or, indeed, the landscaping surge without mentioning COVID-19. Its impact has been felt worldwide and as we all know by now, it’s forever altered the frame through which the public views green spaces. We hear from garden designers, landscapers and landscape architects about how this is shaping our industry. On page 20, Erect Architecture holds high hopes that it will mean more bespoke play spaces in the city, and GRDN tells us how work has been affected on page 12. I hope you enjoy the read!
Rachael
Rachael Forsyth Deputy head of content
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CONTENTS
contents NEWS
15
6 9 10
features
News The latest from the capital Our Survey Says Challenges of working in London The London Resort World-class, net-zero theme park
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12 15 18 20 22 25 27 30
Grand Plans Working in London, with GRDN Nature by Numbers Biodiversity net gain, Mount Anvil Mixed Maintenance Easier access to London life Urban Playground Creating a child-friendly capital Wandsworth in Motion Becoming the greenest borough Chelsea and Westminster Garden A symbol of honour for the NHS 15-Minute City A solution to healthier living? Industrial Revolution Battersea Power Station
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CONTENTS
10 27 36
30 company profiles
portfolios
33 36 40
Rooftop Hideaway Garden Club London Making a Splash Gillespies All-Out Luxury Tectonic
45 49 51
Bourne Amenity Supplying to the capital Millboard Work changes since the pandemic Vestre Making a name in London
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NEWS HIGHGATE CEMETERY ANNOUNCES WINNER OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN COMPETITION Gustafson Porter + Bowman has been appointed by the Highgate Cemetery Trust to develop a 25-year masterplan for the site. The practice beat three other shortlisted teams in the design competition for the world-famous site, launched in November last year. Hopkins Architects won the architectural projects competition, and both teams will assist the cemetery in the new masterplan to ensure it remains an historic and sustainable site, with modern facilities for those looking after the site as well as improving it for grave owners and visitors. Jo Thompson Landscape & Garden Design collaborated with award-winning landscape architecture practice Gustafson Porter + Bowman to win the competition to conserve and replant the historic landscape of Highgate Cemetery in North London on behalf of the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust. Jo has been working with GP+B on a strategy for the planting of site. A public consultation was made possible via an online exhibition of shortlisted proposals. Further plans for both the East and West cemeteries will now be developed and published for public consultation in late 2021.
London News
Speaking about the opportunity to be involved in the replanting of the cemetery, Jo Thompson said: “It’s such an honour to be a part of this project team, led by Neil Porter and the brilliant Gustafson Porter + Bowman practice. “As a team we are challenged to sensitively conserve the Highgate Cemetery landscape for future generations whilst remaining true to its past and this is what excites me most. We have a responsibility to the land and to the people who use it, something that
Capital Gains Camden Highline The team behind the New York High Line will now be working with the local community to create London’s own elevated park. James Corner Field Operations won the two-stage international design competition to reimagine the quarter-mile stretch of disused railway as a green walking route between Camden Town and King’s Cross. The first step for the winning team is consulting with the local community and key stakeholders to create an inclusive design plan. www.camdenhighline.com
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underpins all our projects. This is an incredible opportunity for us, and we’re looking forward to being involved at every stage of the replanting.” www.jothompson-garden-design.co.uk www.gp-b.com
At what stage are some of the most prolific projects in London? Oxford Circus Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate have unveiled plans for transforming Oxford Circus into two pedestrian-friendly piazzas which will be the subject of an international design competition launching this summer. Work is set to begin later in the year, with plans including additional planting and seating and significant public realm improvements. The project will be delivered through a phased approach, starting with the two ‘carfree’ piazzas at either end of the Circus. www.westminster.gov.uk
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NEWS NEW SUSTAINABLE LONDON LANDMARK GETS THE GO AHEAD Planning consent has been granted for the building of One Waterloo in London. Initially, HB Reavis was granted planning permission for what is presently known as Elizabeth House in October 2019. After working out agreements with Lambeth Council, the scheme is now to be known as One Waterloo and is planned to become a 123,000m2 multi-purpose destination. Located next to Waterloo Station, the development has a primary focus on health and wellbeing with an aim of adding value to the local area by creating affordable workspaces. With three acres of outdoor space, the site will include
MAYOR ANNOUNCES NEW £6M INVESTMENT TO IMPROVE GREEN SPACES The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a further £6m of fresh investment in improving green spaces across London. The £1.2m Grow Back Greener fund, with £500,000 provided by Thames Water, will offer grants to dozens of community-led projects to help more Londoners access green space in their neighbourhoods. It will focus on the most disadvantaged areas, supporting community gardens, food growing projects,
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a revitalised Victory Arch Square, Waterloo Square, and ‘The Curve’ – a pedestrian street lined with shops and cafes. HB Reavis is contributing €5.2m towards step-free access to the Underground at Waterloo Station. A 200m public garden promenade, two floors above street level,
creates a scenic path from the main station into One Waterloo. Terraces and gardens will give people opportunities to work, meet and relax. The design of One Waterloo places the site among London’s most sustainable developments. The project aims to target net zero emissions by adopting a strategy that includes a 35% reduction in energy consumption thanks to a Swedish, allelectric solution of integrated heat pumps and heat recovery. It will be fossil fuel-free and will use low carbon solutions through every project stage. There is also a plan to redirect 98.8% of demolition waste form landfill. www.hbreavis.com/en
pocket parks and cleaner waterways. Separately, the new £4m Green and Resilient Spaces Fund will support largescale green space projects. Funding will be targeted where it is most needed, using cutting-edge data, including a new climate risk mapping, that highlights where Londoners are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It will also target areas with the least access to public open space. Sadiq Khan said: “As mayor, I want London to lead the way in tackling the climate emergency and for all Londoners to have access to great green spaces close
to where they live. The new funding I am announcing today during London Climate Action Week is just the start of even more investment in green spaces, nature and projects to help tackle the climate emergency.” www.london.gov.uk
Old Oak Common Construction has commenced on Old Oak Common station in West London. It will be one of the largest transport interchanges in the country and is a key part of the HS2 development. A new neighbourhood will be created around the station, as well as a new public space which will be three times the size of Trafalgar Square. Transport secretary Grant Shapps gave the green light for the first permanent construction works on an HS2 station to begin at the end of June. www.hs2.org.uk
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NEWS
Ask the industry WHAT IMPACT WILL THE RE-ELECTION OF SADIQ KHAN HAVE ON LONDON’S GREEN AGENDA?
Marcus Watson With Sadiq Khan’s re-election as Mayor, we can expect a key policy area to be the continued drive to reduce levels of airborne pollution by managing traffic into the capital, the use of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone. In addition, whilst arguably a slow start, we can expect a continuation of the electrification of London’s buses and black cabs. This is to be welcomed but London’s environmental problems run deeper than air quality and cannot be solved by managing traffic alone. A much broader spectrum of measures are required to promote biodiversity and to tackle pollution using natural solutions. With 50% of London’s area being “green”, the Green Belt being largely protected and green initiatives supported since Khan’s first term in 2016 (tree planting, spaces made greener), we can expect much support for the wider environmental agenda. Equally though, we may continue to see a tussle between national government and City Hall about funding which may stall the progress Londoners want to see.
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Adrian Wickham Having had the opportunity to be one of Sadiq Khan's London Green Space Commissioners in 2019/2020, I experienced first-hand his commitment and the commitment of his GLA team to protecting and enhancing London's green spaces. Our recommendations have been developed under his administration and thankfully they will now be executed during his administration. Sadiq Khan has made London the world’s first Park City, and with revised environmental policies, the promise to create a “green skills academy” as well as 170,000 new green jobs, the continuity of his administration, in regards to the environment, can only be received in a positive way.
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14/07/2021 12:19
POLL
Our Survey Says We asked those working in London about changes and challenges in the capital
HOW MANY DOMESTIC PROJECTS DID YOU UNDERTAKE IN 2020?
11-15
THE TOP THREE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN LONDON ARE:
Logistics
Cost
Not exceeding budget
16-20
HAVE YOU INCREASED YOUR PRICES IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS? 38% 31%
0-5
6-10
15% 8%
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND ARTIFICIAL GRASS TO YOUR CLIENTS? Always 0% Frequently 0% Sometimes Rarely Never
23% 31% 46%
DO CLIENTS UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF GREEN SPACE?
8%
More By 1-5% By 6-10% By 11-15% than 15%
No
ALWAYS: 23%
DO CLIENTS ASK ABOUT THE PROVENANCE OF THE PRODUCTS BEING USED? Half (50%) said this was more than in 2019. 33% said it was fewer and 17% said it was no different from the previous year.
62% 8% 30% of respondents would like to see central London more pedestrianised
said no whilst
Always: 0% Frequently: 0%
FREQUENTLY: 38%
Sometimes: 46%
Rarely: 38%
SOMETIMES: 31%
said maybe
Never: 16% RARELY: 8%
NEVER: 0%
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FUTURE PROJECT
The London Resort Set to be the most sustainable global destinations in the world, The London Resort will encompass 465 hectares of theme park fun
I
t’s been dubbed the happiest place on earth, but Disneyland Paris has achieved far more tangible goals than this. According to The Economist, the attraction added €68bn to the French economy in the 25 years since opening, with the region in which the park is located, Seine-et-Marne, benefitting €22.4bn. The same report found the attraction also made €13.7bn in purchases, of which 70% were made locally and 82% were made within France, adding knock-on
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benefits to local suppliers. Now, London wants to do the same. A multi-billion-pound theme park, The London Resort will become the first European development of its kind since Disneyland Paris opened in 1992. The predicted figures certainly match up, with an estimated £50bn of gross economic activity (GVA) generated in the UK over the initial 25-year period. Located on both the banks of the River Thames and in North Kent, the economic and community benefits will be far reaching. The London Resort won’t just be making a significant contribution to the UK economy, though. It also aims to be one of the most sustainable global
destinations in the world. Thanks in part to a partnership with EDF Energy, in what is believed to be a first for the global tourism industry, the park will pursue a net zero emissions goal. “It is absolutely fundamental for us to be leaders in sustainability,” explains PY Gerbeau, chief executive of London Resort Company Holdings. “We’ve already committed to spending around £150m on remediation, habitat enhancement and providing around eight miles of footpaths and public rights of way. But since Natural England designated the area a SSSI earlier this year, it is right that we take a short extension to revise our reports and ensure they address the issues raised.”
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FUTURE PROJECT
465
HECTARES 17 MINUTES
TO LONDON The team has a clear plan of how they’ll move forward: “We have three guidelines we work to when it comes to developing attractions,” explains PY Gerbeau. “Number one is innovation. Number two is relevance – we need to consider that customers of today will not be the customers of 2024. The third is flexibility – we need to create a park that can evolve.”
WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT CUSTOMERS OF TODAY WILL NOT BE THE CUSTOMERS OF 2024 So, what can we expect from this innovative, relevant and flexible theme park? Well, some familiar characters will be making an appearance as famous content and characters from BBC, ITV Studios and Paramount Pictures are transformed into unique attractions. River, rail and road will be taken full advantage of, linking a dedicated access road to the A2 which, alongside transport facilities on the north side of the river in Tilbury, will hugely improve links to the rest of the country and even mainland Europe.
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The first phase of the project ‘Six Lands’ will open in 2024. A grand plaza will lead visitors through ‘The High Street’ full of shops, restaurants and hotels. Elsewhere, The Studios dedicates itself to the high action and gritty blockbuster features, The Woods to fables and fairy tales, The Isles to mythical beasts and adventures, The Jungle to ancient ruins, and finally The Starport to futuristic experiences and science-fiction adventures. An exclusive glimpse into ‘Base Camp’ has unveiled a land dedicated entirely to dinosaurs and unsung palaeontology heroes like Mary Anning. Though it will not be bringing dinosaurs back from extinction, they’ll be plenty of thrills – without the life-threatening danger. Plans include two roller coasters, a large multi-media stage show experience, an advanced simulator attraction, immersive fine dining and an “active dig site” where younger
BY TRAIN
OVER
6,000 CONSTRUCTION
JOBS CREATED
48,000
DIRECT, INDIRECT AND INDUCED JOBS
CREATED
BY 2038
£50BN
OF GVA
GENERATED
OVER THE FIRST
25-YEAR PERIOD
palaeontologists can discover dinosaurs. “We are building a unique, global destination and the storytelling, thrilling adventures, and environmental messaging found inside Base Camp help to reinforce that effort,” explains PY Gerbeau. Due to its designated Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) status, the team is required to make an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to obtain permission to construct and operate the project. The application has been accepted, and it’s currently under examination by the Planning Inspectorate. Only time will tell whether London can create a theme park to rival Disneyland Paris.
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INTERVIEW
grand plans The projects which come out of London are often amongst the best in the world. But what’s it actually like to create these outstanding projects? We speak to founders and directors of GRDN, Paul Duffy and Peter Robinson, about competing for work in London, sticking to price points, and the biggest challenges which come with working in the city
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What type of work do you undertake in London? Paul: Most of our work is private domestic, but we also work on a few commercial projects over the year. We are selective with the ones we engage with to suit our approach. Most of the projects we undertake are design and build. Sometimes we work with other
designers implementing their designs. Of the gardens we design, we build about 80/90%. What’s your lead time on projects? Paul: If someone reached out today, we are probably looking at booking the construction phase in for October to November.
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INTERVIEW Peter: Sometimes a client’s situation or priorities will change. We have just finished building a garden which we designed two years ago. That’s why it is important to have a forward pipeline of projects which is currently three to four months. How competitive is work in London? Paul: There are many garden design companies working in London, but I also think there is a huge amount of work out there. Since setting up three years ago,
THERE ARE MANY GARDEN DESIGN COMPANIES IN LONDON, BUT I ALSO THINK THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK OUT THERE we haven’t struggled to pick up projects. There are a lot of high-quality companies offering similar services, but we ensure our focus is on designing and implementing gardens to the highest standard. Peter: For us, it’s now looking at the next step. How do you go from doing what we are doing now – running a couple of jobs at a time to running multiple teams on site. We are still young as a company but are looking forward to the next challenge. Its about finding the right people.
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Has the skills shortage affected the company’s growth? Peter: Not as of yet, but as we grow it’ll be important to find the right people with the right skills to implement the designs we are creating. Currently being a small team, everyone is heavily involved in the design and build process, so it’s vital we bring in the right people who share our values. Paul: We are starting to look at recruitment again. Earlier this year, we brought in two people to the company who had previously been subcontracting for us. We liked the way they worked and felt it was the right decision to take them on full time. This might be an approach we use again. What’s the most challenging aspect of working in London? Paul: Logistics – a lot of the projects we design come after a renovation or extension, naturally presenting its difficulties. Peter: For around 80% of our projects the access is through the property, meaning all materials whether it be waste disposal or newly established trees are being taken through the property. The challenge is heightened in the winter months. Many of our gardens are small spaces, which come with its challenges. Every little detail needs to be considered
Company stats
Formed: February 2018 Staff: Six Projects: Private domestic, some commercial Remit: Design and build Lead time: Three months Current projects ready to begin on site: Four to six
and is integral to the overall end result. Designing a small space doesn’t necessarily mean a small budget which can be the initial perception of some clients. The attention to detail needs to be carefully considered together with the specification of materials throughout the space. Every project comes with individual challenges but this is what we enjoy. How important is it to stick to price points? Paul: We feel this is very important. We never compromise on our price and we’ve not considered lowering it. We communicate project costs from day one and are very open about the process and anticipated budgets. We like to think people come to us for our approach, style
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INTERVIEW
and experience. Peter: Every project we engage with goes through a design process which assists with working to a budget. Once a design layout is fixed, we work with the client to define different levels of intervention and specification of
[WE] ARE VERY OPEN ABOUT THE PROCESS... WE LIKE TO THINK PEOPLE COME TO US FOR OUR APPROACH, STYLE AND EXPERIENCE materials to ensure we meet with their aspirations for the space whilst aligning with their budget requirements. We feel its important to stick to our principals and price points, because cutting costs would devalue the service that we – and others – provide. How did COVID-19 affect your work in London? Paul: When everything hit, we were working on a seventh floor private roof terrace, so everything had to stop. Not only were we going through the client’s home, we were also going through the residents’ communal lobby. For six weeks work stopped on site and design work continued remotely. As
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construction was allowed to continue, we could too – whilst always ensuring that our clients were happy with the safety protocols we had put in place. Since then, we’ve had an enormous number of enquires and continuous flow of work. Peter: COVID-19 seems to have put a spotlight on garden design as more and more people spend time at home, realising the importance of their outside space. What about the current supply shortage? Paul: Typically, we would buy materials for
projects a couple of weeks before site works commenced. However, we are currently having to plan months in advance. As soon as a project is agreed, we are looking to place orders for the longer lead-time items. This is something we haven’t experienced before and therefore is presenting new challenges. We are hopeful the overall situation is resolved and the supply chain will level out over time. On the flip side, the demand for materials comes hand-in-hand with people wanting a designed garden which could be a fantastic opportunity for the industry as a whole.
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15/07/2021 16:14
INTERVIEW
Nature by Numbers Residential developer Mount Anvil is getting a head start on Biodiversity Net Gain
B
efore the Environment Bill came along, biodiversity was merely encouraged – a nice-tohave, if you will, and one which could be swept under the carpet and perhaps forgotten about. Biodiversity Net Gain is set to change this, though. New developments in England will be expected to demonstrate a 10% increase in biodiversity when it comes into effect, which could be by 2023. The Environment Bill, which includes this requirement, is expected to receive Royal Assent this
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year and a two-year transition period would follow before Biodiversity Net Gain becomes law. Developers might be tempted to bury their heads in the sand until then, but not Mount Anvil. The residential developer, based in and focused on London, has been building homes for the last 30 years and senior designer manager Nicholas Hayden is spending the next year exploring how to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain in the company’s live projects. “For a while now, we’ve been looking to incorporate and embed biodiversity features really early on in our projects, at pre-planning, because we believe in the benefits,” explains Nicholas. “What
Biodiversity Net Gain is now doing is allowing us to collect data, so we can actually prove all the good things that we’ve been trying to do for the last few years and demonstrate the gains.”
FOR A WHILE NOW, WE’VE BEEN LOOKING TO INCORPORATE AND EMBED BIODIVERSITY FEATURES REALLY EARLY ON IN OUR PROJECTS, AT PREPLANNING, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE BENEFITS
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INTERVIEW So, how exactly is Mount Anvil incorporating biodiversity? Nicholas says there are three main ways, the first of which is ‘enhancement’. This involves looking at what already exists within the site and how this can be protected and improved, as well as whether it can be connected to existing green infrastructure. The second method is by using ‘ecological features’, creating new habitats. The third – ‘ecological engagement’ – is the most important, says Nicholas. “It’s about getting the residents to connect
IT’S ABOUT GETTING THE RESIDENTS TO CONNECT AND ENGAGE WITH THE WILDLIFE AROUND THEIR HOMES with the wildlife around their homes and giving them tools to identify and support those habitats and species as long-term custodians of our developments.” Mount Anvil is trialling ecological engagement this year, running a series of workshops with existing residents on one of its estate regeneration schemes to help them identify the species which exist in their local area and to educate them as to what they can do to help biodiversity. “One exciting thing we’ve been doing is working with our residents to actually build habitats with us from waste materials from the construction site; so, creating benches which incorporate bug hotels within the gabion wall,” says Nicholas. “This helps them to take ownership of these spaces and is something we’re trying to roll out at the moment.” Community engagement is essential for longevity, says Nicholas. For Mount
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Anvil’s regeneration of the Friary Park estate in Acton in partnership with housing association Catalyst, the developer spent time with residents to learn what they would utilise if included in the scheme. Out of these discussions came the suggestion of a community garden and kitchen, which are now being included as part of the 990-home development to be known as The Verdean. The scheme will be delivered in phases, with completion set for 2027. “[Biodiversity] is becoming more and more relevant to residents,” says Nicholas. “It’s challenging in London; there are connotations of urban living meaning a concrete jungle – it doesn’t have that synergy with open spaces and an abundance of biodiversity and wildlife. We’re trying to change that mindset.” And incorporating biodiversity doesn’t need to cost the earth, so to speak. “For us, it’s about making sure we allow for those costs at the earliest point in a project. Ultimately, it’s one of the smallest numbers on the page, in terms of large-scale developments, but it’s one of the biggest benefits, so why wouldn’t we
do it? For the price, it’s invaluable to the environment, to London and to the community.” Whilst financing it might not necessarily be an issue, there are technical issues to take into account. “Quite recently, we’ve had issues with green walls due to fire constraints, and it’s the same with any interventions on the side of buildings. That’s an interesting facet we’re trying to grapple with and overcome at the moment. Safety is number one, and we don’t do anything unless it can be
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INTERVIEW demonstrated to be safe for the people who are going to be living there.” Mount Anvil is determined to include biodiversity, though. It already boasts green credentials, such as being the first residential developer to achieve Planet Mark accreditation for its scheme at Royal Eden Docks in the borough of Newham last year. It’s now working with Planet Mark to achieve this on a number of its other sites, and Biodiversity Net Gain will undoubtedly
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play a key role in this. “Biodiversity Net Gain is a minimum and, where possible, Mount Anvil will be looking to beat that,” says Nicholas. “As people get to understand how to deliver it successfully and integrate it into their projects and cost plans, the percentages will only increase. “I can see why people would say it’s a box-ticking exercise, but what it actually does is help to focus people and put it on
the agenda. We develop homes in urban locations and Biodiversity Net Gain will ultimately make improvements on a local level where we develop and on a wider scale by contributing to making London a greener place.” It might not be a legal requirement yet, but Biodiversity Net Gain is arguably already making a difference to developments – though the numbers will say for certain once it has been introduced.
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INTERVIEW
Mixed Maintenance We speak to Greenmantle’s Russell Holmstoel to find out how maintenance contracts have been changing for developments within the capital
L
eaning back from the water’s edge, the tiered buildings of Battersea Reach make a glistening frontier. A 300m riverside walk, 24-hour concierge, luxury modern apartments amongst other on-site facilities make these an attractive proposition to those looking splurge a couple of million. But you don’t have to be earning the big bucks to live in Battersea Reach. You might not be living in a penthouse with a balcony overlooking the River Thames, but you’d be part of this thriving riverside community thanks to the shared ownership and affordable rented homes which prolific property developer St George included in this award-winning development. It’s all down to Section 106 agreements made between developers and local authorities. Developers must either provide
affordable housing on sites of 10 homes or more or make a financial contribution of the same amount. This has changed the remit of grounds maintenance contracts, says Russell Holmstoel, managing director of Greenmantle, which maintains high-end properties in the affluent areas of London. “Greenmantle has been going since 1991, when there was usually a firm divide between social or affordable housing and upmarket developments. We did quite a lot of work with Camden Council, with a team set up to improve more urban and run-down council estates. They had
NOW, THE PLANNING RULES HAVE CHANGED, AND MOST NEW DEVELOPMENTS HAVE A SOCIAL ASPECT SO PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON ORDINARY SALARIES CAN AFFORD TO LIVE THERE
budgets to improve the planting and the landscaping. But this was separate to the smarter developments, which back then didn’t really have any social housing elements. We used to maintain Chelsea Harbour, for instance, which had no social housing. Now, the planning rules have changed, and most new developments have a social aspect so people who live on ordinary salaries can afford to live there.” Russell says the maintenance contracts for these developments now tend to cover the grounds for all types of housing, from the opulent to the affordable. Take Battersea Reach and St George Wharf, both of which are maintained by Greenmantle. “It’s not always
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INTERVIEW
easy to tell where the separation is – we don’t always know which blocks are which; they’re all part of the overall development” says Russell. “Sometimes, if there is a small social housing block, it will have its own private garden as well as the estate. I think this sometimes comes about because those living there tend to be younger with children, so they needed safer, separated space, but they are all treated the same in terms of the maintenance.” Occasionally, though, the social or affordable housing is handed over to a housing association, which then takes out its own maintenance contract. Has the pandemic spurred developers or housing associations to up their spend on their outdoor spaces? “People have been at home more and have realised the value of open space, especially if they live in an apartment without a balcony. As a result, most of our clients have a view to improve their gardens over the next few years. Budgets are going to be tight, but we’re talking to lots of different residents’
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groups, which have been appointed by the property developer, about improving the landscape – and also repairing some of the damage. Last year, some gardens were heavily used with lots of people visiting them, as opposed to the odd person taking their dog for a walk. There has been a bit of wear and tear which needs repairing.” But as Russell says, it can be difficult to find the funds. “Sometimes there just isn’t the budget to do what the client wants, so it’s a tricky balance between managing expectations and budgets with providing the best value for money. Some people think a few thousand pounds is an awful lot of money, but it’s not when you’re spreading it over a large area, especially in London where you have man and materials running around all day plus the costs associated with working in London.” These costs will increase further for those using older models of vehicles, due to Transport for London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expanding in October. “We’ve had to replace half the
IT’S A MASSIVE COST, AND SOME FIRMS ARE NOW SAYING IT’S NOT WORTH COMING TO LONDON – THEY’LL PROBABLY CHANGE THEIR MINDS, THOUGH. LONDON’S A BIG MARKETPLACE fleet over three years; that’s eight or nine vans each year. It’s a massive cost for companies to pay, and some firms are now saying it’s not worth coming to London – they’ll probably change their minds, though. London’s a big marketplace.” Prices may be on the up, then – and the affordable housing contracts could be set for another change too. The government is considering exempting developments as large as 40 or 50 homes from having to provide affordable housing in a bid to support smaller housebuilders and speed up developments. Could the affluent be split from the affordable once again?
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INTERVIEW
Urban playground We speak to Erect Architecture about how its making London more child-friendly, one play space at a time
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hen you think of London, images of landmarks, museums, eateries, markets and countless pubs may spring to mind. What you probably wouldn’t think of, is a children’s playground. But, with two million children and young people living in the capital, and 40% of all young Londoners overweight or obese, there’s something to be said for making the city a little less urban jungle and a little more jungle gym. Erect Architecture has recently coauthored a publication which promotes exactly this. The report titled Making London Child-Friendly sets out how we can think differently about the built environment and its effect on how young
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people develop and behave. As a result, it hopes to make London more child-friendly, moving away from ‘play provision’ and towards an urban environment that puts children and young people first. After all, “a London that works well for children and young people will be a London that works well for all of us,” explains Barbara Kaucky, founding director of Erect Architecture. Much of this publication explores the importance of independent mobility – the freedom children have to occupy and move around the public realm without adult supervision. It’s an important part of child development but it’s something which has been on the decline over the years. Change, according to the report, will come from policy and design. Policy encourages a proportion of local authorities budgets to be dedicated to improving children’s infrastructure, a more compact distribution of children’s
amenities away from major roads, and street closures as well as School Streets and Play Streets. Design focuses on engagement with the interest and views of children. “You need to work from the bottom up, and in order to do that you have to engage with children to understand their needs,” explains Barbara, This focus can be seen in Erect Architecture’s award-winning play space in Holland Park in Kensington. The park itself has been home to a play space for decades, Erect Architecture’s design adding another evolution of Holland Park. Before, the site was aged and uninspired; after, it was a playful and imaginative space truly embedded into the landscape. One of the biggest inspirations was water. The site had numerous issues with flooding, so the topography was made more dramatic and now water is collected in swales and channels which the children can play in.
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INTERVIEW
The play equipment is all bespoke, made from durable hardwoods, On the other end of the scale, Woodhouse Urban Park had a much smaller budget but no less of an impact. Part of the urban regeneration taking place in South Kilburn, a large housing estate in Brent, this play space was very much for the residents to take ownership of. Though it’s a neighbourhood park, the focus was less on play and more in intergenerational needs. Play elements like the ‘Beanpole’ structure, a clatter bridge and a ‘Giant Tree’ structure are scattered about with exercise features and large grass areas woven in. Though Woodhouse Urban Park and Holland Park Playground are worlds apart, the two have become invaluable to their subsequent communities. The very fact that they are different though, is testament to the site-specific nature of Erect Architecture’s designs. “We start every project by taking a step back to experience the site and ground ourselves in it. This way, we can make it something that people can connect with and that heightens the surroundings.” Another crucial part to Erect Architecture’s projects is inclusion. “We think about those who are less empowered, less able,” explains Barbara,
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“Our play spaces permit all number of activities for all, ensuring movement through the site is safe but still exciting and full of enchantment. Both Holland Park Playground and Woodhouse Urban Park are exemplary examples of bespoke, natural play. It’s a trend which was sparked back in 2008 when the Play Strategy confirmed that £235m would be distributed across 152 local authorities. Finally, they had the
OUR PLAY SPACES PERMIT ALL NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES FOR ALL, ENSURING MOVEMENT THROUGH THE SITE IS SAFE BUT STILL EXCITING resources to create enjoyable, safe and stimulating play opportunities within local communities – there was an energy and a determination. But this came to a halt when the financial crisis hit. “Susanne and I have been working together since 2003. There were times when all we did were play projects, but at the moment it’s 50/50,” explains Barbara, “funding has changed and so have our projects. Bespoke, site specific play spaces
have become less popular too, as finances are tight and maintenance is perceived as more challenging.” But something which was entirely unexpected might change this for the better – COVID-19. “The practicalities of creating safe but stimulating play spaces are essentially quite basic, but there has been a huge step away from bespoke play spaces,” explains Barbara, “COVID-19 could change this as we’ve witnessed how important green space is for absolutely every Londoner. I hope this creates a total step change on how these spaces are maintained, with less focus on cost and more on benefit.” The worldwide lockdowns have aided another key goal on the way to making London more child-friendly as we saw cars disappear from our roads. “Enhancing independent mobility for children is about curtailing the dominance of cars and creating pedestrian friendly environments,” explains Barbara, “COVID-19 has been an catalyst for that. We can see it’s slowly being implemented, but it can’t go fast enough.” Indeed, if these post-lockdown changes continue to come to fruition we may see the face of our capital continue to change for the children. After all, as Barbara states, a London for children may very well be a London for everyone.
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LOCAL AUTHORITY
Wandsworth in motion We’ve seen councils up and down the country commit to pretty ambitious climate change targets, but how do these commitments look when it comes to our capital? We explore Wandsworth to find out how it’s working towards becoming London’s greenest borough council
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cientists first warned of their concerns about a ‘greenhouse effect’ in 1965. Since, there’s been a number of momentous moments
Location: Southwest London
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for the climate change movement. But it’s perhaps fair to say that in recent years in particular, it’s become unrelenting. IPCC publications, The Paris Summit, public awareness and a demand for action have ignited an ambition and a determination in organisations to set concrete goals, and our councils are no different. Home to Clapham Junction, the first public railway and more than 325,000 residents, Wandsworth spreads over 3,522 hectares. Though it’s London’s ninth largest, Wandsworth is one of its greenest boroughs, with 40% of its land taken up by parks, commons, green spaces and gardens. But Wandsworth has even bigger goals. By 2030, it aims to be the greenest council in inner London too. There’s no denying the resource strain Wandsworth is facing – an issue mirrored not only throughout the capital but also the country – but it is hugely aware of its role and the power it has to sway the climate change fight, so spending in this area is no longer a nice to have but a must. As an organisation it aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, despite the numerous challenges. It has allocated £5m to projects supporting
Size: 3,522 hectares
Population: 332,524
this achievement, purchased 100% green electricity and embedded environmental and sustainability aims across the Council. These are no empty goals, with
IT AIMS TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2030, DESPITE THE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES. IT HAS ALLOCATED £5M TO PROJECTS SUPPORTING THIS ACHIEVEMENT Wandsworth working towards a Gold Level Carbon Literate Organisation, an accreditation given by The Carbon Literacy Project to an organisation when developing and delivering low carbon behaviour. Wandsworth isn’t just setting a good example though; it wants to bring the whole borough along with it. As an organisation it has aims to drastically reduce the amount of waste it produces, but it has also made steps to educate residents and businesses about reducing, reusing and recycling in their everyday lives. To date, the council has invested over £250,000 in solar cells which have collectively produced over 480,000kWh in energy and saving 15,000t of CO2 in emissions, with more to come. Green space: 40% or 1,700 acres
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LOCAL AUTHORITY Wandsworth has plans to improve its fleet by moving to electric and other renewable fuel sources. In fact, Wandsworth aims to become the easiest place in the country to have an electric car by drastically improving its electric vehicle infrastructure. In total, it has invested over £200,000 on electric charging points equating to 594 publicly available charging points – the second highest number of charging points in the country – with even more installations planned for later this year. These numbers easily outscore some of our biggest cities; Liverpool has 135, Leeds 212 and Cardiff just 55. Alongside this, it is also encouraging a shift in residents transport choices by encouraging micro-mobility – car sharing, electric scooters and cargo bikes. With 20% of the borough taken up by domestic gardens, Wandsworth is also encouraging its residents to make positive contributions to biodiversity on their doorstep. This includes education about priority species, what benefits them, and good gardening for wildlife in general. Recognition will come in the form of awards such as London in Bloom ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ which focusses on community participation and in turn may encourage ownership and pride. Certainly, as the public have engaged more on climate issues, Wandsworth has noticed a huge willingness from its residents and businesses to work with the council to achieve, not only its climate change goals, but also its strides in protecting the unique character of each part of the borough. Of course, this unique character will get a green facelift too. Though it is already home to 1,600 different species including Properties managed: 33,000
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Parks: 34
Private domestic gardens: 716 hectares (or 20%)
EV charging points: 594
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LOCAL AUTHORITY rare peregrine falcons, black redstarts and stag beetles, Wandsworth recognises it can do more for biodiversity. Its trees and woodlands will play a huge part in this. Funded by the Friends of Wandsworth Common, a recently created ‘mini forest’ made up of 100 whips of native tree and shrub species along with plug plants of native wildflowers is now playing an important role in ‘joining up’ the existing scrub and woodland habitat belt. It’s important to Wandsworth that it’s planting the right trees in the right places. A dedicated team of arboricultural officers oversee its tree planting programme, with a policy of mainly planting indigenous species to reinforce the local character and enhance biodiversity. Alongside these native species are 50 cherry trees from the British Japanese society decorating King George’s Park. Wandsworth’s shrubs are also helping improve air pollution, as a bus stop in St Marks recently gained an instant and wildlife hedge to do just that. Though it has been proven that nature does positively reduce air pollution – according to Defra, UK vegetation is estimated to remove 1,354 ktonnes of PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and O3, with an annual value of £1
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billion – Wandsworth has an additional solution called City Tree. These filter particulate matter and fine dust out of the surrounding air, while simultaneously purifying and cooling the air. Every single hour, it filters the volume of air breathes by up to 7,000 people. One of the first local authorities able to trial this technology, initial data suggests that its first ten weeks of operation, the pioneering device purified 1.3 million cubic metres of air. Though for now Wandsworth’s City Tree will remain purely in Putney, it isn’t ruling out installing these throughout the borough. The redevelopment of Wandsworth also includes its many green spaces. As one of London’s greenest boroughs, Wandsworth boasts 35 parks, eight allotments and five cemeteries amounting to 1,700 acres of green space. 42 new acres of park are about to join this total, though, as the first new public parks in London since the Olympics are developed. One will sit at the heart of a new ‘Springfield Village’ which will become a mixed-use community for both the adjacent Springfield University Hospital as well as residential neighbours. The other linear park will run from Vauxhall Bridge
to Battersea Power Station, with the hopes that this format can be replicated across the borough in subsequent years.
THOUGH FOR NOW WANDSWORTH’S CITY TREE WILL REMAIN PURELY IN PUTNEY, IT ISN’T RULING OUT INSTALLING THESE THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH Indeed, just like the climate change movement, Wandsworth’s environmental changes seem unstoppable – and it feels as though its only just getting started. Our local authorities are not just tackling climate change but also resource constraints, and demographic growth increasing demand for services. But Wandsworth understands its responsibility to London and to the world. It even wants to bring every other council along with it, as it works on a council-wide approach to climate change – watch this space. It seems for Wandsworth, it’s go green or go home.
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FEATURE
AMAFFI Garden CHELSEA AND WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL
On 22 May 2020, a brand-new garden was unveiled for the hardworking NHS staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital with planting at its heart
A
s a huge thanks to the efforts of our NHS heroes, the team at Butterworth Horticulture in collaboration with AMAFFI
Perfume House (who funded the entire project), RHS and Form Plants, gifted a show quality garden to the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The team had three days to complete the monumental task of transforming what was previously quite a sad looking site into a space which would invite and relax the courageous hospital staff. Over 900 plants
were used on site; previously destined for RHS Chelsea Flower Show, they have now been put to even better use, honouring the hospital’s patients. Designers Jamie Butterworth and Dario Pizzi wanted the planting to create a calming space. The 250m2 site centres around scented topiary domes alongside multi-stem trees including Cornus, Medlars and Viburnum. This tree canopy had underplanting
Generous donations:
Project funding AMAFFI Perfume House www.amaffi.com Decking London Stone www.londonstone.co.uk Pots Torcpots www.torcpots.com Benches Indian Ocean www.indian-ocean.co.uk Plants Form Plants www.formplants.com
All images ©AMAFFI Garden Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
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which includes roses, iris, alliums, lupins and salvia. Particular species include Allium caeruleum, Geum ‘Prinses Juliana’,
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Astrantia major ‘Alba’ and Salvia ‘Caradonna’. Elsewhere, Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’ sits in large, dark pots while Allium ‘Mont Blanc’, Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, Geranium phaeum ‘Album’, Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’, Salvia ‘Ostfriesland’ and the tree Prunus ‘Accolade’ sit in white pots. Managing director of Form Plants, Jamie Butterworth, says: “I have been so moved by the heroic efforts of the hospital staff to save lives in this heart-breaking time.
“A year after creating the AMAFFI garden at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to now make space
OVER 900 PLANTS WERE USED ON SITE; PREVIOUSLY DESTINED FOR RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW for 900 new plants is a deeply moving experience. Each plant represents a life lost and the process of bedding each one into the earth has been a sobering and deeply mindful experience.” The grand opening took place in May 2020, and some familiar faces have graced the hospital since the unveiling. Recently, HRH The Prince of Wales was accompanied by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on a visit to mark the 900 new plants planted in memory of those who died of coronavirus.
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FEATURE
Introducing 15-minute cities Could 15-minute cities improve our health and wellbeing? Gillespies’ Sheena Bell explains how she has long been incorporating the concept into developments and the difference it can make
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besity continues to thwart the nation. From April 2018 to the end of December 2019, 11,117 hospital admissions in England were directly attributed to obesity, according to the NHS. It’s no
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wonder when 26% of men and 29% of women were considered obese at the time, and the pandemic is unlikely to have helped these statistics. Most worryingly, perhaps, is that 20% of Year 6 children were classified as obese too, and they were predominantly from the most deprived areas. Could landscape play a role in changing this, though? Four years before a global pandemic forced everyone to embrace localism, scientist Carlos Moreno published the concept of ’15-minute cities’. The idea was simple: residents should be able to access all key facilities within a quarter
of an hour by walking, cycling or public transport. Not only would this potentially help to tackle an obesity crisis but there could be environmental benefits too, meaning air pollution would – hopefully – take a tumble. Moreno might have formalised the principle in 2016, but the concept was nothing new to urban planners. “We were working on Ebbsfleet back in 2004, and this concept was underpinning the way in which we were masterplanning and setting up the landscape strategy for that development, for instance,” says Sheena Bell, associate partner at Gillespies and
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an expert on the government’s High Street Task Force. “It’s about having a fairly compact development focused around a neighbourhood centre where you can get to all the facilities you need without really using cars. In reality, a lot of existing cities kind of work like that – they’re quite large cities but they
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have districts within them which have neighbourhood centres.” London isn’t quite hitting the mark, though. Arup’s City Living Barometer published in 2020 found London to be a 23.5-minute city when it surveyed more than 5,000 residents across five major European cities. Nearly half of Londoners (47%) said amenities were too far away and, compared with the other four cities in the study, it had the highest number of people who were considering leaving at 59%. Fortunately, there’s massive opportunity with new developments, says Sheena, whose work has largely been planning new communities, often on the edges of cities, such as Ebbsfleet in Kent. “What you’re trying to do is create a network of open space so you can step out of your door into a high quality network of tree-lined
streets and open space that connect you to the facilities that you need on a day-to-day basis. “Often, when I’m working on a new community, I’ll think about my own neighbourhood. What works? I can get to the school in five minutes, my children can cycle to their secondary school, we can walk to the town centre and to restaurants. We don’t need a car for any of those local journeys. Then I consider what doesn’t work; we have to cross a busy road to get to the school, and there isn’t the infrastructure to cycle to the playing fields at the south of the town centre, you have to cycle through the town centre, which you can’t do with a chain of children in tow. So, we want to be providing safe ways for people to get to those amenities.” So, the 15-minute city concept could aid health and wellbeing, the environment and the safety of residents. “And it’s also about lifestyle, having time back on your hands to do other things. If you’re older and you can’t drive anymore, you have
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FEATURE these facilities on your doorstep. With the new communities we’re designing, we are
THE 15-MINUTE CITY CONCEPT COULD AID HEALTH AND WELLBEING, THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS prioritising enhanced bus networks so that everybody is within a short walk of a bus stop. So, it encourages everybody away from cars and to more active forms of transport.” This doesn’t mean the developments are car-free, though; they prioritise pedestrians, which Sheena says ties in with Transport for London’s Healthy Streets initiative, aimed at encouraging Londoners to use cars less and opt for walking, cycling or public transport instead by improving streets across the capital. It’s not just London with the potential for change, though. Sheena is working on a sustainable new community called Eddington in Cambridge. AECOM created the masterplan and Gillespies has come into work on the second phase of the project. “The first phase had the neighbourhood centre, the supermarket, the shops and the nursery, so when people moved in immediately, they had the infrastructure available. There is car circulation through but
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it’s quite convoluted. A green street called ‘the Ridgeway’ runs through the new neighbourhood just for cycling and walking, connecting you into the centre of Eddington and then into the city of Cambridge. “The site slopes down towards ecological parklands, which act as a buffer against the motorway but there’s also a stream which runs through it. Green corridors with swales lead down into the parkland. A couple of them double up with the road network, but we’re actively traffic calming. Everyone can access car-free space and cycle parking is prioritised.”
Eddington may be pioneering in it’s approach, and new developments in the future are likely to follow the 15-minute concept. “The pandemic has basically heightened what everybody already knew – that we like to live on tree-lined streets, have access to nature and parks, and local amenities,” says Sheena. “It slowed everybody down and made them see the value in these. It also massively heightened the difference between those who had access to green space and could just step out their doors to do a mile-long walk in a pleasant environment or who had a garden to those living in a tower block with really poor access to open space.” Encouraging communities to have more active lifestyles through 15-minute cities is a chance to address this. But are there any downsides to having everything at arm’s reach? “I don’t think so, but I suppose it’s more compact,” considers Sheena. “You’ll have less low-density housing; detached houses with large gardens don’t work well within 15-minute neighbourhoods because there wouldn’t be enough people to support the services. But on the plus side, you’re using less land, being more efficient with land use, and keeping more of the countryside undeveloped if you do it well.” It’s hard to argue against the value of having 15-minute cities, and with the nation’s ongoing obesity crisis, it could build healthier and happier places to live, not just in London but across the UK.
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FEATURE
Industrial Revolution Battersea Power Station is undergoing a multi-billion-pound overhaul whilst retaining the site’s history
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ou’d be forgiven if the first image which came to mind when reading ‘power station’ was not of vast green spaces. Grey, towering chimneys puffing plumes of black smoke would perhaps be more likely, and Battersea Power Station used to be exactly that. Supplying power to London for around five decades, the Power Station became an iconic landmark, even appearing on a Pink Floyd album cover before it ceased operating in 1983. The Grade II* building stood derelict for nearly 30 years before it was purchased by its current shareholders – and they had a vision. Rather than flocks of workers turning up for their shift, they saw diners enjoying coffees outside cafes, of residents arriving at their plush apartments which overlook the River Thames, of shoppers browsing the windows of prolific brands. And, most importantly, they saw
opportunities to green the 42-acre former brownfield site. “Open spaces have always been a big consideration for us,” says Sarah Banham, head of community and sustainability at the Battersea Power Station Development Company. “We are providing more than 19 acres of public space, including a six-acre park in front of the Power Station, opening up this part of the riverfront to the public for the first time ever. “Our aim is to create a place where people want to live, work, play and come together as a community. Providing green space for people in an urban environment is key to achieving this and it is also extremely important for people’s wellbeing in the busy world that we live in, as it offers them a space to relax and recharge.” With public realm playing such an important role, LDA Design was brought on board right from the start to lead on the design of all external spaces. Director Benjamin Walker says early involvement, from even before the first reserved matters application for the first phase, has allowed
the team to carry contextual references right the way through the design. “The detailing has been important and the industrial look of the Power Station a driver for key elements within the public
OUR AIM IS TO CREATE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, WORK, PLAY AND COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. realm,” says Benjamin. “From the bespoke Thames balustrade with metal work that echoes the art deco of the Power Station’s Control Room A to the black monolithic finish of the riverfront bleachers which pick up on the coal that powered the station to the Corten steel information panels, we have tried to keep references to the industrial heritage subtle and thoughtful.” ‘Don’t do ordinary’ is the rule LDA has been working by, says Benjamin. “This was always about creating a significant new
©John Sturrock
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FEATURE piece of the city that was properly stitched into the wider neighbourhood, so the public realm was critical and so much more than just the spaces between the buildings. “The entire project team thought about every detail to create that sense of belonging and connection, with spaces that enable people to gather and have fun together, as well as places for people to enjoy quieter moments. We have developed planting schemes that are not the norm; they embrace seasonality, colour and the rugged aesthetic of the Power Station.” Delivering an out-of-the-ordinary project requires new ideas, which LDA Design fortunately has in abundance. These include spinning seats which allow users to face the river, the Power Station or “chase the sun”, as Benjamin puts it. To deliver its unique design, LDA Design chose prolific contractor Maylim for its “raw enthusiasm”. “Projects like this are hard,” notes Benjamin. “They need extra determination when you are developing bespoke details for pretty much every element of the scheme. Unless the contracting team shares that passion and commitment, then it will never work.” Once complete, over 25,000 people will be living and working at this £9bn mixed-use development, with the first phase – Circus West Village – having been completed in 2017, welcoming more than 1,500 residents and offering a range of new facilities. The Coaling Jetty, a Grade II*
listed jetty on the River Thames, opened to the public in 2019 and has been key to an annual events programme since, including
THE EVENTS OF THE PANDEMIC HAVE HEIGHTENED THE DEMAND AMONGST HOMEBUYERS FOR MORE GREEN AND OPEN SPACE WITH THE INCREASED FOCUS ON WELLBEING a Winter Village and an outdoor cinema and Summer Showtime on The Coaling Jetty between 17 July and 30 August 2021. This year will be the most transformational year yet, though, says Sarah. “We recently welcomed the first residents to their homes in the Grade II* listed Power Station, following the completion of the first major element of the building, Switch House West. Our retailer and office occupiers will begin fitting out their spaces later this year. Another exciting milestone will be the opening of the Zone 1 Battersea Power Station Underground Station in the autumn.” For the green space, it’s the opening of the riverfront park in front of the Power Station which is next on the list, followed by the Battersea Roof Gardens, designed by LDA Design and James Corner Field
©Richard Hanson
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Operations, which will be opening as part of the third phase of the development. “We will also see the sinuous lines and beautiful forms coming through for Electric Boulevard, the new high street which runs from the south of the Power Station between the Frank Gehry designed Prospect Place and Foster + Partners’ Battersea Roof Gardens,” explains Benjamin. “Only a month ago, I went to approve the benchmark samples of our wonderfully complicated island planters, seats and integrated wayfinding and they are going to be pretty special. Perhaps most excitingly, we have the delivery of the Prospect Park play area.” The raft of landscaped areas were already likely to play a key role in attracting residents and visitors, but possibly more so following a series of lockdowns in the UK. “The events of the pandemic have heightened the demand amongst homebuyers for more green and open space with the increased focus on wellbeing,” says Sarah. “Battersea Power Station is already well-positioned to cater to this demand with many of the apartments featuring winter gardens, private roof terraces and balconies, whilst others have access to shared communal gardens and resident lounges. It is undoubtedly one of the most impressive developments the capital has seen, seamlessly blending a prominent part of London’s history with a new neighbourhood which is bound to act as an exemplar for future schemes.
©Brendan Bell
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PORTFOLIO 1
Rooftop hideaway STOCKWELL ROOF TERRACE • GARDEN CLUB LONDON
I
- LOCATED IN STOCKWELL -
t’s one of the biggest draws of a roof garden – the view. This wrap around terrace in Stockwell certainly has that, but previously it had little else. The space was empty, with the developers’ choice of a hard-wearing composite decking stark.
Enter Garden Club London. Its clients are keen gardeners and wanted lots of greenery as well as flowers that could be cut for decorating inside the relatively newly built penthouse. For entertaining, Garden Club London’s clients asked for a comfortable sofa area and a dining area,
Project Value: £50k excluding decking Build Time: 3 weeks Size of Project: 185m2 Designer: Tony Woods Contractor: Garden Club London
All images ©Joanna Kossak
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PORTFOLIO 1
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PORTFOLIO 1 with plants and screening to break the wind. An outdoor shower was also on the client’s wish list – because, why not? Design/build The clients wanted to make the most of nearly all the views from the terrace. Some slightly more unsightly views were screened with denser areas, while the more breathtaking sights were made the most of with low planting. Ornamental planting was used in both the comfortable seating and dining areas, while a vegetable and herb garden were
ORNAMENTAL PLANTING WAS USED IN BOTH THE COMFORTABLE SEATING AND DINING AREAS, WHILE A VEGETABLE AND HERB GARDEN WERE DEVELOPED FOR HOME GROWN PRODUCE developed for home grown produce. To further support the implementation of planting, contemporary arches zone the space and provide support for plants. These were custom made as were all of the planters. Varying in height and depth these provide interest and break up the thin linear look of the decking. The bleak decking installed by the developer was certainly a challenge. Although replacing the decking was not an option, Garden Club London replaced the soft wood boundaries for Iroko in a more contemporary finish which instantly transformed the boundaries. Some sections of the deck were lifted to allow irrigation pipe and water supplies to be fed around the terrace. Indeed, Garden Club London’s other work
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included co-ordinating water and electric for a new irrigation system and the shower as well as a lighting design. Challenges As with all of Garden Club London’s roof garden designs it calculated the weights of all planters and features so that they could be checked and signed off by a structural engineer and the properties management company. All of the plants had to be wind tolerant, and a screen of evergreen Jasmine was given additional ground fixings and support posts to ensure it was secure and wouldn’t be damaged. Access was very difficult as Garden Club London couldn’t use a crane or lift. Because of this, all of the planters and materials had to be carried by hand to the top floor – a time consuming and tiring job.
REFERENCES Planters Cedar Nursery www.landscaping.co.uk Arches Harrod Horticultural www.harrodhorticultural.com Plants Evergreen Exterior www.evergreenext.co.uk North Hill Nurseries www.northhillnurseries.co.uk Timber Champion Timber www.championtimber.com
COMPANY PROFILE Garden Club London is a multi-awardwinning urban landscape design and build business based in Vauxhall including BALI principal and special awards for the exceptional standard of work delivered. The company offers garden and roof terrace design and build with an inhouse team of landscape architects, designers, contract and project managers, landscapers and horticulturists.
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PORTFOLIO 2
Making a splash ELEPHANT PARK • GILLESPIES
- LOCATED IN ELEPHANT AND CASTLE -
All images ©John Sturrock/Gillespies
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PORTFOLIO 2
W
ith the enormous amount of investment being ploughed into Elephant and Castle, it seems an old nickname may make a resurgence – Piccadilly of the South. Part of this redevelopment, Elephant Park, will see Southwark Council and Lendlease deliver a £2.3bn regeneration programme on 28 acres of land right at the heart of Elephant and Castle.
THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE CONNECTED BY 11 ACRES OF PUBLIC REALM INCLUDING OPEN GREEN SPACES, PRIVATE GARDENS AND TREE-LINED STREETS
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Delivering 3,000 new sustainable homes alongside high-quality workspaces, shops, cafes and restaurants, this development will also be connected by 11 acres of public realm including open green spaces, private gardens and treelined streets. Its centrepiece is a two-acre landmark community park, Elephant Park, home to the impressive Elephant Springs water feature.
said: “The space has been inspired by feedback from the community and our commitment to sustainable outcomes to create a unique natural environment that will delight people of all ages. In this post-COVID-19 world, being outdoors has become more important than ever before, and we’re proud to have created a green oasis for everyone to enjoy and hope the community will be proud of it too.”
Brief The brief given to Gillespies called for a highly sustainable, multifunctional public space which would deliver a rich spectrum of beautiful and highly sustainable spaces for the community to enjoy. Most of all, the park needed to be the: “heart and jewel in the crown of the development”. Lendlease’s project director for Elephant Park, Kristy Lansdown,
Design and build Alongside sustainability, health and wellbeing was placed at the heart of the landscape narrative and every part of the project was designed with biodiversity in mind – from the grass and trees specified to the bat and bird boxes that sit within
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PORTFOLIO 2 the naturalistic rain gardens that will reduce flooding and attract a plethora of wildlife to the area. Collaborating with Mel Chantrey of Fountain Workshop, the imaginative watery landscape is constructed of highquality Porphyry stone sourced from a quarry in the Albiano region of Italy. The colourful stone is layered to mimic 2.3-metrehigh rocky outcrops and completed with water streams, pumps and activated jets that provide children with an opportunity to play, learn and get lost in the wonder of nature and water. But Elephant Park won’t just be a place for children. It has been designed to offer a playing and playful space for adults too – after all, it’s not just children who need to reconnect with nature. The project came together across two phases, due to Lendlease’s commitment to delivering unparalleled and immediate access to healthy and inclusive green
THE IMAGINATIVE WATERY LANDSCAPE IS CONSTRUCTED OF HIGHQUALITY PORPHYRY STONE SOURCED FROM A QUARRY IN THE ALBIANO REGION OF ITALY spaces. Phase one opened to the public in August 2017. Though this was a small space, it was well-crafted and offered the community temporary play features, lawn spaces, trees, and pocket gardens, providing plenty of opportunities for play, walking, exercise, socialising, as well as relaxation. Gillespies’ partner for Elephant Park, Armel Mourgue, said: “Our landscape-led
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approach created very early on a destination for relaxing walks, playful times and essential human interaction. The new phase will see all these activities expand into a much larger park, where unforgettable moments of play and water are revealed amongst a landscape of rain gardens, pockets of lawns and groups of existing and new trees.” The now completed second phase increased the amount of green space through additional lawns, pockets of vibrant planting, trees, and natural play areas. A network of accessible paths direct people around the edges of the space, with areas of open seating and swathes of rain gardens for them to explore. Cafes and restaurants positioned around the garden define the park and bring it to life. A legacy and living memory of the former Heygate Estate, the mature trees were a hugely important part of Elephant Park. Home to 19 new trees and 27 existing mature trees, one mature tree was even expertly lifted and relocated.
Challenges A key challenge for developing the concept for Elephant Park was to provide significant play value, which felt part of the landscape of the park and was also beautiful and useable when not being used for play. Gillespies achieved this by providing the play via water and sand, which offers great value for imaginative and interactive play. Integrating these into a stylised rock feature allowed them to feel part of the overall landscape of the park. There is inherent value in some risk in play, and through a risk/benefit analysis, the play feature was assessed, and the design adjusted to mitigate dangerous risks. RoSPA was consulted through the design process, during construction and at completion. Constructing the new park, including Elephant Springs, required careful planning and design to ensure the existing trees were not harmed by the construction or when the park is in use. This required detailed survey work and trenches to assess root positions and adjustments of designs to prevent damage to the roots. During design and construction, Treeworks Environmental Practice provided expert input on the impacts on the existing trees.
COMPANY PROFILE Gillespies works with clients and partners to deliver transformative landscape design, urban design, masterplanning and landscape planning. The team of 140 people help clients and partners create and transform places to offer real meaning and value to the people who will use them. From the smallest community park or rooftop garden to an entire city-wide masterplan, Gillespies set out to create inspirational spaces with a purpose: to make people’s lives measurably better.
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PORTFOLIO 2 REFERENCES Landscape architect/lead designer Gillespies www.gillespies.co.uk Engineer Buro Happold www.burohappold.com Water feature designer The Fountain Workshop www.fountains.co.uk Lighting designer Speirs and Major www.smlightarchitecture.com Arboriculturalist Treework Environmental Practice www.treeworks.co.uk Stone paving and water feature Hardscape www.hardscape.co.uk Self-binding gravel and other aggregates CED Stone www.cedstone.co.uk Play sand Bourne Amenity www.bourneamenity.co.uk Bespoke seating Woodscape www.woodscape.co.uk Seating Streetlife www.streetlife.nl/us Turf Wildflower Turf Ltd www.wildflowerturf.co.uk Plants Robin Tacchi plants www.robintacchiplants.com Trees Hillier www.hillier.co.uk
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PORTFOLIO 3
all-out luxury
HADLEY WOOD OUTDOOR KITCHEN • TECTONIC - LOCATED IN THE LONDON BOROUGH OF ENFIELD -
Project Value: £19,812 Build Time: 2 months Awards: Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT Awards 2019, Special Feature Under £20,000 Shortlist
T
he existing house and gardens at this site had been demolished, making way for a new four-storey luxury property and a garden to match. A key part of the rear garden design, which the clients specifically requested, was a BBQ area for cooking, dining and entertaining their family. The concept was further developed by designing a modern, bespoke, fully equipped outdoor kitchen area, which spatially related to the position of the kitchen within the house.
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Build Detailed construction drawings were fashioned for the structural steel frame, used to create a strong yet lightweight structure. Timber joints were suspended from the steel frame to create the roof which was made watertight with a GRP resin roof and edges clad in powder coated aluminium. Toscana Latte porcelain paving was laid across the new patio area and around the garden to create a clean crisp landscaping material which echoed the
porcelain slabs from inside the house, outwards into the garden. The kitchen units were constructed in stainless steel in order to be resilient to the elements. The kitchen included a sink with a hands-free tap sensor, stainless steel kitchen units, integrated fridge and freezer, a donner machine and a standalone island housing a charcoal barbeque, with an extractor hood and fan above, suspended from the cantilevered structure. This was to ensure that line of sight was retained from the internal kitchen within
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PORTFOLIO 3 the house through the external kitchen and into the garden. The lawn was a must for the clients, as was having step-free access. To suit this, the existing site was excavated down by over one metre to achieve this. Planting Evergreen structural planting such as Griselinia littoralis flank both sides of the garden. Ilex crenata ‘Dark Green’, Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’, bamboos and Magnolia grandiflora have been used to unify the design and add winter structure. Herbaceous perennials and grasses have also been used
A LOW-LEVEL HERB BED HAS BEEN CREATED ADJACENT TO THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN, ALLOWING THE USE OF HERBS WHILST COOKING. A LARGE OLIVE TREE HAS BEEN USED, CREATING A CENTRE POINT WITHIN THE PATIO AREA to soften the straight lines of the design and provide a relaxed modern feel. The gently sloping pathway to the left of the garden leads to the rear garden room and greenhouse and this is punctuated with raised planters that are reflected in the five large Magnolia grandiflora on the opposite side of the lawn. The planting was set up on a grid to echo the carefully detailed setting out of paving and raised planters. Three large Phyllostachys nigra were planted to create a visual buffer between the outdoor seating area, privacy from the first-floor master bedroom balcony and to create a defined journey through the garden. A low-level herb bed has been created adjacent to the outdoor kitchen, allowing the use of herbs whilst cooking. A large olive tree has been used, creating a centre point within the patio area, defining the living, dining and cooking areas. Challenges The cantilevered roof over the BBQ area needed to be stable, take the load of its own weight, but also that of a future green
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PORTFOLIO 3 roof and additional load from rain and snow that it would accumulate in the harsher weather conditions. To ensure the rigidity of the roof, structural calculations and detailed drawings were finalised and the steel frame structure with a floating canopy was constructed. Once the structure was erected, it was discovered that there was still a degree of movement in the cantilevered structure. Remedial action was successfully taken to strengthen the structure further by adding steelwork tied into the reinforced concrete retaining walls. Excavating the site down by over one metre resulted in a plethora of challenges with the clay sub soil. These were resolved by improving soil structure with large quantities of organic manure, horticultural grit and conditioner, along with the addition of drainage channels across the entire site.
BEFORE DURING REFERENCES Outdoor kitchen and garden building – bespoke design and installation Tectonic www.tectonicUK.co.uk Structural steelwork, stainless steel kitchen units, suspended extractor fan Tectonic (design and detailing) www.tectonicUK.co.uk Archway Sheet Metal Work Ltd (supply and installation) www.archwaysm.com Toscana Latte porcelain paving Global Stone Landscaping Supplies www.globalstonepaving.co.uk
COMPANY PROFILE Tectonic is an award-winning landscape, architecture and garden design company specialising in High End bespoke projects within the residential and commercial sectors throughout the UK and internationally. With its roots stemming from architectural design, focusing on the philosophy of designing to the exact client requirements, it undertake projects with the highest level of care and detailing, focusing on the relationship between the architecture and its surroundings within the landscape to produce beautiful and atmospheric gardens beyond its clients’ expectations.
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Furniture Westminster www.westminsteroutdoorliving.com Pure Greenhouses Ltd www.puregreenhouse.co.uk Custom designed and built granite dining table Tectonic www.tectonicUK.co.uk Outdoor lighting installation Visibility Lighting & Design www.visibility-lighting.co.uk Discrete sound system Electricus Audio Visual www.eav-way.co.uk
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Bourne Amenity, proudly putting nature back into our cities. The Green agenda has never been so relevant as we move past the worst of the pandemic and look to a healthy future. Injecting life and greenery g back into the urban environment is key to giving people a space to unwind and connect with nature, along with providing open spaces for people to exercise and enjoy. Our clients are a using innovation and endeavour to create amazing green spaces throughout our towns and cities, and we are proud to support them with our full range of bespoke soils, substrates and composts.
bourneamenity.co.uk 01797252299
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COMPANY PROFILE
Bourne Amenity WORKING IN LONDON Jonathan Bourne, sales director at Bourne Amenity, shares the company’s experience of supplying to the capital over the last year and how working in London could change going forward. Was demand in the capital impacted by the pandemic last year? Given that the majority of landscaping sites in central London are part of larger scale civils projects, there was a lull around March/April when the most sites were closed due to COVID-19. Once the sites re-opened it was business as usual and we quickly saw any losses made in April returned two-fold throughout the rest of 2020.
What have been the biggest challenges to overcome in delivering products to site? Timed delivery slots are always a challenge due to London traffic and this counts double when our products need to be craned into position as you are at the mercy of the crane operator. We are fortunate enough to operate our own fleet of vehicles so we can be flexible with demanding sites and offer a premium service even when space and time is tight. How do you predict working in London will change over the next five years? It will become more tied up in red tape as sites are imposed with more stringent
health and safety conditions, but we are ready for that with our FORS Gold accreditation. Greener vehicles will slowly creep into the reckoning, but we have already seen a surge in approval of green projects as the pandemic poured even more focus onto the need for green infrastructure in dense urban areas. Do you think demand in the capital will grow this year? Most certainly, the value we place on open, green space has skyrocketed and is essential to mental health – as we already knew!
CASE STUDY
Location: Battersea Power Station Client: Maylim Products used: Topsoils, lightweights soil, subsoils, compost, bark, aggregates, a range of specialist SuDS materials.
London Lowdown
“Another fantastic project to be a part of. There was a lengthy approval period for our materials, including six types of planting media and a variety of lightweight soils. We had to book each load into site and adhere to strict site conditions, which are the norm these days. Very exciting to see the project take shape and a good chance to show off our full range of soft and hard landscaping materials.”
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• Around 65% of Bourne Amenity’s projects are based in London • 90% of these are commercial • Bourne Amenity delivers between 70 to 80,000m³ loose tipped and around 30 to 35,000 bulk bags to London each year • Its delivery fleet has 20 tippers and 7 grabs, along with a huge range of partner vehicles • All of these are FORS Gold • BS:3882 multipurpose topsoil and lightweight soils and substrates are Bourne’s most popular products in London • Wandsworth was the most popular borough for its products in 2020 • Bourne’s work has increased in London over the last five years by around 10% per annum • The cost to work in London has increased over the last five years by 10 to 15% • Congestion and ULEZ charges have added around £3 to £4 per tonne
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WHEN WHERE HOW
16 November 2021 17 November 2021 ExCeL London Register for your free ticket on our website or contact the team on 01903 777570
www.futurescapeevent.com
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Pursuing a sustainable path We believe in the beauty of life in its many forms. Ensuring a sustainable future is intrinsic to our nature. Our approach to sustainability is simple. Every day, we consider the impact that our actions will have on the future of life, living and livelihoods, and strive to make choices that are fair and considerate. At our heart, we’re lovers of outdoors and the life that can be enjoyed outside. We want everyone to enjoy life in that way, and we want to ensure that future generations can as well. We know that we can’t work miracles, but we believe in the power of one right choice after another. Many small steps create a sustainable path. Millboard: Life. Living. Livelihood. Find out more at millboard.co.uk/sustainability
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COMPANY PROFILE
Millboard WORKING IN LONDON Jason Bennett, commercial projects & technical team manager, says we need to draw people back to the capital. Was demand in the capital impacted by the pandemic last year? Yes – for us in supplying decking to commercial projects, it dramatically decreased within the first three months of 2020 and picked up slightly over the following six months. Having said that, it still hasn’t reached pre-pandemic levels. In the main, most areas in the UK have picked up a lot during 2021, but London is still the area suffering the most. In particular, we have noticed a huge reduction in public
space projects, likely to be due to the fact that these have been postponed or put on hold indefinitely as there is just not the people around to make use of them! What have been the biggest challenges to overcome in delivering products to site? Early on in the pandemic, a few deliveries were attempted, and when they got there the site was closed. There have not been any particular issues recently. How do you predict working in London will change over the next five years? In the capital, we believe demand and
project type is largely reliant on the people coming back into the city. There seems to be a reluctance to spend money currently with projects in London, probably due to the fact investors are reluctant to invest without being able to see there will be a return on their investment, and without the people there, it’s very difficult to see. Once people are encouraged to get back to work in central London, we hope this will boost demand all round as it would also mean that people with homes in London for their work would be looking to get back to them, then meaning there would be greater demand on hospitality and so on.
CASE STUDY
London Lowdown • Millboard’s most popular products in London are from the Enhanced Grain range • Historically, Millboard has mostly supplied roof terraces and public realm in the capital • Its work in London has increased slightly over the last five years • Millboard says demand in the capital will grow slightly this year but more so in 2022 • Millboard opened a London showroom two years ago to welcome architects and customers in the capital, providing a great location to showcase products and host CPD events
Location: Floating Pocket Park, Paddington Client: Tony Woods/Garden Club London Products used: Millboard Enhanced Grain Golden Oak
The area around the Grand Union Canal at Paddington Basin has undergone a transformation over the past few years, including the 4.45ha Merchant Square development, which includes London’s first floating park. Designed by Tony Woods, the park features lawns, trees, a wildlife island and walkways, and Millboard Enhanced Grain decking. Woods was inspired by a 2016 report that confirmed that waterside living contributes greatly to improving mental wellbeing and physical health. Ben Dewhirst, landscape architect said: “Timber would not be able to meet the requirements of the space and many composite products simply looked cheap or unattractive.”
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DESIGN TANK PHOTO MATTEO GASTEL
Vroom vestre.com
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Name
Product series
Vroom
Seat, table, bicycle parking, litter bin
Produced in
Designer
Scandinavia
Espen Voll, Tore Borgersen & Michael Olofsson
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COMPANY PROFILE
Vestre WORKING IN LONDON Was demand in the capital impacted by the pandemic last year? We saw an immediate stall, followed by a shift in demand as the initial shock of the pandemic hit the capital, particularly on private developments. Site progress slowed and, in some cases, completion was substantially delayed. It seemed like those ripples continued for most of the year, which was something that we adapted to and planned around. However, coinciding with this, we saw a massive uplift of interest in our Parklets 2.0 range as local government spending shifted towards the creation of more considered outdoor spaces for people and businesses in the public realm – a trend that has continued to date. We’re still seeing interest and demand increase as our high streets consider how to encourage a return to retail areas and many businesses continue to review the ongoing use of their outdoor space.
What have been the biggest challenges to overcome in delivering products to site? Being a multinational, family-owned business with our manufacturing facility based in Sweden and Norway, it’s a tale of two halves! Logistics plays a huge role in our activities, and this has been adversely impacted by both COVID-19 and Brexit – it has been impossible to say which has been more damaging. It’s a challenge that we take very seriously as we know our customers (who are mostly contractors on site) are carefully coordinating operations and maintaining workflows. On the other hand, because our supply chains are all based only in Scandinavia, we’ve been minimally impacted by delays in raw materials and our production plants have barely been impacted by COVID-19.
How do you predict working in London will change over the next five years? In many ways, we are just starting to see the potential of how working life in London could change for the better. We hope the newfound autonomy is a catalyst for entirely new relationships with the office, nature and each other – including much greater support for external projects, including green roofs and pocket parks. These moves will make important contributions to the success of London’s future workplaces – creating sustainable and flexible links and spaces that people want to use. We are seeing some commercial offices take this leap by selecting high quality, long lasting, and sustainable furniture for both their indoor and outdoor spaces, along with a greater focus on biophilia and the full spectrum of sociability.
CASE STUDY
Location: City of London Parklets Client: City of London Corporation Products used: Parklets 2.0 Café and Portal
London Lowdown
The installation of six parklets in the spring of 2021 was part of a post-COVID-19 recovery plan to provide seating and planting that will support food and beverage businesses and provide an attractive environment. Placed in three key locations near food outlets, the parklets provide additional space for people to sit outside, where previously there were car parking spaces. Varying types of seating offer accessible provision for anyone wishing to stop by for a while, without having to purchase anything first.
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• Around 1/3 of Vestre’s UK projects are in London • The Bloc range is its most popular product in the capital • Parklets 2.0 has grown the most in popularity over the last year • Westminster is its most popular borough • Vestre’s work has increased in London by around 30x over the last five years • Public realm and mixed used developments are the company’s most common type of projects • Vestre’s client list is growing, particularly through partnerships with the Landscape Institute, for instance
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London Wall Place
Kings Crescent, Hackney
Old Vinyl Factory, Hayes
Wembley Park
Kings College Science Gallery
St Paul’s Cathedral
World’s leading provider of tree pit solutions. Building a greener environment for future generations. SuDS solutions for flood risk management. Advisors in urban design offering on-site support. Visit greenblue.com to discover more.
greenblue.com 01580 830800
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