We were appointed by a design and build contractor to provide landscape architecture services for this new-build residential and ground-floor retail development. Our services covered the discharge of landscape planning conditions, tender information and the full construction information package.
The 1,250m² brownfield site previously accommodated a parade of shops and associated car parking. One notable tree sits within the site boundary. The site forms the northern edge of an established housing estate, with Malmesbury Road located immediately to the north.
Our landscape architects developed the proposals from a consented scheme by Staton Cohen Landscape Architects. We subsequently developed the landscape design to satisfy the requirements of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
The ground floor accommodates a single retail unit, together with residential servicing and storage areas. Above, the building roof accommodates photovoltaic panels, service access routes and an area of biodiverse planting. The landscape strategy therefore combines amenity, sustainability and biodiversity within a compact urban site.
To the west, we created a new children’s play space. The play area includes play equipment, picnic tables, grass areas and new planting. Furthermore, we retained a semi-mature tree at the north-west corner of the space. Our landscape architecture team carefully coordinated the surrounding levels to protect the tree and support its long-term health.
At the north-east corner, we created an attractive enclosure for the electrical substation. This approach integrates necessary infrastructure into the wider landscape design while maintaining the quality of the residential environment.
To the east, we created a new pedestrian thoroughfare. This route connects the existing housing estate to Malmesbury Road. Alongside the footpath, new benches and planting provide amenity and improve the pedestrian environment.
In addition, the landscape design incorporates a sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) feature west of the footpath. The SuDS feature intercepts surface water from the adjacent areas of hardstanding. Consequently, the landscape scheme contributes to sustainable surface water management while providing additional landscape interest.
We also carefully developed the levels north of the building in consultation with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. All pedestrian routes comply with relevant Part M accessibility requirements. In particular, we introduced a double-height kerb along the Malmesbury Road frontage. This solution provides a comfortable crossfall for pedestrians while responding to the existing highway levels.
Finally, we carefully coordinated the location of the refuse collection drop kerb. The design considered both finished levels and refuse-bin drag distances. This ensured that the landscape design supported practical servicing requirements while maintaining an accessible and well-integrated public realm.
Overall, the project demonstrates our experience as landscape architects delivering residential developments, public realm, play spaces, planting, SuDS and detailed construction information within constrained urban sites.
Landscape Institutes Work Stages: 4a to 6
Client: London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Architect: Delta Architects
Developer/ Contractor: Formation Design and Build