Greenwich Social Housing

Client: Greenwich Builds/ Royal Borough of Greenwich | Location: London | Size: 230 homes across 11 sites | Status: Batch 1A (16 homes) complete

Awards: Winner – 2020 EG Property Award, Shortlisted – 2022 Housing Design Award, AJ Architecture Awards – Housing & AJ100

Project Team: Architects – ShedKM, Main Contractor – Elkins Construction Ltd

BCAL are appointed as Landscape Architects for this ground-breaking 100% affordable social housing scheme for Greenwich Builds. The first 11 sites involve over 200 homes, which are all being delivered as modular units, built off-site by Ideal Modular Homes, Mod Pods and Rollalong Ltd

BCAL have worked closely with the team to handle all aspects of the landscape elements of the scheme including representing landscape matters at public consultation, planning committees, design review panels, discharge of planning conditions, tender packages, construction/ as-built packages and site inspection.

Planning History:

The sites all individually respond to London Plan Policy H2: Small Sites and demonstrate how small, underutilised garage sites can be adapted to fulfil housing needs across London and beyond. The new homes all exceed the Nationally Described Space Standards and achieve a betterment to carbon neutral. The schemes were all approved at Planning Committee in Q1 2020.

The scheme in more detail:

The scheme provides for many of the families and individuals most in need of housing in the area and delivers significant improvements to the existing public realm with additional or improved space for play and recreation, for the benefit of new and existing residents alike. All homes are designed to achieve net zero and are built using volumetric modular offsite modern methods of manufacture and utilise timber frame construction.

A key aspiration was to challenge design stereotypes of socially rented housing, focusing on quality and generosity of inside space. Despite the constrained nature of the infill sites, homes have been designed with large, picture windows to maximise natural light. Living areas and bedrooms have been designed with views connecting to the gardens and communal outdoor areas. Window arrangements, tree planting and adjacencies to pavements strike a balance between individual privacy and connections to the street.

Designs maximise private amenity and play space, with front and rear private gardens, as well as new, improved landscaping and lighting. Improved public realm links the houses, which are set back from the main residential road. Materials have been used to create a fresh contemporary presence whilst being sensitive to the surrounding context.

At Strongbow Road, specialist foundation details allowed for the retention of two large mature Hornbeam trees to the front of the site giving a welcoming sense of place to the streetscape. At Bowness Close, privacy is provided with a mixture of gated brick walls to external spaces, trees to the front to screen views in and out and angled windows at first floor level. Pulteney Mews has been activated through a new planted pedestrian priority street, improving new connections with existing facilities in the local neighbourhood.

Wheatsheaf Walk

Year of Completion: 2021

Budget: £178,000

Client: West Lancashire Council

Project Team: BCA Landscape

Wheatsheaf Walk is a further phase of public realm improvements to Ormskirk Town Centre, following on from Aughton Street (2008) and Moor Street (2015) to create a co-ordinated palette of high quality natural materials that compliment the architecture of this historic market town.

Working in collaboration with both West Lancashire Borough Council (WLBC) and Lancashire County Council, (LCC) a consistent approach has been agreed across the three projects over 12 years.

BCA Landscape worked up to Tender Stage with Ian Brew QS consultancy. The project was delivered on site by WLBC staff, with Arcus Consulting and Contractors Cubby.

The project provides new granite and porphyry paving, granite and timber seating, festoon lighting and planting focussed round a retained artwork pebble mosaic.

Every opportunity was taken to make the adjacent retail and commercial units more accessible from street level.

Vantage Point

Year of Completion: 2016

Client: Essential Living

Project Team: BCA Landscape

Working closely with Essential Living, Architects GRID and interior designers Woods Bagot, the top of the building was transformed into a communal amenity facility with a wide range of indoor and outdoor opportunities for work, rest and play to help foster a sense of community and collective endeavor.

Externally there are growing areas, an outdoor kitchen, extensive seating including loungers and a range of planting habitats which creates a sheltered haven for people and wildlife. Subtle lighting extends the period of use into the evenings and external materials compliment the architecture and interiors.

Spaces were designed to be sub-divided for private exclusive hire and wi-fi boosters and power were provided to allow use of lap-tops for working from home.

Lytham Mussel Tank

Year of Completion: 2018

Client: Lytham St Annes Civic society Flyde Borough Council

Project Team: BCA Landscape

The brief evolved through community consultation to celebrate the local fishing industry’s need to cleanse mussels before sending them to market. The design uses strong geometric paving to evoke the original character of low brick plinths (on which the mussel bags were placed) and providing a seafront destination for community enjoyment. Interpretation boards on the (original) perimeter walls summarise the story of the industry and the Ribble estuary, and there are panels of ceramic tiles produced by the local Sixth Form College which illustrate local scenes. Planting areas reflect the local flora using bespoke seed mixes.

West End Gardens

Year of Completion: 2010

Client: Lancaster City Council , Morecambe Town Council

Project Team: BCA Landscape, Birse Coastal

A major new 1 Ha public park for Morecambe at West End Gardens together with a new 1.5km promenade at Sandylands as part of the £28million coastal defence scheme. The scheme is part of a wider area regeneration initiative by the West End Partnership as developed in full consultation with the local community, and was launched with a community celebration party.
The project was delivered under a partnering arrangement with Lancaster City Council and Birse Civils. BCA Landscape are delighted that the park has become the regular home for the annual Make My Day! FREE festival jam-packed with things to make and do during which the promenade is transformed into a creative theme park for the day.

It is a celebration of making and doing things which brings the community together, particularly focussed on inter-generational activities, which has been running for a number of years.

A-Y of Manx

Year of Completion: 2013

Client: The Douglas development partnership, The department of infrastructure

Project Team: BCA Landscape

The A-Y of Manx is an artwork commissioned by Douglas Development Partnership, funded by the Town and Village Regeneration Scheme and driven forward by the Douglas Regeneration Committee. The artwork illustrates 24 subjects related to the Isle of Man, some of which are well-known and obvious such a “Manx Cats”, “TT” and “Kippers” and some which are a little more obscure such as the “Giant Elk” and “Ogham”.

The Natural Stone Awards, held once every two years, recognise excellence in the natural stone industry. The judges said:

‘The stonework brings brightness and light into the heart of the Island’s capital. The results are already lifting and enhancing the area, instilling pride and commitment across a diverse range of retailers’.

Eberle Street

Design Team: BCA Landscape, AMEY

Eberle Street has long been established as the heart of the LGBT Community here in Liverpool, comprising of multiple night clubs, bars and the once world famous Garlands nightclub. As it stood, the street infrastructure was unloved with poor paving, lighting and cellar doors making for an environment that didn’t appeal to pedestrians during the day, and created obstacles for the high footfall after dark.

BCA Landscape created a unique identity to the once undesirable street, through the use of a bespoke contemporary paving and matching lights, with subtle hints to Judy Garland’s ‘Yellow Brick Road’ dotted along the route. The use of a strong geometric pattern draws people up the street and along the way can be found bespoke paving units which have key characters and elements of the ‘Wizard of Oz’, from the iconic red shoes to Toto and even the famous Emerald City.

‘’Eberle Street is a hub of Liverpool’s night time economy and LGBT community so its redesign required an imaginative approach that had the verve and style to celebrate its unique position and elevate it to a prominence it richly deserves. Once complete it will also greatly enhance the experience of the Commercial District and promote the north-south walking routes between the district and the rest of the city centre. As the nation recently saw with Granby Street’s Turner Prize winning transformation, meaningful regeneration has to be led by those who live and work in that area and the input from the business community has been a key part of the entire process.’’ – Jim Gill, Chairman of the Commercial District BID,
which represents more than 850 businesses

Princes Avenue

Budget: £4m

Design Team: BCA Landscape, Amey, Friends of Princes Avenue, LCC

Awards: LCR Culture & Creativity Award – Impact WINNER, Environmental Sustainability

In recent months, the historic boulevard at Princes Avenue in Toxteth has been undergoing a dramatic and stunning transformation.

Princes Boulevard is much more than a new cycle route, it is a jewel in the crown of Liverpool 8 and an Avenue steeped in the history of both Toxteth and Liverpool as a whole.

In 19th century Liverpool the avenue was full of upper class merchants all making their trade and wealth in the thriving city port. Nearby is the area of land now known as Princes Park, which is a popular destination for walkers, families and tourists alike as part of their L8 area exploration.

As part of the redevelopment, L8’s remarkable heritage is being recognised in a series of installations along the boulevard, creating a unique journey through the area’s history.

The new look boulevard includes public art and installations designed through community work with BCAL & ‘The Friends of Princes Avenue’ and referencing key aspects of L8’s rich heritage from the many clubs which used to be in the area to its myriad religious buildings, and the legacy of Liverpool’s role as a major port city. By installing the 1km long cycle path within the central reservation, a first for Liverpool, the scheme’s aim is to improve cycle connectivity between south Liverpool and the city centre.

“The Princes Avenue/Road scheme looks absolutely amazing. The boulevard is arguably now one of the most beautiful in the country and is going to transform how the wider Toxteth community interact and use this reimagined space.” – Councillor Sharon Connor, LCC.

Rotunda Community Campus

Budget: £80,000

Project Team: BCA Landscape

Awards: Landscape Institute 2016, Echo Environment Awards

Created on a piece of semi-derelict brownfield land, this is a new community garden we designed, raised funds for and volunteered to help build. It provides our client with opportunities for training and qualifications for gardeners; improves community links; enables wheelchair-friendly access; incorporates a kitchen garden to link with their cafe; whilst promoting the concept of growing and eating fresh fruit and vegetables.

Soft landscape: New planting includes – over 150 new native trees, over 1,000 Native Hedgerow species, more than 10,000 new Bulbs and woodland understorey plants and over 1,000 perennials and shrubs that are attractive to insects and pollinators.

Hard landscape: Recycled stable tiles and yorkstone were reclaimed from a local salvage yard to create new hard standing areas. Upcycled furniture was made locally.

“The transformation of this fabulous country garden represents the regeneration of the community at large. This garden is a catalyst for the rejuvenation of Kirkdale – we’re breathing new life into the area and providing increased opportunities for young and old alike.” – Maxine Ennis, CEO of Rotunda