A playable, flexible and verdant landscape for a new housing development connects residents with nature and their community.

  
    Type
    Housing, Play, Community Engagement, Landscape Management
  
    Location
    Bow, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
  
    Scale
    1.2 ha (12,000 sqm)
    
Playable landscape serving 413 new homes
  
  Client
    Peabody

  
    Partners
    Cary Jones Chapman Tolcher, PTAL
  
    Status
    Phase 1 Completed 2015 

      Phases 2-3 Completed 2017

    RIBA Stages
    2-7
  
    Awards
    Residential Development of the Year - Wharf Property Awards 2016

Ambition

To create a multi-functional, intimate and verdant space

The aspiration for the landscape design was to bring a green character to this urban setting, transforming what was previously an industrial site into a flexible space where a new community can flourish.

Impact

A Social Landscape

The landscape has created a green oasis, where the new community can meet their neighbours and enjoy time with friends and family.

Connection with Nature

A lush courtyard will be enjoyed by everyone, everyday. A pathway that roams its full length provides a link from residents’ front doors to the local rail station and an opportunity to engage with nature on the way to school or work.

APPROACH

A Focus on Play and Enjoyment Outdoors

The landscape is designed for the enjoyment of all ages. The flexibility of the space allows for multiple uses, essential for its longevity as the community evolves over time. Opportunities for children to play have been holistically integrated into the courtyard.

A series of green ‘rooms’ are defined by belts of planting. They punctuate the length of the courtyard and provide intimate spaces to play or relax outside.

Sensitive Plant Management

Plants are allowed to grow according to their natural habits, creating greater seasonal variation and a rich sensory palette. People using the outdoor space throughout the year will experience seasonal changes in colour, texture, scent and wildlife.

Starter gardening kits were gifted to new residents.

Community Engagement

Engaging Residents with the Landscape

A gardening initiative aims to create a sense of pride, ownership and community cohesion. Starter gardening kits and planting workshops were provided for residents, showing them how to cultivate herbs and bulbs in their own balcony boxes. This planting brings colour and scent to the edge of the development.