FutureArc October 2018

OCTOBER 2018

Wembley Park Quintain's major redevelopment

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Regeneration Transforming Thamesmead

The Interview Harriet Bourne BBUK

Street furniture Socialising our public spaces

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Design: Hallvard Jakobsen & Artur Wozniak

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WELCOME

WELCOME In this month’s issue we feature the Thamesmead development in London where a £1bn regeneration scheme is underway by Peabody with a consortium led by LDA Design. We also travel to Paris to visit a spectacular city park and back in the UK we speak with a housing developer who believes great landscaping can add social value.

Our international portfolio piece highlights a striking urban development in Perth, Australia, which is named in honour of an Aboriginal warrior. In our UK portfolios, we feature the landscaping features at a major housing development in Oxfordshire and the restoration of historic Gunnersbury Park in London.

We also have special features on softwoods, street furniture and selecting surfaces for children’s play areas.

Here at FutureArc, we look forward to hearing all your news and if you have any interesting projects, please get in touch.

Enjoy this month’s issue…

Gill Langham Features editor gill.langham@eljays44.com

www.futurearc.co.uk

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WELCOME

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CONTENTS

NEWS

FEATURES

PORTFOLIOs

MATERIALS

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NEWS A round up of the latest industry news from around the UK

08 VALUING LANDSCAPE

Harriet Bourne of BBUK

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CONFERENCE

Coverage of this year’s international event at the University of Greenwich

INTERVIEW OUR GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND REACHING POTENTIAL Transforming Thamesmead

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Parc André-Citroën Alison Galbraith revisits

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The urban extension in Oxfordshire by Allen Pyke Associates

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Gunnersbury park A restoration project by the London Borough of Ealing Landscape Team

Quintain’s Wembley Park redevelopment

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Great Western park

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YAGAN SQUARE A striking precinct project in Western Australia by ASPECT Studios

modern treated softwoods

Treatments that turn this timber into an affordable, sustainable material

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STREET FURNITURE

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SURFACES FOR PLAY AREAS

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FOCUS ON TOPSOIL

Socialising our public spaces

The pros and cons of an array of different finishes

British Sugar Topsoil explains their precise manufacturing process

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WELCOME

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EDITORIAL Features Editor – Gill Langham gill.langham@eljays44.com Managing Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com PRODUCTION Subeditor – Kia Wilson kia.wilson@eljays44.com Design: Kara Thomas

SALES Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Sales Manager – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Sales Executive – Ellie Yapicioz ellie.yapicioz@eljays44.com MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Eljays44 Ltd

3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 2DA Tel: 01903 777 570 Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK The 2018 subscription price for FutureArch is £125.

Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

Whilst every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine. We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

Cover image ©Quintain

Editorial Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com

www.futurearc.co.uk

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MDF? Outside?

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NEWS

NEWS

NEWS New vision for public spaces along River Thames

Developers Newby unveil plans to revamp derelict site on edge of Newcastle A project by Newby for the former Calders, Newcastle, could incorporate up to 1,500 homes, a hotel and commercial and leisure space, while creating hundreds of jobs.

Significant new landscaping and public realm is also incorporated into the Quayside West scheme.

Nick Moody, director at Newby, says: “Our 10year vision is ambitious, but ultimately deliverable. Working

with award-winning local architects, FaulknerBrowns, we have created a development which will bring a step change for the city in the form of a high-quality and vibrant urban community on this important but neglected site.

“Although this would be a privately funded development, we have had positive discussions with the council regarding these proposals,” adds Nick.

Colour Urban Design have produced the landscape master plan and reports for the outline planning application, which has been submitted to Newcastle City Council. www.newby.co.uk

Ebbsfleet Design Competition winners

P8 Valuing Landscape Conference

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©Paul Upward/Landscape Institute

P7 News

Laura Bradley and Ryan Murphy, from Bradley Murphy Design, being congratulated by Michael Cassidy CBE, chair of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, for their winning entry in the Ebbsfleet Garden City: Landscape for Healthy Living Ideas Competition. The announcement was made at the Landscape Institute Conference held at the University of Greenwich in September (see page 8 for coverage of the conference). www.bradleymurphydesign.co.uk

Tideway, the company building the Thames Tideway Tunnel, have revealed how seven new public spaces will be created as part of the development. The 25km tunnel, commonly referred to as London’s ‘super sewer’, is a vital infrastructure project that will modernise London’s ageing sewage system and improve the environment by preventing millions of tonnes of sewage overflowing into the river each year.

When Sir Joseph Bazalgette designed London’s original sewer system more than 150 years ago, he built out onto the river creating the Victoria, Albert and Chelsea Embankments.

Tideway will be honouring that legacy by also building out onto the river, creating seven new landscaped areas which will include sites at Chelsea, Albert, Victoria and Putney Embankments, as well as Blackfriars Bridge, King Edward Memorial Park and Heathwall Pumping Station.

Roger Bailey, Tideway’s chief technical officer, says: “The construction of London’s new super sewer will create three acres of new public space designed to reconnect the capital’s residents and visitors with the River Thames.” www.tideway.london

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NEWS EXTRA

VALUING LANDSCAPE 2018 Challenges and future trends faced by the landscape architecture industry were explored at the Valuing Landscape Conference 2018

“THE CONFERENCE UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF LANDSCAPE FOR CONNECTING PEOPLE, PLACE AND NATURE” 8

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ore than 300 delegates from all over the world attended the event held on 6–7 September at the University of Greenwich.

Landscape architects, scientists, planners, urban designers, ecologists and other members of the profession gathered to discuss how to address the issues facing the industry.

Jointly presented by the Landscape Institute, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Europe and the University of Greenwich, the event focused on the challenges facing the landscape industry and how to address them.

Through a combination of presentations, discussion groups and site visits, the conference underlined the importance of landscape for connecting people, place and nature. Challenges discussed at the conference included climate change, a growing global population, urbanisation, migration, post-Brexit environment policy and technological changes. Other topics included the connection of the environment, productivity and housing needs in future place-making.

At the opening of the event, Adam White, president of the Landscape Institute, said: “The landscape profession isn’t just about landscape architecture although that’s a huge part of it, it’s also about management, science and planning and all the work we do to add value to the landscape.”

Adam also spoke about the importance of digital skills within the landscape architecture industry and the importance of reconnecting children with nature.

At the end of his address, he urged delegates: “What we need is for everybody here to go away and be ambassadors and champions to help reconnect society with nature.”

Superheroes?

Jan Christian Vestre, chief executive officer of urban outdoor furniture company Vestre, spoke about how it was vital that the landscape industry responded to society’s changing needs, values and habits.

“What does this mean in real terms for the landscape profession? We must explain loudly and

clearly to political decision makers and property developers why it makes sound financial sense to create attractive and accessible outdoor spaces.

With more people living in cities and a more diverse population, it is obvious that places for social interaction will be more important.”

But he understood that the profession did not always find this easy to implement in practice as those making the final decisions sometimes had shortterm motives and sometimes didn’t understand the value of good landscape architecture.

“But the good news is that there are strong indications now that society will be forced to value good landscape architecture in the time ahead and that soft values will also be accorded a worth that is included in the calculation.

“Those of you who are sitting in this room could become the superheroes of our age. You possess the tools, the knowledge, and the experience we need to create greener, safer and more inclusive cities.”

Other highlights of the conference included speakers from around the globe discussing issues affecting their regions, including case studies and presentations from Ottawa, Utrecht, and Barcelona.

Also, the challenges involved in how to address the question of ‘valuing the intangible’ were discussed

by Sarah Weir OBE, chief executive officer of the Design Council.

Winning designs During the conference, the winners of the Ebbsfleet design competition winner were announced by Michael Cassidy CBE, chair of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation. The brief for the competition was to find the most creative and inspiring ideas to help shape the landscape of Ebbsfleet, the first new Garden City of the 21st century, and the largest of 10 Healthy New Towns being developed in the UK. Judges were unanimous in selecting the winner: HALO (Hives, Arcs, Links and Organics). A model for growing a healthy infrastructure, HALO is a concept developed by Bradley Murphy Design, in collaboration with John Thompson Partnership,

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NEWS EXTRA

Peter Brett Associates and Sebastien Boyesen. The concept aims to deliver healthy infrastructure directly to residents’ doorsteps. By providing accessible, attractive and inspirational places, the hope is that residents will be motivated to take up physical activity as a natural part of their daily lives.

Other shortlisted entries included Chalk Walk

by Additive Urbanism, Blue Lake Gardens by Chris Blandford, Everyday Adventure by Huskisson Brown and Ebbsfleet Sublime by LDA Design.

Debating future trends on day one

“WITH MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN CITIES AND A MORE DIVERSE POPULATION, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT PLACES FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT” Site visits and workshops On the second day of the conference, delegates were given the opportunity to attend site visits including the Olympic Park, Greenwich Peninsula, Thamesmead and Deptford Park. In afternoon workshops, delegates discussed topics such as future talent needs for the profession, natural capital and the new NPPF’s impact on landscapes.

The ‘Valuing Landscape Conference’ was followed by the IFLA Europe General Assembly.

Speaking about the conference, landscape architect Ian Clark, of Clark Landscape Design, said: “The conference helped me to explore an issue that I think is central to landscape architecture and that is what does it mean to be ‘connected to nature’?

It was great to have that discussion with colleagues from all over the world and it was a relief to be talking about something that connects us rather than the constant drip, drip of Brexit which seems to want to disconnect us.”

Fiona Strachan, green infrastructure project manager at Scottish Natural Heritage, said: “The programme contained a good balance of research results and hands-on examples and provided useful networking opportunities as well as the chance to find out about exciting projects elsewhere in the UK and further afield.”

And Konstantina Stara, senior landscape architect at Cameo and Partners, said: “Excellent and thoughtprovoking sessions were paired with well-planned site visits and engaging workshops. It was a very worthwhile experience.”

www.futurearc.co.uk

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The conference was an opportunity to network

Sarah Weir OBE, chief executive officer of the Design Council

Jan Christian Vestre, chief executive officer of Vestre ©Landscape Institute

Thamesmead site visit led by Dr Phil Askew (foreground, left)

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T

Podium [ po.di.um ] noun

a podium landscape is a green space built on top of a structure

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FEATURES P12 Interview Harriet Bourne, BBUK

P16 Wembley Park The redevelopment project by Quintain

P21 Reaching potential The regeneration of Thamesmead, London

P26 Parc André Citroën Alison Galbraith revisits the Parisian park

INTERVIEW

BBUK

HARRIET BOURNE bbuK FOUNDER HARRIET BOURNE talks about what inspires her diverse p0rtfolio of projects and her personal DESIGN style

because that felt like it was my hobby and I didn’t want to do my hobby as a job. Landscape architecture felt like a good way to connect with landscape in a wider context.

Could you tell us a little about your background?

I started working in fashion retailing straight after I left school from which I took a break when I had my children. When my youngest was 18 months I went to university as a mature student and did the course at the University of Greenwich part time. I was also working part time for The Landscape Partnership to gain experience in the industry and looking after two small children. It was quite a stressful time so following this I did a diploma full time and it was fantastic being able to concentrate on my studies.

Then I worked at planners and urban designers Tibbalds for a few years before setting up BBUK.

When did you set up BBUK and how has the company expanded since then to what it is today?

BBUK was set up in 2002, originally with two partners.

During the downturn in 2009, the practice was split.

I kept the name and one member of staff, Jenia

What inspired you personally to become a landscape architect?

It just felt right. By that stage I was very interested in gardening, but I didn’t really want to do garden design

“WE ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO TAKE ON FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL PROJECTS BUT SMALL ENOUGH THAT I AM ABLE TO HAVE AN INPUT INTO EACH ONE” Kalugina, who is now associate director. Together we have rebuilt the studio and now have 10 staff running projects ranging from large residential schemes in Cambridge, Essex, Norfolk and London to a single

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FEATURES

“WE UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENT AND ARE ABLE TO INTERPRET THE ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSALS SO THAT THE LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE WORK AS ONE”

private villa in Portugal, later living schemes, office buildings in London, new university buildings in Cambridge as well as infill housing in Hackney and Croydon.

Is there a type of project that BBUK specialises in?

I wouldn’t say that we are specialists in anything in particular, although we do have more housing projects than anything else at the moment but there is a lot of housing being built right now so perhaps that is why.

What makes BBUK stand out?

We are large enough to take on fairly substantial projects, but small enough that I am able to have an input into each one. I think the fact that we can come up with a bespoke solution for everybody, we get things delivered on time and produce good packages of work at all stages in a project. We understand the needs of the client and are able to interpret the architectural proposals so that the landscape and architecture work as one.

Which projects are you particularly proud of or would you say stand out?

I’m really proud of our first housing project, the Adobe development in Cambridge, which won numerous awards, including the best overall Civic Trust Award and a RIBA National Award. It is interesting because it’s quite high-density housing, it’s 40% affordable but it is genuinely tenure blind.

We worked closely with Proctor Matthews Architects, who I think are very good architects. It was our first big housing project working for Countryside Properties who have since been very good clients and we’ve had a lot of repeat work from them.

1 the building is set in the right landscape, then that landscape needs to relate to the wider context of the site, so we need to take the ethos of the building from the threshold through to the boundary of the site, this should take account of and be designed to be appropriate to, the site’s setting whether that’s in the urban or the rural context.

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1 North London Hospice, ©Tim Soar 2 Abode, Cambridge

What are your design inspirations?

I like all good design really and nature is quite a strong inspiration in what we do. The landscape designers of the 18th century, such as William Kent and Humphry Repton, are also a big influence. More recent works by people such as Roberto Burle Marx, Russell Page, Geoffrey Jellicoe and Luis Barragan are inspirational and currently I love the work of Peter Latz and James Corner and the planting schemes of Piet Oudolf and Sarah Price.

Do you try to put your personality onto a project?

No, I don’t think we should really, I don’t think it’s our place to. I think we need to make sure that

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FEATURES

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FEATURES

“THE EARLIER WE ARE APPOINTED TO THE DESIGN TEAM THE MORE WE CAN INFLUENCE THE LANDSCAPE AND THEREFORE THE SCHEME’S SETTING”

7 6 What do you feel are the key challenges facing the industry?

Brexit is a worry, partly as 60% of our staff at BBUK are European from Italy, Spain, Poland and Sweden and even if they are entitled to work here I want them to feel welcome so they want to stay here.

Maintenance of completed landscape projects is always a challenge.

About Brexit, how do you feel it could impact the industry?

It’s difficult to tell, it probably will have an effect in the south east, I imagine. I don’t think it will affect the housing industry particularly because we’re still short of houses, but it is definitely making things feel uncertain.

Do you find that being brought into a project at a late stage is a common problem?

It is a problem if we’re brought in late but luckily this does not happen too often. It’s not just design that suffers but on a purely practical level coordination with the rest of the design team, For example, if the road alignment has been set out by an engineer it may not be as sensitive as it could be or the street lighting, drainage or water attenuation might be in the wrong places, which could impact on proposed tree positions. So the earlier we are appointed to the design team the more we can

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influence the landscape and therefore the setting of the scheme.

What advice would you give to young people looking to become landscape architects?

It’s not terribly glamorous or well paid but it can be immensely satisfying; working with large design teams problem solving to make better, more sustainable and beautiful places.

How important has sustainability become in landscape architecture?

It is essential in all aspects of our work; from increasing the biodiversity of a site to ensuring appropriate planting schemes for longterm health of all trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Sustainable urban drainage is expected on every scheme now, it was a new thing a few years ago and now it’s completely standard to ensure that all surface water is dealt with onsite rather than draining into the local drainage system. Other issues, such as making sure that the trees planted in an urban situation will last as long as they would last if they were planted in the countryside are also important.

Finally, what is the next step for BBUK? We’re quite happy, I don’t really want to expand much more as I like to be aware of all the projects and I think if we got much bigger that would be difficult.

3 Roof garden, Ruskin Square 4 King William Street roof garden detail 5 Hotel Silken Puerta America (Madrid) ©Rafael Vargas 6 Abode, Cambridge 7 Goldsmith Street illustrative plan

BBUK Led by Harriet Bourne, BBUK is an award-winning landscape practice established in January 2002. From inception the practice has taken on a wide range of projects, from streetscape design guidance, public parks and open spaces through to private gardens for individual and commercial clients.

W: www.bbukstudio.com

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FEATURES

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reate beautiful gardens and you’ll have a pretty development. Create multisensory grounds that engage people on every level and you’ll have a vibrant community.

Which is why Julian Tollast, head of masterplanning and design at Quintain, says that the company has “always put as much emphasis on the creation of the place as on the properties”.

Great place-making, specifically through the use of green space and public realm, is vital for a business that’s tackling one of the most ambitious regeneration projects of our times.

Quintain are the force behind the massive Wembley Park redevelopment, which is transforming 85 acres around the iconic stadium into a vibrant new neighbourhood.

They have already built 1,426 new homes, 600 student accommodation units, a 350,000 square-foot designer outlet, two hotels and a community centre. With 5,000 homes for rent in the pipeline, as well as a new school, a nursery and a GP surgery, Wembley Park looks set to become the UK’s largest build-to-rent community— and green space is the thread that knits it together.

Forty-two of the site’s 85 acres have been devoted to residents’

“CREATE MULTISENSORY GROUNDS THAT ENGAGE PEOPLE ON EVERY LEVEL AND YOU’LL HAVE A VIBRANT COMMUNITY” gardens and public realm, which include a tree-lined boulevard, two squares, multi-use game areas, a lake and a seven-acre park where work has just started.

Quintain’s landscaping vision centres on meeting people’s different moods and needs. “Green space should be accessible, well maintained and with a

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FEATURES

OUR GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND For Wembley Park developers Quintain, great landscaping delivers an array of sensory experiences and adds social value

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2 variety of scales and atmospheres, from larger and active through quiet and contemplative,” notes Julian.

It should also engage each of the five senses: “It’s not just the look,” he says, “consider the acoustics, the aromas, the touch and even the taste. Visual appeal has to be considered throughout the seasons, rather than just during the warmer months, when trees and flowers usually look their best. It’s also important to find a balance between soft and hard green space.

As for the other senses, one that gets overlooked is aroma, its relationship with landscape design is key.”

Above all, though, a good scheme should help develop a sense of neighbourhood. “The

environmental benefits of green space are obvious, and good design always adds value,” says Julian.

“People will be more attracted to a property with a nice environment, it can help bring it to life, which in turn lets properties quicker. The critical part, however, is the social value that green space brings.”

Wembley Park’s Emerald Gardens is a particularly successful project that combines aesthetics with community building.

The development’s 475 contemporary apartments, gym and commercial space sit in about an acre of landscaped grounds, whose outline proposal was designed

by Macfarlane + Associates, with design development and delivery by Fabrik and construction by Sisk. At the heart of the scheme—and linked to each of the residential buildings by sinuous paths— is a central parkland garden that has been arranged into three different spaces: private terraces, a sculpted lawn and a woodland area complete with natural play zone and bordered by a rill with bubblers, which add fun and a sound dimension. The water follows a curve then gently falls down steps to

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Harriet Pask www.futurearc.co.uk

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“42 OF THE SITE’S 85 ACRES HAVE BEEN DEVOTED TO RESIDENTS’ GARDENS AND PUBLIC REALM” join a lateral water feature. The space, says Julian, “is used by residents in all seven buildings that surround it, irrespective of tenure. It encourages social interaction and builds a community.”

Another example of community-friendly space is Market Square, also at Wembley Park. This tree-lined square is a buzzy area where people congregate throughout the year, for events and entertainment or a bite to eat. But Market Square is also proof of the painstaking detail that Quintain goes into when it comes to landscaping—and it’s all the more striking because this is technically a temporary arrangement until permanent designs are put into place.

The Square’s scale is well considered.

“Other parts of Wembley Park are designed to accommodate crowds on event days, but Market Square is small enough to serve as a space for both those living at and visiting Wembley Park.

It can be used on a daily basis as it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large for smaller community events or as a spot to enjoy lunch. The space hosts a successful food market every Wednesday and that’s when the square is at its best.”

Quintain’s approach to landscaping is also shaped by the mixed-use nature of the Wembley site and by the fact that renting plays such a large part in it. “Operating a predominantly build-to-rent site such as Wembley Park means the longterm management of the estate is at the forefront of our minds,” advises Julian’s colleague Harriet Pask, head of corporate

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communication. “People will and do live here, they work here, they go to the London Designer Outlet every day and thousands of people visit the SSE Arena and the National Stadium; we design and develop with them in mind.” That’s why understanding the longterm management and maintenance of green space is vital, according to Julian, who adds that developers should always have “a clear plan for management and maintenance, then progressively involve the emerging community into that plan.”

To deliver their green-space strategy, Quintain usually select designers and landscape architects through a competitive search and process.

“There’s either an interview or, in some places, a design competition element within this,” says Julian.

Ultimately, experience is the key to gaining a contract.

“We don’t necessarily just look at the credentials of the company,” Julian reveals. “It really depends on each project, but we want to ensure that the individuals working on the project have the right experience.”

5 1E merald Gardens seen from an apartment in the Montana building 2 Emerald Gardens seen from above 3 Social green spaces at Wembley Park’s Landsby building 4 A night view of the roof terrace at Wembley Park’s newly launched Landsby building 5 View of Market Square at Wembley Park 6 Close up of a water feature at Wembley Park

Quintain Established in 1992, Quintain specialises in leading large-scale regeneration programmes across London. Their flagship project is the redevelopment of Wembley Park, where they have already completed more than 1,000 new homes.

W: www.quintain.co.uk.

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The best days are grey Whatever the season, you can’t ignore the impact of a striking outside space.

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FEATURES

REACHING POTENTIAL one of the biggest urban developments in the UK will revitalise the THAMESMEAD area of london, including its housing, landscape, waterspace and public realm

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lmost 50 years after the first residents moved to London’s new town, Thamesmead’s full potential can now be realised thanks to a £1billion regeneration programme.

Home to around 45,000 people, the population of Thamesmead could double over the next 30 years with the addition of up to 20,000 new homes, about 40% of which will be designated as ‘affordable’.

And although it is known for its brutalist style of architecture, it also features a rich landscape of green spaces and waterways and more than double the amount of green space per person than the

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London average. It has the same footprint as central London and is the same size as the city of Winchester but lacks good transport links and needs investment to improve the infrastructure and public facilities.

But now Peabody, one of London’s oldest and largest housing providers, has appointed a consortium headed by LDA Design to set out a landscape-led vision for the regeneration of Thamesmead in South East London, transforming its waterspace, landscape and public realm.

Ben Croot, LDA Design associate and Thamesmead GI Strategy project leader, says:

“THAMESMEAD IS UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE IN LONDON. MUCH OF ITS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL REMAINS UNTAPPED”

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Ben Croot of LDA Design

Dr Phil Askew, Peabody’s director of landscape and placemaking

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“Thamesmead is unlike anywhere else in London.

Much of its enormous potential remains untapped.

This strategy is an incredible opportunity to position the landscape front and centre for the people living and working there, to help bring them together and inspire healthier, more active lifestyles.It is a framework for regeneration that will draw on the landscape to unite Thamesmead, improving connections and contributing to Peabody’s whole placemaking philosophy. The challenge is how you use the landscape to change forever the relationship that a community has with its place, so that the people who live there now, and come in the future, feel a real sense of ownership and belonging.”

Thamesmead was built in the 1960s on reclaimed marshland south of the River Thames that had been used for ammunitions testing and storage as part of the Royal Arsenal as far back as the 1560s.

Today, Peabody owns 65% of the 760ha of land in Thamesmead – an area big enough to put the whole of central London into – and 85% of the developable land. The aim is to provide good quality homes and promote wellbeing.

The strategy will inform a £1billion regeneration programme that will benefit the existing community.

The programme also involves the GLA, Transport for London, London Borough of Bexley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Thamesmead’s green spaces include neighbourhood parks totalling 57ha; 75ha of greenways, pocket parks and other accessible greenspace; 7km of canals and five lakes; 5km of river frontage and 30,000 trees.

“Thamesmead is a unique town, with a unique history and an exciting future,” says Dr Phil Askew, Peabody’s director of landscape and placemaking.

“The original utopian vision for Thamesmead allowed for unrivalled green space and a network of waterways unlike anything in London. We want Thamesmead to realise its enormous potential through being shaped by local people. With its wealth of natural resources, Thamesmead has all the elements to create something special – making it an even better place to live or visit.”

The consortium, led by LDA Design board director Neil Mattinson, includes: SNC Lavalin/

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Atkins; Land Management Services (David Withycombe); Green Infrastructure Consultancy (Gary Grant); Vivid Economics, Robert Bray Associates, and architects Project Orange. Project director Neil Mattinson says: “It is in the public realm where lives most naturally overlap. In Thamesmead, there is huge potential to make its underused open spaces more accessible and useful.

“This Strategy can begin to rewrite the narrative between new and evolving communities, the rapidly changing built environment and the potential of the Thamesmead landscape. The Strategy is a fantastic opportunity to create a blueprint for a productive landscape, to improve connectivity and biodiversity and to build a real sense of belonging.”

The vision Peabody has set out five goals for five years: the living experience; growth and regeneration; landscape; culture, art and heritage; people and community.

“The first thing is that we take a whole place philosophy,” explains Phil. “It will be a great place for people to live and landscape particularly will create a sense of escape and identity.”

The development will include new homes and estate regeneration and later this year, Peabody will be looking at the large waterfront site where plans include a new town centre and 11,000 new homes.

As part of the vision for Thamesmead, Peabody has submitted plans to invest £500m in the transformation of part of the South Thamesmead estate. Some of the concrete blocks of the estate in south London are to be demolished and replaced with thousands of new homes.

Peabody has outline planning permission for 1,600 new homes, including detailed consent for 525 homes at Southmere. Peabody is currently onside working with Durkan to deliver the first

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phase of this new mixed-used development which alongside new homes will provide local commercial/ retail opportunities. The homes will be a mix of onebedroom apartments to four-bedroom townhouses and around 230 of these will be affordable. These plans form part of the Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead Housing Zone, led by the London Borough of Bexley.

This is one of two housing zones to be delivered in Thamesmead, the other is being led by the Royal

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“IT IS A FRAMEWORK FOR REGENERATION THAT WILL DRAW ON THE LANDSCAPE TO UNITE THAMESMEAD”

1 O verlooking Southmere Lake to the four iconic Southmere towers ©LDA Design 2 A erial view of Thamesmead and the River Thames 3 C rossness Nature Reserve 4 O utdoor mural on Parkview Estate 5 T ump 53 Nature Reserve 6 T he Ridgeway ©LDA Design

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Borough of Greenwich. Both will be developed by Peabody with £47.5million investment from the Greater London Authority.

Peabody’s executive director for Thamesmead, John Lewis says: “Thamesmead is a special part of London with huge potential for the future. We’re building new homes which are intelligently designed and ensuring that our older homes are well maintained.

Our neighbourhoods will be expertly managed, with extensive public realm assets, and shops and leisure facilities for the local community and visitors.

“The creation of more than 1,600 new homes and a new high street as part of the Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead Housing Zone, together with the arrival of Crossrail means we also have the opportunity to create hundreds of new jobs and attract new business.”

Health benefits A longterm strategy for green infrastructure is necessary at Thamesmead, explains Phil.

“We’ve got these extraordinary assets, what are they going to be like in 30 years’ time, how can they work for the people who live there now and will live there in the future?”

In terms of health it is important that changes are implemented over the long term, explains Phil.

“Female life expectancy in certain areas is quite a lot less than in other parts of London and we have very high levels, again in certain areas, of childhood obesity. We need to think about why that is and how we start to address it and how landscape and placemaking can start to address those to an extent.”

Research undertaken by Peabody has shown that the parks in Thamesmead aren’t used very much at weekends.

“On the one hand we have enormous amounts of assets and space, but few people use them.

Thamesmead is not a place where perhaps walking and physical movement is encouraged. We need to, and we are addressing some of the challenges around lighting and making sure that walkways and ramps are safe and well lit.

“One of the reasons that we have issues with health and well-being is that people don’t use these spaces and we think they don’t use them because they can’t find them or get to them or move around safely.

We’re working on how we can use this extraordinary landscape to create a continuous network of connectivity, with great places to walk, cycle and

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8 canoe. There’s an opportunity here in terms of sport and active recreation to do something which is unique in London.”

Longterm solutions In the future, 100,000 people, 20,000 new homes and thousands of jobs are the key headline figures Peabody is working towards. It is the people and the community who are fundamental to the longterm strategy at Thamesmead, says Phil.

“One thing we take very seriously is not just the regeneration, not just what we’re going to do over the next few years and beyond, but actually what happens in the long term.

“This is particularly important with the work that landscape architects and others do in public spaces because they’re there way beyond our lifespan – if you look at a map of London the thing that is largely unchanged are the public spaces – they’re there forever if you like. The landscape is the one thing which will glue it all together.”

“THAMESMEAD’S FULL POTENTIAL CAN NOW BE REALISED” 7 A n artist impression of Southmere Village – the first phase of the Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead housing zone 8 Overlooking Gallions Park ©LDA Design

Thamesmead Over the next 30 years, Peabody is set to deliver more than £1 billion of significant improvements to housing, green spaces, waterways and economic prosperity in Thamesmead. And of course, encourage a thriving artistic and cultural scene.

W: www.thamesmeadnow.org.uk

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FEATURES

REVISITING PARC ANDRÉ CITROËN

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Landscape architect Alison Galbraith, a director at Terra Firma, revisits the Parc André Citroën two decades after her first trip to the Paris attraction

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s part of a study tour for her degree course in landscape architecture Alsion Galbraith visited the Parc André Citroën in Paris for the very first time; two decades later she went back to see how it had evolved.

Built on the site of the former Citroën car factory on the left bank of the River Seine, the 14ha park features gardens, lawns, water features, trees, paths and paved plazas. The park was one of a number created in Paris during the 1980s and 1990s and, along with Parc de la Villette and Parc de Bercy, lauded as interesting and innovative public spaces and included on study tours for landscape architects. These Paris parks were parks for the 21st century; the contrasting visions of President Francois Mitterrand and later Jacques Chirac, to regenerate former industrial land.

The design for Parc André Citroën was a collaboration between two competition entry teams: French landscape designer Gilles Clément with architect Patrick Berger, and another French landscape designer, Alain Provost, with architects Jean-François Jodry and Jean-Paul Viguier. Both competition proposals included a canal-bordered

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5 rectangle opening onto the Seine and this forms the central feature of the park today. The space is formed by a rectangular lawn gently sloping up from the river until it meets a large paved plaza sloping more steeply than the lawn and with water jets set into the paving. This plaza is flanked by two monumental glass conservatories, 15m in height and 45m long housing exotic, tropical plants.

The formality and symmetry of the main space is loosened by the diagonal path which slashes across one corner of the lawn with informal tree clumps marking its route.

The large scale and simple minimalism of the central rectilinear composition create a clearly legible structure for the park, but this simplicity does not lead to monotony as the park becomes more irregular in shape either side of the central space and offers a wide variety of other spaces with more intimacy and privacy and visual richness.

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“IT WAS WELL DESIGNED IN THE FIRST PLACE, MEANING THAT NOW IT IS WELL USED AND PHYSICALLY ROBUST” 1 S hady tree-lined paths and steps 2 V isitors can ascend in a tethered air balloon, stroll the paths, or visit the play areas or cafes 3 S ilver Garden with drought tolerant glaucous-blue foliage 4 M agnolias in a grid pattern within formal pool with looser planting and fastigiate oaks (right) 5 S hady tree-lined paths

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A series of sunken themed gardens line one side of the park. The geometry of these gardens reflects the central rectangle, but the scale and character are very different. Each garden expresses a complex symbolism involving planets, atomic numbers, senses and metals, but the most obvious theme is the colour of each garden, one each in blue, green, orange, red, silver and gold. The colour themed planting in these gardens is lush, richly textured and exquisitely arranged, strongly held together by an evergreen structure of trees, hedges, shrubs and ground cover.

In contrast to the ordered and manicured central space the Jardin au movement is left wild and creates a wonderful play and wildlife habitat. Water is used in myraid ways; the dynamic and playful jets, the still and reflective canal around the lawn, the chutes between the theme gardens and the glassy, geometric pools containing grids of magnolias within planters. Not all the water features were working during Alison’s visit, such as the cascade feature toward the river.

“Apart from the dysfunctional water cascades and the occasional cracked stone flag or cladding tile, I felt on the whole that the park had aged pretty well. The planting is particularly impressive, with trees and hedges establishing well and giving the park a handsome maturity. Management of the herbaceous planting was clearly working well with full and flourishing planting beds,” says Alison.

And although the park is described in tourist literature as the only green space in Paris that opens directly onto the Seine, offering beautiful views of the river, Alison said she found it cut off from the river by the railway viaduct and vehicle-strewn quayside.

“But that aside, the park works brilliantly, with its play areas, cafes, running paths, seating areas and gardens. For less than 10 euros you can ascend 150m in a tethered hot air balloon and view Paris.

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6 “The park is well integrated into adjacent residential areas, with permeable edges and good links across the park. My visit in May was midmorning on a week day in term time with dull skies.

Clearly not the busiest time and it seemed there were few tourists like me.

“But there was still a comfortable amount of activity, with mums and pre-schoolers enjoying the play areas, locals meeting for morning coffee, and plenty of joggers, dog walkers and cyclists making good use of the path network within, around and across the park,” adds Alison.

Revisiting the park, Alison adds, made her consider the lifespan of parks in general.

“Presumably at the conception of a new park the vision is to create public space which will endure for generations, yet not all parks seem to get this right – I felt that Parc Villette was looking distinctly worn out when I revisited it in 2012.

Parc André Citroën seems to be still developing and adapting, while settling and deepening its roots in the city. It was well designed in the first place, meaning that now it is well used and physically robust.

“I’m sure the park adds to the city’s value as a tourist destination,” says Alison.

“But it is as a resource to the residents of a city that the real value of the park lies, allowing a refuge from the intensity of 7 the busy city.”

“IT IS AS A RESOURCE TO THE RESIDENTS OF A CITY THAT THE REAL VALUE OF THE PARK LIES, ALLOWING A REFUGE FROM THE INTENSITY OF THE BUSY CITY”

6 T heme garden with lush green planting 7 Sloping stone plaza with water jets flanked by glass conservatories

TERRA FIRMA Established in 1985 and working worldwide across the full spectrum of landscape design consultancy services, terra firma manage large-scale landscape planning and assessment through to detailed design from concept to delivery.

W: www.terrafirmaconsultancy.com

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02/10/2018 22/08/2018 11:56 14:51

PORTFOLIOS

PORTFOLIO

GREAT WESTERN PARK 1

DIDCOT, OXFORDSHIRE Allen Pyke Associates

P30 Great Western Park Allen Pyke Associates

P34 Gunnersbury Park The London Borough of Ealing Landscape Team

P37 Yagan Square ASPECT Studios

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3 1 Local park with natural play area 2 Seasonal planting 3 Houses overlooking central space 4 Public art reflecting Roman Farmstead found on site

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llen Pyke Associates have been working on an major urban extension of Didcot, Oxfordshire, for the past decade. Parks and green streets are at the heart of this residential development, which comprises over 3,500 homes, and have a significant influence on the layout of built-up areas.

The Great Western Park project also includes a mixed-use centre, three schools, a college, and more than 60ha of public open space.

Commissioned by Taylor Wimpey and David Wilson Homes, Allen Pyke developed landscape proposals for all areas of open space and public realm across the scheme.

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Allen Pyke’s role as project landscape architect for the site covered a full range of services from initial concept design of open spaces, through planning and the tender period, and finally to overseeing implementation on site and adoption.

Nicola Keen, associate director, says: “The scale of the project offered a great opportunity to explore different design techniques and introduce a range of landscape characters across the development.”

Allen Pyke worked closely with the project urban designers to develop the framework plans and local area brief setting out the parameters and character areas for the three large neighbourhoods and public open spaces across the site.

Client Taylor Wimpey Oxfordshire, David Wilson Homes and Henry Davidson Developments Build time Appointed 2008 to present Size of project 185ha Landscape architects Allen Pyke Associates Local authority South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council

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The detailed design and implementation of the public open spaces coincides with the residential phases to ensure new residents were provided with an attractive and safe living environment and spaces to play. The development contains several large public parks, which include equipped play areas of different characters and play experience.

The design of these areas was informed by public consultation events with local residents and school children. A large area of formal sports pitches and a skate park are also provided.

At the heart of the development is the District Centre Square, which is surrounded by retail, leisure, healthcare and community facilities. Allen Pyke prepared hard and soft landscape proposals for this important area of public realm for planning purposes and were subsequently commissioned by commercial developer Henry Davidson Developments to create detailed landscape designs for the retail units and supermarket site for tender and construction purposes.

5 Public art at the Sports Pavilion 6 P lay area designed through public consultation 7 Southern Gateway plan 8 School play area 9 The Autumn Avenue

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Allen Pyke Associates

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Founded in 1995, this independent practice, based in Kingstonupon-thames and Cambridge, has extensive experience across all development sectors. They are members of the Landscape Institute, Urban Design Group and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

W: www.allenpyke.co.uk

One of the main challenges was the need to consider the high pedestrian footfall, including school children, and the large number of desire lines crossing the busy junction area. The use of shared surfaces and creation of defensible zones was key to building a successful public space.

A number of smaller neighbourhood centres are located across the development. These public squares create a sense of place and an identifiable character for each residential zone.

Allen Pyke worked closely with project engineers to develop a site-wide SuDS strategy. The development is subject to heavy drainage restrictions but is on clay and largely flat. The site-wide SuDS constraints have been a key driver of the masterplan and landscape proposals have been developed to create multi-functional amenity spaces which are attractive to residents and beneficial to wildlife.

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PORTFOLIO

GUNNERSBURY PARK WEST LONDON The London Borough of Ealing Landscape Team

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restoration project at Gunnersbury Park has reinvigorated the historic site and safeguarded its history and character.

The £8.2m project included improvements to the park’s registered heritage landscape, its many listed buildings and its local history museum.

It was also designed to develop community involvement in day-to-day activities and set up a Community Trust or Community Interest Company to take on the management and governance of the park.

Gunnersbury Park is a 72ha, Grade 2* ‘at risk’ registered historic public park located in West London. It offers a range of attractions including

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formal gardens and lawns, informal open spaces, nature conservation areas, two lakes, 22 Grade 2 and 2* listed historic buildings, a museum, cafe, two children’s play areas, a range of sports facilities and pitches, ornamental and naturalistic parkland and a network of tree-lined paths.

The estate has strong historic significance having been owned and developed as private ‘country’ estates by both Princess Amelia (daughter of King George II) in the 18th century and Baron Lionel de Rothschild and his family in the 19th century, before finally becoming a public park in 1926.

After World War Two the park slowly fell into decline and has recently suffered from ongoing local

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Project Gunnersbury Park HLF ‘Parks for People’ Project Project Value £8,207,099 Project architects Rodney Melville & Partners Landscape architects Ealing Council Landscape Team Project architects Rodney Melville & Partners Build time Sept 2016 – May 2018 Size of project 72ha park Awards Entered for the Historic England Angle Awards and the Landscape Institute 2018 Awards.

Both are still to announce results.

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PORTFOLIO

government funding cuts and lack of investment.

The park has been on the Historic England ‘at risk‘ register since 2009, while five of its buildings have been on the risk register since 1992. English Heritage listed the park as one of the top 12 ‘at risk’ properties in the country.

The park provides visitors with a range of activities, including guided tours, sport, informal recreation, contact with nature and a place to relax and unwind. It also runs a strong education programme with local schools.

Capel Manor College has a thriving teaching base within the park specialising in horticulture, arboriculture, animal husbandry and floristry. Their students volunteer in the park on specific projects working directly with the head gardener.

Materials were specified by the project architects Rodney Melville & Partners and by the

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project landscape architects Ealing Council Landscape Team. The lead contractor Quinn sourced contractors design elements of the project. Materials were locally and sustainably sourced where possible, using heritage specialist suppliers and specialist subcontractors as appropriate, and materials samples were approved by Historic England and Hounslow planners.

One of the main challenges of the project was that it was run in tandem with a second £8million HLF project to restore and improve the Grade 2* Gunnersbury Park Mansion which is home to the park’s local history museum.

The park was able to remain open during the works with phased handovers of restored areas, to ensure public access to most of the park and its facilities.

1 The Temple 2 The Orangery 3 Renovations to the Temple 4 Princess Amelia’s Bathhouse 5 The Orangery before renovation 6 The restored large mansion, now Gunnersbury Park Museum 7 The community garden during renovation 8 The completed community garden Photographs ©Maggi Marmion and James Stopforth

GUNNERSBURY PARK MUSEUM Gunnersbury Park Museum is a free-entry, family-friendly, local history museum, serving the London boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow.

W: www.visitgunnersbury.org

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INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO

YAGAN SQUARE PERTH, AUSTRALIA ASPECT Studios

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striking £40million project in Perth has been designed to provide a welcoming destination linking the city’s CBD to Northbridge. This cultural and civic destination aims to embody all the characteristics of the local area, and, on a wider scale, Western Australia. Yagan Square was designed by the principal architects Lyons in collaboration with iredale pederson hook (iph) architects and ASPECT Studios. A major redevelopment project for the area and part of the Perth City Link project, Yagan Square was

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INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO

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delivered by the Western Australian Government through the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA).

Built on a 1.1ha site, Yagan Square is located within a major transit hub with links to the central Perth train station and Perth bus port, at the heart of one of the busiest pedestrian areas in the city.

Named in May 2014 in honour of the prominent Aboriginal warrior Yagan the precinct is a showcase for Western Australian – a place that recognises and celebrates local and Whadjuk heritage, produce, environment and culture.

Design and build The design concept responded to the vision of Yagan Square being an inclusive, welcoming and active cultural and civic destination. The concept is representative of the ideas of convergence: of geologies, tracks, narratives, indigenous and nonindigenous people and culture within the Square itself.

Native gardens showcase the diverse qualities of Western Australia flora and landscape. Visitors can see a variety of Eucalyptus species found in Perth and across the State. The planted gardens also heighten the seasonal characteristics and colours of Western Australia.

A largescale water sculpture forms the centrepiece of Yagan Square, a collaboration between multidisciplinary artist Jon Tarry, ASPECT Studios and Lyons Architects with iph. The artwork consists of a series of interconnected stone elements, approximately 190m long, that descend from the upper levels of the square to the mall below. The sequence of connected elements enhances the public landscape.

The collaborative design process included: • An online tool to identify/capture community feedback, attracting more than 2,200 community responses which informed the project brief.

• Extensive engagement with the Whadjuk community; an innovative process of collaboration to create an authentic cultural experience. The sharing of cultural knowledge from the Whadjuk people has inspired strong themes of place, people, animals and landscape, with these themes and stories influencing many of the elements within Yagan Square.

• Public and stakeholder consultation.

• An integrated design team that included lead architects, landscape architects, artists and specialist designers working to develop a unique cultural place, which engages with Whadjuk stories,

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INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO

6 address significant engineering challenges, enhance sustainability and character and reflect the local topography and landscape.

The landmark 45m digital tower’s giant circular screen showcases cultural stories and the western Australia’s great landscape, as well as major sporting events.

Digital design process The design process has provided ASPECT Studios with the opportunity to test new avenues of design collaboration and documentation through BIM and 3D modelling for design, construction and fabrication.

The water feature includes integrated sculptural art elements set in carved stone paving, modelled using Rhino 3D and documented for construction in Revit.

The use of digital 3D documentation on Yagan Square enabled a seamless collaboration process with the architectural team, water feature artist Jon Tarry and the engineering design team from concept right through to documentation phases.

The digital model was provided for information to the lead contractor and stone suppliers.

Sourcing materials – special requirements The stone was quarried in Western Australian

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and was handcarved in South East Asia.

Approximately 170m2 of custom carved stone was installed.

The use of local stone creates landscape connections; moments of ecological value that contribute to a larger story, to connect the city with its prior landscape. Also, Western Australian tree species not typically commercially grown needed to be grown from seed off site and then transplanted.

Challenges to overcome One of the significant challenges for the project team was the creation of a new public space and buildings on top of two underground railway lines.

One railway line was at the beginning of its dive into a tunnel system and as such the main central landscapes sit directly on this steeply angled tunnel, ensuring little scope for soil depth and tree planting in these areas.

Most of the landscape areas sit either on top of infrastructure or on top of built form, creating a complex podium landscape, relying on intensively integrated design with engineers and architects to ensure a successful design outcome. Multiple green infrastructure techniques were required including lightweight soils, void formers, peddle systems for pavement and strata vault systems for trees.

Client Delivered by the Western Australian Government through the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) Build time 2 years Size of project 1.1ha Project value £40,895,400 ($73.5m Australian dollars) Principal architect Lyons in association with iredale pederson hook Landscape architects ASPECT Studios Retail architects Maddison Architects Artists Jon Tarry, Sharyn Egan, Paul Carter, Helen Smith, Jeremy Kirwin Ward and Tjyllyungoo – Lance Chadd Technical WSP, Aurecon and Waterform International Arborist Arbour Carbon Digital lighting Ramus Illumination Art & cultural advisors Malcolm McGregor, Material Thinking and Richard Walley Builder DORIC Group 1 “The Waterline” water sculpture ©Peter Bennetts 2 L awn Terraces overlooking William Street Mall ©Peter Bennetts 3 View from ‘The Pool’ towards the ‘Cascade’ ©Peter Bennetts 4 The meeting place, central amphitheatre with digital canopy ©Peter Bennetts 5 The Pool’ and ‘Cascade’ ©Gary Peters 6 View from William Street Mall ©Peter Bennetts

ASPECT STUDIOS ASPECT Studios is a multidisciplinary team of designers, landscape architects and designers connected by a focus on bringing together place, landscape, its history, social rituals and cultural significance.

W: www.aspect-studios.com

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MATERIALS P40 Focus Modern softwood treatment techniques

P45 Street furniture How we socialise and share public space

P48 Surfaces for play areas Pros and cons of the wide range of options

P50 Topsoil British Sugar Topsoil’s manufacturing process

MATERIAL FOCUS

MODERN TREATED SOFTWOODS Alfresco Floors describe how softwood is treated to make it as attractive and durable as hardwood, yet a more affordable and sustainable option

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he market for decking has gradually become immune to rot or decay for at least 40 years – more sophisticated. In the past, there was even in permanent contact with water. little choice of material. Not only were This timber is still widely used in the UK, but today hardwoods difficult to find, they predominantly for sub-frame construction as its pale, were also difficult to afford, to loose grained look has slightly lay and to justify from an fallen out of favour.

MATERIAL BENEFITS ecological perspective.

The richer, darker tones of • Treated softwoods are As the production of expensive hardwoods have quicker and easier to install hardwood became more always been popular, and while than hardwoods regulated and more sustainable, there are several FSC approved • Treated softwoods have very most decking in the UK was hardwoods now available (Ipe and little thermal movement so still made from softwoods, Cumaru for example) they can still decks can be created with chemically treated to make be costly. So, inevitably, the quest much smaller gaps between them last. to turn cheaper softwoods into the boards than when using a composite alternative Notable exceptions in those something that looks and behaves • Treated softwoods can be early days of poorly treated like a hardwood has continued. maintained at their original softwoods (and still popular The tantalising process is still colour or allowed to weather today) are products such as used in timber growing countries, down to a much more natural DuraPine. This brand uses but the preservatives used now ‘silver white’ surface American Southern Yellow Pine, are much more likely to be water • Treated softwoods are which has a naturally open cell based and toxin free. A good normally made darker by structure making it receptive to example of modern tanalised the preservative process so absorbing liquids. timber is Kebony. look more like the high-end The preservative ‘tanalising’ Manufactured in Norway, hardwood alternatives process is done particularly (but using knot free, clear grade well in the USA, and this effective Radiata Pine from New Zealand) combination of treatment and timber means that Kebony boards have won numerous environmental DuraPine is tanalised right through to the heart awards and their timber is guaranteed rot free for of every length and is currently guaranteed as more than 20 years.

More recently onto the market, but also using the FSC Radiata Pine, Accoya employs a different, but equally non-toxic preservative in their tanalising process. Instead of the rich brown tones of Kebony, Accoya treated timber is much lighter and takes paint particularly well – and is popular in the joinery industry. The Accoya process is so effective at preventing any rot, decay or mould growth on the timber that the boards are guaranteed for 50 years Grad invisible fixings clip system life outdoors.

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MATERIALS

MATERIAL FACTS • Softwood timber is more plentiful, more sustainable and more affordable than hardwood alternatives • Softwood timber can be treated to improve its performance as a decking or cladding material and is guaranteed rot free for up to 50 years • Tanalised timber is created by using negative and positive pressure to suck and push preservatives all the way through the boards • Thermo-treated timber is created by heating the boards in huge ovens which removes most of the moisture and all sugars Finally, the other choice for decking friendly softwood is thermo treated. This process places raw softwood boards into an oven where the moisture and the sugars are cooked out of the timber. This is, effectively, a preservative free process.

As a result, the timber is resistant to thermal expansion or contraction (because most of the water has been removed) and is resistant to rot or algae growth (because there are no sugars to feed on).

The latest treated softwoods can now exceed the strength and durability of hardwoods like Oak, Iroko, Sapele and Teak – but they can be manufactured for a fraction of the cost. Teak, for example, is around four times the price of Thermo-Ash, and there are obviously fewer sustainability issues to consider.

This gives the timber decking and cladding industries materials that look as good as the pricier alternatives, but perform better in terms of durability and dimensional stability. These boards can live outside for decades with no sign of decay and no significant warping or movement issues.

FOCUS ON

SOFTWOODS

CASE STUDY ONE NILE STREET, LONDON

Alfresco Floors were commissioned to refurbish the external terraces of several top floor apartments located on Nile Street, close to Old Street, London. The brand new Grad invisible fixings clip system was supplied and installed by Alfresco Floors – the company’s first Grad installation in the UK. The clip and groove design at the heart of the system means that decks can be installed more quickly.

The Grad system can be retrofitted onto existing timber joists, installed from scratch on top of a new timber sub-frame, or mounted onto the bespoke rail system – where finished build-ups as low as 50mm are possible.

Designed and manufactured in France, Grad have been refining and improving their invisible fixings system since 1988. Alfresco Floors are the sole importers of the Grad invisible fixing products in the UK.

˿

Tanalising: A QUICK GUIDE Tanalising is a common method of treating softwoods. The timber is placed into an airtight bath of preservative, then vacuum and pressure are used to suck and push the chemicals into the timber. A simple test to confirm the effectiveness of any timber treatment is to cut off an end and see how far the preservative goes into the wood. If the whole exposed surface is the same colour as the outside, that means it’s been well tanalised, to the heart of the timber. If the outside colour goes only a little way into the timber, that means it’s been tanalised quickly and cheaply, so any cut and exposed parts of the timber will rot quickly, and even the treated areas will start to fail after a few winters.

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Project Nile Street Location London Product Supplied Grad invisible fixings clip system Project status Completed November 2017

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MATERIALS

Project Royal Opera House Location London Product Supplied Grad invisible fixings clip system Architect Stanton Williams Project status Completed September 2018

CASE STUDY TWO ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, LONDON A project to revamp a large decking area at London’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden involved the use of 600 square metres of treated softwood.

The fifth floor area overlooking the Piazza had been a hardwood deck for 25 years, but when Stanton Williams Architects were asked to oversee the development, a new deck was an integral part of the plan.

Originally a rest area for staff at the Royal Opera House, the new decking area was to

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be repurposed as part restaurant, part relaxation area, part meeting space and part open air dance training studio.

Due to the increased demands on the new decked surface and because it was to become a partly public space there were additional concerns from a technical and aesthetic perspective.

Outdoor flooring specialists Alfresco Floors recommended retaining the existing joist structure and using their Grad invisible fixings deck system to provide a new treated softwood surface.

The low build up height of the Grad system also meant that Alfresco Floors could install all the rails, clips and boards onto the existing joists with little change to the original floor height.

The Grad system uses a patented clip fixing which locks into specially milled grooves along the underside of each board, leaving no fixings on show either on the surface or in the gaps between each board.

There are currently four treated softwoods which are manufactured to fit Grad –

Thermo-Pine, Thermo-Ash, Accoya and Kebony. Stanton Williams opted for the rich brown tones of Kebony, having seen how it eventually weathers down to a soft silver surface.

ALFRESCO FLOORS Alfresco Floors specialises in the supply of 20mm porcelain tiles, concrete paving, timber and composite decks. These are usually installed as raised floors on terraces and balconies, or as commercial hard landscaping.

W: www.alfrescofloors.co.uk

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04/10/2018 13:40

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04/10/2018 15:35

Nomow Artificial Grass is the Perfect Choice for Play Surfaces Creative, fun and engaging play areas get plenty of use from children, thats why Nomow installations are built to last!

Real grass will rapidly deteriorate if used for more than 6 hours per week. Wherever children play, Nomow products are the perfect choice for durability.

Nomow products are available with a shock absorbent under layer. ‘Nomow Safe’ is designed for use under play equipment to provide fall height protection for children, certified to BS EN 1177:2008.

Nomow products are widely used in schools, local authority parks and play areas. Architects, engineers and play equipment installers specify Nomow products exclusively because we are the best.

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Contact Nomow today for a free site survey.

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Trovia provides a bespoke, consultancy led service aimed at designers, landscapers and architects.

We offer Italian porcelain products curated to bring beauty, colour, texture and practicality to a wide range of external and internal settings.

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MATERIALS

STREET ©Júlia Martins Miranda

FURNITURE

Romy Rawlings, UK business development manager at urban outdoor furniture company Vestre, looks at how the landscape , and more specifically, street furniture contributes to how we socialise and share our diminishing public space

J

ust 50 years ago, there were 2.5bn people on the planet; by 2050, we will have passed the 9bn mark. Globalisation is making the world a smaller place, which means we must be more willing to share space more equitably. Just a few years from now, 70% of people will live in urban areas. As a result, in many places, we are seeing increased antagonism between people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This means we must start thinking differently about how our towns and cities will function.

In many countries, efforts are made to make cities safer by adding more surveillance cameras, closing parks, employing more police, and adopting hostile architecture.

This may bring a sense of security, but it’s false. Safe cities are those with people in the

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streets, both during the day and at night: this is what provides real security. The need for open and democratic outdoor spaces will become more important in the future and the best way to discourage antisocial behaviour is to allow people to meet, sit and share experiences.

We must counter the idea that the existence of accessible meeting places in towns and cities leads to anti-social behaviour.

If, for example, a community experiences that its young people fall by the wayside, drop out of school and can’t get a job, it certainly can’t help if they sit cooped up alone becoming more and more frustrated. It must be better to create a sense of belonging to the community rather than magnify their sense of exclusion.

Can a few public benches really change the entire use and value of a space? Yes, they can

– this has been proven many times. But their design, type and position requires thoughtful and professional planning, or they’ll simply remain unused and become targets of abuse.

We must also refuse to tolerate hostile design. If there is rough sleeping in a park, it’s a bigger problem than can be dealt with by urban designers. It shouldn’t be their job to design outdoor areas with spikes and other obstacles to keep the weakest members of society off our streets. Or render a seat almost unusable to those who need it most – particularly as we live in an increasingly ageing population.

Finally, the ‘broken window theory’ is worth remembering: simply maintaining items in good condition – and that includes street furniture – will prevent a space becoming more degraded over time, as everyone cares less.

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MATERIALS

WOODBLOCX

ARTFORM URBAN

WoodBlocX have helped to create a striking outdoor sociable space at the Unite Stratford One site, London. Comprising more than 1,000 flats, the brief was to provide a functional outdoor space across the building’s rooftop podiums and terrace. WoodBlocX components are made in five different sizes and work in the same way as bricks.

Any capping and angled parts are pre-mitred, cutting build time and eliminating the need for sawing, drilling and disposing of waste. www.woodblocx.co.uk

Artform Urban supplied street furniture for the Tiber Square project in Liverpool, inspired by the Tiber Young People’s Steering Group (TYPSG) and funded by a £100,000 grant from a national scheme.

Artform Urban Furniture were asked by The Greenhouse Project to supply robust but inspiring picnic sets for the new development. The products chosen were the Twin picnic sets which includes the Twin Bench and the Mizar Seat from the company’s Metalco range. www.artformurban.co.uk

ARTFORM URBAN

STREETLIFE

Artform Urban supplied street furniture for a £120,000 project at the Redrock leisure development for Stockport County Council.

Products installed include MultipliCITY seats and benches, illuminated Big Harris benches and bespoke Sedum roof cycle shelters.

The products were chosen for their appearance and durability.

The MultipliCITY seating and benches have an anodised aluminium frame which provides the level of detail and strength required. www.artformurban.co.uk

Streetlife produced a range of tree products to enhance the shopping facilities at the Fort Retail Centre in Glasgow. The company’s oval tree isles, and accompanying tree grilles, are designed to make large paved areas more welcoming by creating green resting areas and focal points. Both products feature Corten steel and this contrasts with the cladded built surroundings. www.streetlife.nl

UNITE STRATFORD ONE, LONDON

REDROCK, STOCKPORT

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TIBER SQUARE, LIVERPOOL

FORT RETAIL CENTRE, GLASGOW

www.futurearc.co.uk

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MATERIALS

PLAY SURFACING Wetpour surfacing, Devonport Park

P

Wetpour surfacing, Devonport Park

CASE STUDIES

lay surfacing can generally be classified into three main types: synthetic; loose fill materials and grass.

Synthetic surfaces, such as wetpour and artificial grass are laid in-situ, as tiles or as carpets, and are made from recycled or virgin materials. These provide a neat, often colourful finish, but have higher installation and repair costs requiring professionals, can be hotter to touch in summer and some evidence suggests friction burns and long bone fractures are more common than with loose alternatives.

Loose fill materials, including wood products, sand and gravel have no binders holding them together and are generally made from natural materials. These give a more casual, rustic appearance, offer additional play value, are generally less expensive and easier to install, drain well and with adequate depth (min. 200– 300mm generally) can give greater fall protection.

However, they are not suitable for moving equipment, require containment and more

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Wetpour surfacing, Morecambe, Lancaster City Council

long-term maintenance (replenishing, raking and levelling) as they are prone to displacement and degradation.

There is no ‘perfect’ surface; it is a balance between long and short-term costs, aesthetics, play value, accessibility, safety and maintenance.

Below is a summary of some of the different types of play surface and things to consider.

Wet pour Poured in place rubber surfaces are smooth and cushioned, can be flat or contoured, are generally long lasting with minimal maintenance, are accessible to wheelchairs and prams and are available in multiple colours and patterns, providing additional play value.

However, they require a specific base and edging, are expensive, difficult to lay and repair, and can be prone to frost and ice in the winter.

Rubber grass matt Honeycomb matting that is easy to install with minimal preparation, allowing grass to grow through, providing a non-slip,

Wetpour surfacing, Devonport Park

accessible, all-year, impact absorbing, relatively low-cost solution. However, grass establishment can be patchy, and it needs to be maintained.

Rubber tiles Interlocking rubber mats or tiles laid over a level base are generally long lasting, colourful and accessible with minimal maintenance. However, they require a suitable base, are relatively expensive to install, can be subject to vandalism/lifting and edges can curl, creating trip hazards.

Rubber bound mulch Recycled rubber shreds bonded with resin to provide a long-lasting, colourful, bouncy surface which can be laid onto any surface with minimal preparation. It provides a porous, textured, slip-resistant, accessible surface all year and can be laid flat or contoured and requires little maintenance. However, you can see initial dislodgement of rubber shred and weeds may develop if the surface is not maintained/cleaned periodically.

STAR RUBBER SOUTH STREATHAM COMMON, LONDON Star Rubber Environmental were involved in a £800,000 rebuild of an open park on South Streatham Common in London. The company was asked by Ground Control to carry out Tiger Mulch installation works to the play spaces in the project. Working closely with the Ground Control team, Star Rubber completed the largescale project in 12 days. In total, 22 tonnes of base material, 20 tonnes of Tiger Mulch rubber granule and 6,820L of polyurethane binder.

Tiger Mulch, which is manufactured by Star Rubber Environmental, is a system not an individual product, made up from three key criteria; the quality coated rubber, an individually designed polyurethane binder and the specific method and tools used to install. www.star-rubber.co.uk

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MATERIALS

MATERIALS Synthetic grass, Wythenshawe Hospital

Rubber bound mulch, Ivybridge Primary School

Artificial grass When installed with a suitable shockpad, provides an attractive ‘natural’ looking, low maintenance, durable, all-weather surface. However, it is more costly to install with lower critical fall heights than some options.

Engineered wood chips Natural softwood or hardwood playgrade chips that are a screened size with minimal dust and fines.

A sustainable, natural looking solution, that is attractive, clean and non-staining, free draining and hard wearing. However, will displace and decay over time.

Engineered wood fibre Natural wood fibres are smaller than chips but still with minimal dust and fines. A sustainable solution that knits together to form a stable wheelchair and pushchair approved, free-draining safety surface with excellent impact absorption and scope for different colours. However, will displace and decay over time.

NOMOW

With such a wide range of play surfacing materials on the market, Chris Raven, a senior landscape architect at Atkins, explains some of the benefits and drawbacks of the different types available

Wetpour surfacing, Ivybridge Primary School

Natural grass, Ivybridge Primary School

Play bark Screened size with minimal dust and fines. Long-lasting, clean, non-staining, free-draining and frost-resistant, self-levelling with a pleasant aroma and more ornamental appearance than other wood products.

However, will displace and decay over time.

Gravel/grit Pea gravel provides an attractive natural look, is free-draining and will not blow away, but can be a choking hazard and cause damage when thrown. Grit, a coarse sand, offers similar properties to sand but is more free-draining and less likely to be displaced.

Shredded rubber chippings Generally made from recycled tyres, these provide a colourful, long-lasting solution that dries quickly, has high impact absorbency, does not fade, deteriorate or decompose and is cleaner and less likely to blow away than other loose wood products.

However, will displace over time and costs more than natural alternatives.

Grass A cheap to install, natural looking, accessible (if dry) surface that can provide a fall height up to 1.5m if an appropriate sward is maintained. However, little wear resistance or impact absorbency in dry conditions, scope for rutting and trip hazards, high maintenance (watering, fertilizing, weeding and cutting), limited accessibility when wet and muddy and watering can damage equipment (increasing rot and rust).

Play sand Naturally occurring silica sand that is washed and screened to avoid contaminants and staining. It provides a good, natural-looking safety surface and offers additional play value.

However, drainage and prevention of animal fouling are important considerations.

Whichever surface is chosen, it is important that it is supplied, installed and maintained in accordance with applicable standards. www.atkinsglobal.com

SWAVESEY PRIMARY SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE Nomow have completed a play area refurbishment at Swavesey Primary School in Cambridge. For most of the play area, Luxury Plus, which has a soft feel and a pile height of 40mm, was used. The product has a natural look, with subtle shades of green mixed with the dense brown thatch imitating a freshly mown lawn. Bespoke cut-out graphics of butterflies, flowers and abstract images were inserted into the surface to add interest to the play area. www.nomow.co.uk

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MATERIALS

FOCUS ON

TOPSOIL

SOIL

british sugar topsoil explains the manufacturing process of topsoil to the landscaping and construction sectors

A

s part of AB Sugar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc, British Sugar TOPSOIL was set up 20 years ago to improve the sustainability of the sugar refining process. National TOPSOIL manager Andy Spetch worked with soil scientist Tim O’Hare of Tim O’Hare Associates to design a British Standard-compliant sandy loam topsoil for general landscaping projects.

Around 200,000 tonnes of prime arable topsoil that adheres to the sugar beet brought in by farmers to British Sugar’s UK factories each year, which was previously washed away, is now used in a range of TOPSOIL products for use in the construction and landscaping industries.

The manufacturing process Between September and February, the sugar beet arrives at British Sugar’s factories in Newark in Nottinghamshire, and Wissington, Bury St Edmunds and Cantley in East Anglia. The soil is washed off the beet, aggregate larger than 2mm is removed, and the soil is then pumped into large settlement lagoons where it remains until being excavated during the spring and summer. It is then spread onto land adjacent to the lagoons where, over a twoyear period, it is regularly turned by excavators and cultivators to enable the sun and wind to dry it out.

Once dry, the soil undergoes a final blending process to produce British Sugar TOPSOIL’s range of products: Landscape20 BS3882:2015-compliant topsoil for general landscaping, turfing, and bunker construction; HortLoam premier planting topsoil for shrubs, perennials and vegetables; Sports&Turf topdressing for treating winter sports pitches and for tee construction; and LawnDressing for the care of ornamental lawns.

All TOPSOIL products, once blended, are stored under cover to ensure there is no physical degradation or depletion of nutrients and to make sure they spread easily once delivered to site.

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Trialling and analysis Specialist products, for example Sports&Turf Topdressing, designed for use in environments such as golf courses and sports pitches, undergo replicated scientific trials at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) in Bingley, West Yorkshire, to ensure they perform to exacting standards.

All TOPSOIL products are independently tested and analysed by Tim O’Hare Associates (TOHA).

Visual assessment to determine the presence of stones, weeds, roots or rhizomes of pernicious weeds is followed by the regular and frequent testing of soil samples by a UKAS and MCERTS-accredited laboratory to confirm the composition and fertility of the soil and the absence of contaminants. As an absolute minimum all topsoil should meet the requirements of British Standard 3882:2015 for topsoil. British Sugar TOPSOIL products are tested over and above this requirement, with the following parameters measured: • particle size analysis • soluble sulphate, and stone content elemental sulphur, acid • pH value volatile sulphide • electrical conductivity • total cyanide and total values (CaSO4 and water (mono) phenols extracts) • total petroleum • major plant nutrients hydrocarbons (N, P, K, Mg) (C10-C40) • organic matter content • speciated PAHs (US • heavy metals (As, Ba, EPA16 suite) Br, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, • aromatic and aliphatic Ni, Se, V, Zn, B) TPH (C5-C35 banding) • BTex • asbestos The results of these tests are presented in a Certificate of Analysis. All TOPSOIL production sites are inspected on a biennial basis by TOHA and, at the last inspection, were certified free of Japanese knotweed and horsetail.

BRITISH SUGAR TOPSOIL A major UK supplier of BS3882:2015 topsoil to the landscape, construction and amenity sectors. British Sugar TOPSOIL is a BALI registered affiliate member and sponsors the BALI, SGD and Pro Landscaper Awards.

It is also a member of the Plant Network, the IOG, and a BIGGA Education Supporter.

W: www.bstopsoil.co.uk

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