AR7P25-AR7P24 - Design Thesis Unit 14 - Pierre & Pereen D’Avoine Zimmie Sutcliffe - 5th year - 18015382
Contents p.2-7 - Exercise 1: Oral History: narratives of exchange incl miniature, mapping and ethnographic Investigations
p. 8-11 - Exercise 2: Romney Marsh Churches and their settings
p.12-15 - Exercise 3: Enchanting Place
p.16-21 - Exercise 4: Urban Room & mapping
p.22-31 - Exercise 5: Inventing the Brief & initial site research
p. 32-39 - Exercise 6: Developing a masterplan & festival programme for the Becontree estate
p. 38-43 - Exercise 7: Final Becontree Festival & masterplan proposals
p.44-55 - Exercise 8: Proposals for a Becontree Urban Room, community & youth centre
p.56-62 - Urban Room Technical design: Structures, materials & environmental performance
p.63-65 - Urban Room visual proposals: Experiencing the Urban Room in context
p.66-101 - Appendix: Site research & photography
p.102-115 - Appendix: Key precedent & research
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Exercise 1: Oral histories, mapping & ethnographic investigations
Walking route & nodes map, 1:10,000 @ A1 The green line shows the route I walked in my initial investigations, with the orange representing the area of Barking & Dagenham I wish to study in more depth, focusing on the Becontree Estate. Existing nodes are highlighted in black.
Ella Hall Engagement Co-ordinator at The White House Interview date: 16.10.2019
The White House
Z.S: I’m an architecture student at The Cass and we are doing a project in barking & Dagenham this year so I just wanted to know a little bit about The White House and the role community organisations like this play in the borough
Valence House Library & Museum
E.H: Ok yeah, so The White House is a space set up by Create London that houses artists and provides work spaces for local artists. We also programme events and workshops for local residents in the community. We have two bedrooms up stairs for resident artists, a kitchen in the back as well as spaces for meetings, group workshops etc. Z.S: Is the White House open to the public or for artists and members of the community to use as a work space whenever they like?
Everyone.Everyday shop - 5 Porter’s Avenue
E.H: We have creative co-working on Wednesday afternoons for local people to use as a drop in studio or host private or group meetings, as well as our series of events, such as our poetry circle, which usually take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Beyond that we have resident artists, usually for a period of three months who live here and can use the space whenever they like.
Kingsley Hall Church & Community Centre
Z.S: Are the events you run specifically aimed at local residents or anyone who wants to come? E.H: Most of the people who come to our workshops, like our painting workshop, are very local, like a 5 to 10 minute walk away, but we also get people from across the borough coming along and even people from further afield, for example we have quite a lot of people coming to our events from Stratford, but mostly I would say it tends to be local people yes. A lot of the work we do is aimed at local artists and residents to give them opportunities that are accessible to them. Z.S: Do you have links to other community centres or similar initiatives in the borough, or do you work more independently? Also, are there attempts to connect up institutions like this across the borough to form a kind of network of community spaces? E.H: Yes, we work with local groups, we find that a lot of the people who are regulars at our events also are involved with other similar projects across the borough, for example we have a few people at our poetry circle meetings who volunteer at Kingsley Hall so we work with other places as it’s usually a good way to find people interested in our programme. Have you heard of Everyone, Everyday?...No, so they are an organisation that is involved in trying to improve community cohesion, they have 3 shops I think, there’s one on Martin’s Corner, just on the corner of the junction at the end of Valence Avenue before you turn left towards Kingsley Hall, you should go speak to them, they do really great work with local people helping them to initiate their own projects, develop their ideas for businesses, programming community events, things like that. Z.S: We are working as a group in my studio at university to investigate across the borough and have been attempting to speak to local people about life in the borough, what changes they would like to see, whether they engage with their community, do they work and shop in the borough etc and we’ve drawn up a small questionnaire to give to people we meet in the borough, do you think it would be worthwhile me giving you some copies of this survey for you to maybe give to people who come to your sessions? E.H: To be honest we’ve found people don’t particularly like it if you hand them a survey, they probably won’t fill it in, especially if they don’t know it’s there. I’d be more than happy to introduce you to some of the people who attend our workshops, if you have time to come along to one of our events? People are more than happy to talk about the borough and engage with you in conversation but it’s maybe better to do that more organically but we can help get that started. Z.S: Ok great, thanks. I was interested in coming along to one of your events anyway to see how they work and potentially speak to people there so that would be good. I have found people are not particularly responsive when I try and talk to them on the street, for example, I was just on Chitty’s Lane trying to find the blue plaque marking the first houses completed on the Becontree estate and I noticed an interesting entrance porch that I photographed, and a lady came out of her house and said “Can I help you?” in a slightly accusatory way. I explained why I was there and taking the photograph and she was quite chatty after that and filled in a survey actually, which was good, but I have noticed some resistance from people. Like I’ve seen a lot of “no leaflets” signs on letterboxes and CCTV warnings on people’s houses, suggesting they don’t really want to be bothered by strangers.
Everyone.Everyday warehouse - 47 Thames Road
Z.S: I read that you have this building for 25 years, is that correct? and how does the funding for this space and projects you run work? E.H: Yes, so this project was set up by Create London around 3 years ago and we have a 25 year lease on the property. We have a few sources of funding including Arts Council England and Barking & Dagenham Council. A lot of our support comes from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, but we are funded from a variety of sources.
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Behind Closed Doors: A miniature study of Becontree estate My response to these initial walks and conversations was through the miniature drawing, shown in full on the next page. Below shows the three key observations interrogated by the miniature; a conversation with a resident highlighting a disconnect between residents and their local community, the dis-empowering effects of the number of cars on streets, & the unseen pockets of vibrant culture hidden in this landscape of traffic & endless terraces.
The famous Becontree double entrance on Chitty’s Lane
Miniature depiction of the conversation I had at this front door
“Car city” - How “homes fir for heroes” became streets fit for parking
Cars streaming up and down Valence Avenue in my miniature
Vibrant community supper held by Everyone. Everyday
My visit to Valence House and the community activity hidden inside
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Final “Behind closed doors” miniature
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Unused green space on Becontree estate
Map of all unused green spaces 1:5,000 @ A1
The other key observation from my visits to the Becontree Estate was the amount of small green spaces left unused, many left to grow unchecked & accumulate debris. I undertook an exercise in which I documented each space along the route I had walked extensively from Dagenham Heathway station up Parsloes Avenue then Valence Avenue, ending at Chadwell Heath station. Although each space was subtly different in size, form & state I noted three common conditions, documented to the left. The following page shows a map of all these spaces and further photos of them can be found in my Green space mapping booklet. After photographing them I wanted to explore their ownership status, combined area & reasons for their state to establish what was possible to revive them.
Borough location map: 1:100,000 @ A1
Condition 1: Railings to discourage “anti social� use
Condition 2: Ambigous purpose & ownership status
Condition 3: Inaccessible due to traffic - central reservation on Valence Avenue
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Exercise 2: Romney Marsh Churches “As mentioned in the expanded introduction issued at the start of the academic year, the unit will make a short visit to Romney Marsh study its churches and the marsh terrain in which they are situated. We will make comparisons with the marsh landscape of the Thames at Barking and Dagenham. Romney Marsh is located on the south coast in the counties of Kent and East Sussex. It covers 260 square km and is a significant wetland. We would like you to study the hydraulic landscape and the history of reclamation that has taken place over the centuries. The marsh sits within a coastal stretch that includes Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich. This group of coastal towns formed the Confederation of Cinque Ports originally set up in the 13th century for military and trading purposes but now entirely ceremonial. We would like you to research the Cinque Ports and the trading role they played prior to their decline in the Elizabethan period. A major reason for their decline was the way the coastal edge has drastically changed owing to tidal erosion and silting up of rivers causing towns such as New Romney, once a port of great importance to lose its eminence. New Romney is now over two kilometres from the seafront.” (Exercise 2 brief, Pierre & Pereen D’Avoine)
West Hythe
Hamstreet
Kenardington Warehorne
9 7
Burmarsh
Newchurch 6 10 Appledore
ROMNEY MARSH
SNAVE
Dymchurch
3 Snargate
Brenzett
1 Fairfield
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5 St Mary in the Marsh
Ivychurch
St Mary’s Bay
2 Brookland 12
New Romney 11
Old Romney
Littlestone-on-sea
Marsh land on which the church sits
Signs of decay - cracks, lichen, sinking graves
WALLAND MARSH
Greatstone-on-sea
Romney Sands
13 Lydd
Lydd-on-sea
DENGE MARSH
Camber
Dungeness
Rye Harbour
Denge Beach
1. St Thomas a Becket - Fairfield 2. Church of St Augustine - Brookland 3. St Dunstan’s Church - Snargate 4. St Eanswith’s Church - Brenzett 5. St George’s Church - Ivychurch 6. St Augustine’s Church - Snave 7. St Peter & St Paul’s Church - Newchurch
8. St Mary the Virgin Church - St Mary in the Marsh 9. All Saints Church - Burmarsh 10. St Peter & St Paul’s Church - Dymchurch 11. St Nicholas Church - New Romney 12. St Clement Church - Old Romney 13. All Saints Church - Lydd
Romney Marsh Site Plan
Buttressing to give stability in the marsh land
3 different sizes, shapes of arch, all aligned off centre
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1:50,000 @ A1
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Church location
A road
Church surveyed
River/stream
Minor road
Railway line
B road
Chapel
Chancel
Nave
Section/Elevation AA 1:50 @ A1
St. Augustine’s - Grave Plan 1:100 @ A1 10
Section/Elevation BB 1:50 @ A1 11
Exercise 3: Enchanting Place
Understanding the site
“We would like you to design and make a plaster casting of an urban node within your Barking and Dagenham network, as a way of enchanting the place(s) with which you are becoming familiar. As with Malevich’s arkhitektons they may be both monumental and/ or ornamental, figurative and/or abstract. Your proposals may be modest in scale but potent in the way they charge the locale with new energy to create focal points within often prosaic surroundings.
With the brief to enchant a place I thought hard about sighting my node intervention. I felt it should be somewhere I have studied previously that I had knowledge of and be strategic in its practical and metaphorical characteristics. I chose one of the unused green spaces I had been looking at in Exercise 1, in order to test out the feasibility of reviving some of these areas. Picking a specific one of these was quite tricky as they share many of the same qualities so what makes one of them special? In the end I chose the triangle of land situated on the corner of the junction of Parsloes Avenue & Heathway. I chose this space as it is the first one I encountered on my initial walks and has strategic positioning near Heathway station and the high street, thus has high visibility to the public. I also felt it represented many of the traits of these spaces that interested me, both good and bad.
The pieces may also be conceived and made as fired ceramic or porcelain objects, but always with an indication of context in the work. Size and scale to be discussed as a unit and agreed collectively. The fonts you have studied in the Romney Marsh churches should also be an influence on your work in relation to form as well as their ritual function as vessels containing water.” Exercise 3 brief, Pierre & Pereen D’Avoine
The challenges with this site are numerous, mainly the volume from adjacent traffic, litter and debris, unkempt grass, obstructive railings; generally poor public realm and access. However, many of the other green spaces face similar challenges, which probably contributes to their state of emptiness. If my node project could achieve any level of success and public engagement in this space, I felt confident it could be replicated at most of the other similar spaces. The site is depicted below. Public access is allowed through the gate on the right of the first image, which informed the orientation of my scheme. The Becontree entrance arch to the right is an iconic feature of the estate and inspired the form of my node.
Tony Local Council worker Interview date: 10.12.2019
I spoke to Tony, a council worker who cleans streets in and around Dagenham Heathway, where my site is located. Z: Hi, excuse me, can I just ask you if you know who owns this space here? T: Hi, yeah the council owns it, why? Z: I’m an architecture student and I’m interested in leftover spaces like this, who owns them, who maintains them, why people don’t use them. I’ve noticed a lot of green spaces similar to this around the estate, does the council own all of them? T: Yes, the council owns them, this is public land. I come round every day to clean it but I’m not going to do this one today, I was only here yesterday and look at it, it’s covered in litter and leaves again already. I’ll come back tomorrow to do it. T: See, there’s no point cleaning it every day because it’s just the same again 5 minutes later cos it’s so windy. You get like a wind tunnel effect down here cos it’s so exposed and the traffic whizzing past, it just blows all this crap on here. Z: Right, so are you in charge of maintaining all these spaces across the estate? T: That’s right, I work for the council and I do all around here. I was here just yesterday and I’ve been up over the hill there (points down Heathway past the train station) this morning. Video installation, O’ Magic Power of Bleakness @ Tate Britain Mark Leckey
Z: What about these railings, are they a new addition, have they always been like this?
The Becontree entrance arch
T: Nah, they’re new. It never used to be like this, if you go online look at the estate back when it was built there was no cars like there is now, everyone had gardens, these (gestures to driveways opposite) were all gardens but everyone has just paved them over now. Z: So you live in the area then? T: I was born on the estate yeah, lived here all my life. That’s why I’ve got this job. I work for the council and it’s much easier to get a job at the council if you’re a local. Most people who work for the council live locally.
loe
Extent of the site at Parsloes Avenue
sA ven u
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Heathway
Barking & Dagenham Film Club meeting, 1959
Pa rs
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Pop-In, Pop-Out, Pop-Up collapsible cinema, Venice Omri Revesz, 2017
Traffic and physical obstructions to the site 12
Location plan, 1:2500 @ A1 13
Pop up Cinema Node
Structural exploded axonometric
After visiting the site again & speaking to Tony I began to draft ideas for the form of my node. I read about a once thriving film society in the borough and decided to propose a portable cinema to tour the unused spaces on the estate, showing archive footage of the borough, available from Valence House and BFI online.
Not to scale
The model above is one I made to test structure and skin, particularly how they would be assembled and the effects of a translucent facade in different lighting conditions. At night, the cinema would be lit internally and from the film projection, forming an illuminated beacon at a key intersection. The model above also helped me understand where to position horizontal stiffening structure and its aesthetic effects.
Fabric skin: A tensile fabric sheet stretched over the structure to provide protection from water, wind & cold. The sheet will be one piece, in an off white colour, attached to the structure with a series of metal clips.
Test structure & materiality model
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B
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Plywood frame:
A
B
Cinema seating plan, 1:20 @ A1
The primary structure of the cinema is made up of 7 arched plywood ribs; 5 internal arches and 2 end cassettes for housing electrical equipment at both ends (projector at one end, screen at the other). To minimise waste, there are only 2 variations of this structure. One is a simple 100mm x 36mm arch based on the Becontree arch shape and the second is a solid arch with a rectangle piece cut out. The extra structure at the top is where the projector is housed and the screen mounted from. A series of collapsible timber rails span between the arches to provide stiffening but also to allow the structure to fold down into one stacked piece for transportation. A pre made plastic folding door unit is plugged into the front cassette during assembly.
Plywood base: The base of the structure is a 150mm deep floor cassette formed of two 24mm ply sheets with 100mm joists between to form a sandwich structure. This piece remains as one when the structure is collapsed and moved. Two strips 20mm deep are cut in to the top surface to form tracks in which the arch structure can slot. The arches have rollers similar to sliding doors attached to their bases so can be pushed along the tracks to fold up and then lifted out as one piece. Finally, a plywood ramp can be slotted into the front of the base to allow wheelchair access. Cross sections AA & BB, structural arches, 1:20 @ A1
Tarpaulin: The first phase of assembly is similar to erecting a tent; a black tarpaulin sheet is laid on the ground and pegged in to provide a dry base for the structure to sit on. It also helps to provide a more even surface on which to place it. The pegs can then be taken out and the tarp rolled up when the structure is moved around.
Long section CC, 1:20 @ A1 14
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Surveying River Mill Lofts
Exercise 4: Urban Room @ River Mill Lofts
Courtesy of LBBD Council, namely Tamara Horbacka, we were lucky enough to be granted access to a new space in Barking, near Town Quay Wharf & Abbey Green. This space was used to display work from unit 14 last year, with more extensive plans for exhibiting work and hosting lectures this year. It is also intended that this space act as a base for unit 14 students in the borough to work from.
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In order to turn this vision into reality we had to survey the space as a group, draw it to scale & mount an exhibition of work from last years unit 14 students. This is an ongoing process, documented in the following pages, with the ultimate aim of River Mill Lofts becoming an Urban Room for Barking. All surveying, drawn and photographic, was carried out as a group. Individual drawings are credited.
3150
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“Every town and city without an architecture and built environment centre should have an “urban room” where the past, present and future of that place can be inspected. Virtually every city in China has one, in Japan they are a mix of display and meeting places, and there are successful examples closer to home like the Cork Vision Centre. These “Place Spaces” should have a physical or virtual model, produced in collaboration with local technical colleges or universities, and they should be funded jointly by the public and private sector, not owned exclusively by one or the other. Urban rooms should be connected to and supported by the regional branches of the PLACE institutions and agencies and could be branded with the name of that place (“Place Space: Sheffield” or “Place Space: Reading”, for example).” Farrell Review, 2013
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4390 300 3280
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Urban Room concept 3500
Urban Room in Sheffield
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4230 100
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Internal Layout Plan 1:50
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River Mill Lofts proposed layout, 1:50 @ A1 (By Celia Tam)
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Internal Layout Plan 1:50
Exterior Elevation 1:50
Exterior Elevation 1:50 River Mill Lofts elevation AA, 1:50 @ A1(By Celia Tam)
River Mill Lofts street facing facade
River Mill Lofts street facing facade
Surveying River Mill Lofts
Surveying River Mill Lofts
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Location plan, 1:5000 @ A1 16
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Walking route building use map
Becontree estate - Urban masterplan
1:10,000 @ A1
1:5000 @ A1 0
For my thesis project I have chosen to locate myself in the area I have been studying all year, the stretch between Dagenham Heathway and Chadwell Heath stations, namely the stretch of unused green space along Valence Avenue. The map above shows this area whilst the close up version overleaf shows the building use along this stretch in more detail.
10m
25m
50m
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Residential
Community
Community organisations & key transport links
Retail
Health
1 - Kingsley Hall Church & Community Centre 2 - Everyone. Everyday community shop
Education
Industrial
Transport Infrastructure
Ward boundary
3 - Valence House museum, library & local archive complex 4 - The White House community arts organisation 5 - Chadwell Heath station (Elizabeth line) 6 - Dagenham Heathway station (District line)
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2 1
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Rail links map
Bus routes map
1:10,000 @ A1
1:5000 @ A1 0
Above shows the rail provision in the borough, highlighting the emphasis on East-West travel that passes through the borough and a lack of NorthSouth links within the borough. Part of my thesis is to document this and investigate its effects on mobility and the locations in which residents work and relax.
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25m
50m
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KEY 62 bus route 364 bus route 128, 150 bus route 368 bus route 173, 174, 175 bus route Bus stop
Chadwell Heath
Elizabeth line eastbound: Shenfield-21mins
Chadwell Heath Elizabeth Line westbound: Stratford-16 mins Liverpool Street-25mins
Whalebone
Heath Valence Eastbrook
Becontree District line westbound: Aldgate East-22mins Cannon Street-28mins Parsloes
C2C line westbound: Fenchurch Street-14mins
Dagenham Heathway
Mayesbrook Becontree
Longbridge Barking
Dagenham East
Alibon
District line eastbound: Upminster-19mins
Upney Village
Goresbrook
Abbey Eastbury Gascoigne
Dagenham Dock
Thames
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River
C2C line eastbound (from Barking station): Southend Central-40mins Shoeburyness-49 mins
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Understanding the changing face of Valence Avenue
Proposing a new green infrastructure
Exercise 5: Inventing the brief
Understanding why Valence Avenue, and much of the wider estate are in the position they are in is complex but the images on this page begin to highlight some of the conditions that prevail and perhaps contributing factors to these. Firstly, this aerial shot shows the building of the estate itself. In many ways the present day issues began here, with 30,000 homes being built but a lack of infrastructure and other building uses painfully obvious. This is not a critique of the vision of Becontree but the sheer scale of it probably required more than the 7 pubs that where in the original plan, for example.
In response to the ambivalence of the current state of Valence Avenue, and much of the public realm across the Becontree Estate, I propose an ambitious yet locally rooted mixed use scheme to deliver retail, work space & play space driven by ecological prioritisation.
I have chosen to locate my design project on the stretch of unused green space on Valence Avenue, approximately between Chadwell Heath station in the north and the junction with Wood Lane & Parsloes Avenue to the south.
I have identified a series of challenges specific to the Becontree Estate, namely the homogeneity of use that leaves a lack of provision for retail, leisure, industry and work space that drives residents to seek these resources outside of the borough, a lack of inter borough transport connectivity contributing to parts of the estate becoming detached from the wider borough and indeed wider London, and finally a pro car environment that promotes isolation, inhibits movement and pollutes the air. I also want to address more widely applicable concerns including the lack of provision of community facilities in so called “left behind” areas and the role of construction in addressing the current climate crisis.
The diagram below shows the current configuration of this area, with a central reservation of grass approximately 6 metres wide flanked on either side by a dual carriageway approximately 5 metres wide and then a footpath approximately 4 metres wide. This arrangement continues for just over a mile, almost continuously.
Originally a temporary railway line, the green verge of Valence Avenue has not assumed a new purpose ever since. The car dominates here, for a variety of reasons but I believe the need for two dual carriageways is excessive and one of these can be claimed back, either to widen the green space and make it more functional, or to provide cycle lanes, hard landscaping, or even small shops. As the council owns all of this land there is scope to propose a vision for it that could not rely entirely on private investment and thus hopefully retain a sense of belonging to the existing population. Finally, the photo to the left shows the extent of the current “High Street”. The next nearest centre is heathway which is accessible for the southern half of the estate but the northern end lacks provision, probably contributing to car journeys out of the borough. By proposing a scheme of mixed use I aim to include provision for retail space alongside enhanced public realm and access.
Area grass verge - 1872m2 Area inc. carriageway - 3107m2 Area inc. carriageway & footpath - 4096m2
To the right I have broken this mile down into the individual sections of grass and detailed their areas as stand alone pieces of land, with the road included and then with the footpath included as well to illustrate how much space is available to me depending on what strategy I choose to follow. The total areas for all the individual stretches of grass are detailed below.
The images at the bottom of the page show examples of sustainable infrastructure and community engagement that have helped to revitalise areas, economically, environmentally and socially. Each one is only a small part of a much larger jigsaw but the seeds of similar initiatives are apparent on the Becontree, in organisations such as The White House and Kingsley Hall, which provide a foundation and reference from which I can work.
Total area grass verge - 14157m2 Total area grass inc. carriageway - 23853m2 Total area inc. carriageway & footpath - 31829m2
Area grass verge - 2777m2 Area inc. carriageway - 4594m2 Area inc. carriageway & footpath - 6036m2
Valence Avenue from above during construction of Becontree Estate, 1928
Grass verge
Road
Footpath
Area grass verge - 2890m2 Area inc. carriageway - 4822m2 Area inc. carriageway & footpath - 6923m2
Approx 1 mile
Shops on the junction of Valence Avenue, Wood Lane & Parsloes Avenue
Valence Avenue today, more cars than people
Area grass verge - 1841m2 Area inc. carriageway - 3090m2 Area inc. carriageway & footpath - 4042m2
Area grass verge - 1198m2 Area inc. carriageway - 2028m2 Area inc. carriageway & footpath - 2653m2
Area grass verge - 3579m2 Area inc. carriageway - 6212m2 Area inc. carriageway & footpath - 8079m2
10x Greener initiative on Clapton Park Estate promotes community interaction and re-wilding
Granby Street in Liverpool - economic and ecological revival in harmony 22
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Mayor of London: Green Infrastructure Report
Local Authority
Green Space Ownership & Maintenance Strategies
In 2018 the Mayor’s Office published its London Environment Strategy including a chapter on Green Infrastructure. Among a series of strategies put forward, one focused on improving access to London’s range of open green spaces through strategic placing of new connecting projects to form green corridors throughout the city. This is beneficial to both humans and wildlife in allowing them to move from one green space to another with ease. The maps below illustrate the deficiency in access to public open space across London as a whole and in Barking & Dagenham specifically. With this in mind I propose one of the elements of my scheme to incorporate new areas of public open space that connect to a wider network of such existing places.
Council maintains ownership of the park
One of the key issues in determining the success of public realm and green space initiatives is the proper planning of ownership, funding & maintenance. If this isn’t accounted for early in the process it is easy for spaces to fall into disrepair through lack of up keep. In the Mayor’s Green Infrastructure Report a number of ownership models currently in use by local authorities are described. This is not an exhaustive list but gives an insight into possible strategies for funding and maintaining open spaces.
Council devolves park maintenance budget directly to formally constituted local residents associations
The first method, shown opposite, requires a formal Residents Association to be set up to take on responsibility for maintaining a specific open space/s. Islington Borough Council has formally devolved part of its Parks budget to Local Residents Associations and handed responsibility for the up keep of specific spaces to them. This is a fairly direct way of giving power to local residents and the positives would be that local residents theoretically would have specific knowledge of the space and what it requires as well as caring strongly about it as it affects their lives directly. However, the Council maintains ownership of the space and control over its budget so conflicts between Residents Associations and councils could occur, particularly over funding. The second method, shown overleaf is a less formal arrangement where local residents can get involved with their local parks with less commitment and responsibility. This lack of liability does limit their influence though. Residents can form a “Friends of Parks” group, less formally constituted than a Residents Association which allows them to assist the council in maintaining local parks through their time, skills and local knowledge. The local authority still controls all funding, decision making and is responsible for maintenance but can encourage local residents to play a part in their community through training, advice etc. This method is likely the easiest of the three to implement, requiring less commitment from residents and less risk on the part of the Council. Barking & Dagenham
Model 3 Enterpri
Local Residents Association
Finally, the third method, also shown overleaf, is similar to the first in that the local authority devolves power to a formally constituted organisation. However, in this instance the group isn’t a Residents Association but a Co-Operative or Social Enterprise. This means it is organised more like a business and can hire people with expertise but local residents get a say in operations through electing the board, AGM’s etc. It is easier for a social enterprise to procure additional funding, expertise & plan events as they have full time workers dedicated to this but as they are not for profit any additional revenue generated is fed back into the parks themselves. In this model the Council retains ownership of the parks and provides some capital funding but the day to day management of the parks and much decision making is devolved to the Co-Operative/social enterprise who act in the interests of local residents.
Local Residents Association takes on responsibility for the maintenance of the park and other matters such as organising events
Model 2 - Isling Parks Maintena
These are just three of the potential methods of structuring the ownership, funding and management of local parks and green spaces and each has advantages and disadvantages. The next step is to take a strategic decision for Barking & Dagenham that works best in their context. I suspect a Friends of Parks style system may work best in the short term, allowing residents to get involved with less commitment, with a view to potentially procuring a co-operative or social enterprise to take control of certain spaces in the long term.
Model 3 - La Enterprises Local Authority
Areas of deficiency in access to local OR district public open spaces Areas of deficiency in access to both local AND district public open spaces
Council provides support such as training and advice to local groups
Council owns and funds maintenance of parks
Friends of Parks group Access to public open space map, 1:15,000 @ A1 The below map highlights areas in the borough of Barking & Dagenham with a deficiency in access to local and district public open spaces. Over 50% of the borough is deficient in access to either local or district public open space, if not both, with the worst access concentrated in the industrial areas just north of the Thames, and in Chadwell Heath to the north of the borough. The central part of the borough appears to fair better but this is primarily due to Parsloes Park alone as it covers a vast area right in the centre of the borough. Its quality of space and actual use is a different story and the picture above would likely look fairly different if this were to be factored in. The lack of other open spaces around the Becontree Estate means that even with the vast Parsloes Park close by much of the estate still has a deficiency of access, particularly the north half of Valence Avenue.
Friends of Parks groups supplement work done by council maintenance teams
Model 2 - Islington Parks Maintenanc
Model 3 - Lamb Enterprises
Local Authority
Council sources local social enterprises to take on management of parks
Council retains ownership of the park and provides capital funding
Social Enterprise/Co-Operative Most Co-Operatives have a board directly elected by local members
Social enterprises, as not-for-profit businesses, can seek additional capital funding from a range of sources
The social enterprise or co-operative is responsible for maintenance of the park, hiring people etc and any additional money is put back into the park, no profits are made
Areas of deficiency in access to local OR district public open spaces Areas of deficiency in access to both local AND district public open spaces 2
3
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SIMMONS DRIVE
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Valence Avenue: 752m Princes Road: 766m
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Groveway
CL BE RN AR D 'S
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ID GE
SHIPTON CLOSE
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Vehicle & pedestrian access points: 11 Pedestrian only access points: 1
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CROXTETH ROAD
EA ST PRINCES ROAD
PRINCES ROAD Y RE CA
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O GE EY AX M
EE T TR S O U TH S CORNWALLIS ROAD
HIGH PARK STREET
1 storey
VOELAS STREET
OD WO
2 storey ST RE ET
HI LL
L AL W
ST R EE T
AR OB H
TR EE T
M ER LI N
ST RE E
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AGNES GARDENS
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E EL AI N
VALENCE WOOD ROAD
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ROAD IS
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MARGERY ROAD
2 storey terrace variations
BONHAM ROAD
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U EN AV
E
BONHAM ROAD
ELIOT ROAD
VALENCE AVENUE
VALENCE AVENUE
DO RR IT
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VALENCE AVENUE
N OR TH UM BE R
UE REE AVEN BECONT
LA ND
ST RE ET
BONHAM ROAD
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LINDISFARNE
NE WOOD LA
ROAD
SHIPTON CLOSE
S DEN GAR PLE TEM
NEVILLE GARDENS
ROAD
D
BUSHGROVE ROAD
NEVILLE ROAD
BARON ROAD
SEABROOK ROAD
Groveway
MI
5
BUS HWAY
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BONHAM GARDENS
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BUSHWAY
R O A
WARR INGTO
LU KE S
HENSHAW E ROAD
Valence Avenue, Barking & Dagenham
STR EET
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E CIR CUS
WI ND SO R
ST RE E
BUSHGROVE
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WARRI NGTO N SQ UARE
KEPPEL ROAD
PO RT ER S
LN U
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UP PE R
IN G
4 storey
AYLMER ROAD
AYLMER ROAD
VI N
3 storey
FOXHILL CLOSE
CL O SE
S RCU E CI VALENC
M AU D
GRINSHILL CLOSE
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ADOMAR ROAD
TH A CK ER A Y
TR EF OI
ST R EE T
W A
EET
NE LA
Valence Avenue typical cross section, 1:500 @ A1
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R O A D
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V
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VALENC
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ST R
CE EN AL
VERNEY ROAD
WYNNSTAY STREET
FERNH ILL DRIVE
NORTH HILL STREET
TA C E
CL OS E
PO M
FR ET
HILLABY CLOSE
MADELAINE STREET
BE RK LE Y
R IN G TO
SIMMONS DRIVE
CLARIBEL STREET
Princes Road typical cross section, 1:500 @ A1
2 storey corner terraced houses
KELVIN GROVE
KELVIN GROVE
VRONHILL CLOSE
CR ES CE N T
CHARLECOTE ROAD
SE N CLO AIDA
CL O SE
N O LD
ST RE ET
AL EX
AR
W ES T
BACK KELVIN GROVE
LOUDON GROVE
PIMHILL CLOSE
AD GIBSON RO
ST RE ET
VALENCE WOOD ROAD UPPER WARWICK STREET
RI AL TO
CA RT ER
GWENT STREET
CELTIC STREET
UPPER HILL STREET
CL O SE
GIBSON ROAD
TE GA
BECONTREE AVENUE
SIMMONS DRIVE
POMFRET STREET
AD
S CE IN PR
ALEXANDRA TERRACE
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AD RO
PRINCES AVENUE
VERNEY GARDENS
PRINCES ROAD
PR IN CE S
RO AD BE VE RL EY
PRINCES AVENUE
AD RO
GA TE
N OR TH BR O OK
WINDSOR ROAD
PRINCES AVENUE
HITHERFIELD ROAD
TF ES
UC IE
WE ST O
ST RE ET
NR
OA D
Y
EY S AX EN M RD A G
JE RM YN
RO AD
BE AC O N SF IE LD
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CL O SE EL UN D
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AR
ST RE ET EV ER SL EY
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s en
ST RE ET H AT HE RL EY
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d SH ar E P are G D H ER D S FO LD
T ST RE E RO SE B
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ST R
EE T
H AR RO W BY
SELBORNE STREET
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ST RE ET H AM PT ON
IL LE N N IU M
CL O SE
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BENTRY ROAD
UP PE R
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y
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Variations of 1.5 storey/dormer bungalow terraced houses
3 storey with ground floor commercial at ends of Valence Avenue
c Lu
CL O SE
GRAFTON ROAD
BENTRY CLOSE
UP
LE Y
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SE AP O RT
CL O SE
ns Gd
HA TH ER
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ER LE Y
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FI EL D
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BE AC O NS
ST RE ET
GRAFTON ROAD
Valence Avenue - typical building types:
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CL O SE
CA W EV ER SL EY
ST RE ET
H ER B CL HI IE O GG SE I N S
BLOMVILLE ROAD
SE LB OR
CL O
D O R
RT H BR N O
D RI VE
AV E
DA VI ES
Princes Road, Toxteth, Liverpool
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ST RE ET
O OK
CL O
ST RE ET SE LB OR NE M UL GR
CL OS E
SE
AD EL E
GR AN BY
TH AM
CO LT AR T
TH O M PS O N
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RI VE
N OR STTH REBR ET OO K
TA GU S
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S DEN GAR PLE TEM
D
LE Y
E OS CL
BUSHGROVE ROAD
NEVILLE GARDENS
SEABROOK ROAD
KI NG S
CL O SE
ST RE ET
DO RR IT
PA VI LI ON
MI
AV EN UE
D
1: Harman House Counselling Centre 2: Lifeline Community Project 3: Valence Medical Centre 4: Dagenham Ummah Welfare Trust 5: Everyone. Everyday Community shop 6: Kingsley Hall Community Centre
In comparison, Valence Avenue suffers from a few issues that hold it back from being a great street but none of these are insurmountable and it does contain a number of strong elements to build on. Firstly, the built fabric is too uniform with almost the entire street being two storey terraced housing with few breaks. Importantly, this continues on the street facing façades unlike Princes Road. This lack of height means Valence Avenue lacks definition - where is its edge? It also means lower density and variety which inhibits the activation of the street. Setbacks from the pavement are similar to Princes Road at 7-10m but again, the lack of definition blurs this. Many driveways are flat and bleed directly on to the foot path whereas on Prince Road the buildings are usually higher than the footpath with steps and clearly defined walls marking the ends of gardens. This definition isn’t restrictive, it gives clarity. Although marginally narrower than Princes Road from house front to house front (45m compared to 55m) Valence Avenue feels more open and less grand due to the lack of edge definition, both from buildings and trees. My project aims to tackle this lack of clarity by giving function and purpose to the central grass strip, re arranging & re prioritising the layout of vehicle, cycle & pedestrian routes and exploring ways to give the street a stronger edge and enclosure, through measures such as new garden walls, mature tree planting, possibly even proposing additional storeys to existing homes or adding buildings to the central reservation to create two narrower streets with the same 2 storey language.
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AGNES GARDENS
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L AL W
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ROAD IS
ST R EE T
EN VALENCE WOOD ROAD
LA ND
5
BUS HWAY
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N ROA D
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E
6
3
N OR TH UM BE R
UE REE AVEN BECONT
T
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U EN AV
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VALENCE AVENUE
NEVILLE ROAD
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O GE
Pedestrian only access Pedestrian & vehicle access
0.5 miles
SE
VALENCE AVENUE
BARON ROAD
EM ER SO N
AD RO
Education building
BONHAM ROAD
AM KH AS
Where this pattern is broken the street suffers with the exception of the religious buildings that are generally in keeping with this 3-4 storey height but in a different way. Behind this relatively uniform 3-4 storey street facing facade the language is more similar to Valence Avenue with 2 storey terraced housing, cul de sacs, bungalows and small contemporary housing blocks. Again, the North side of the street is stronger with a more consistent language and higher density giving a feeling of order and cohesiveness. This is also where the Granby 4 streets project by Assemble is situated. Overall, the buildings along Princes Road have an understated grandness to them, mainly due to their verticality and uniformity. This height is not overpowering but gives a strong edge to the street and sense of enclosure without feeling restrictive.
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KEPPEL ROAD
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BONHAM ROAD
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AX M
EE T TR S O U TH S
HIGH PARK STREET
OD WO
NE LA
Health building
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ST RE ET W AR W IC K UP PE R
MARGERY ROAD
TR EET
BUSHWAY
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BONHAM GARDENS
Public green space
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ROAD
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WARR INGTO
HENSHAW E ROAD
LU KE S
FOXHILL CLOSE
500m T
Community building
ER LI N
GW EN DO LI
IN G
Religious building
VOELAS STREET
VALENC E CIR CUS
Valence Avenue, Barking & Dagenham
STR EET
S RCU E CI VALENC
AYLMER ROAD
AYLMER ROAD
VI N
CORNWALLIS ROAD
NORTH HILL STREET
ST RE ET
GRINSHILL CLOSE
M AU D
CL O SE
ST RE ET
L
Vehicle & pedestrian access points: 12 Pedestrian only access points: 9
S CU
VERNEY ROAD
WYNNSTAY STREET
FERNH ILL DRIVE
ADOMAR ROAD
SE
CL O
TH A CK ER A Y
TR EF OI
R CI
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KELVIN GROVE
ST RE ET
ST R EE T
HI LL
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W ES T
H EW
W A
UP PE R
13: Granby Workshop 14: The New Life International Mission 15: Somali Community 16: Princes Park Health Centre 17: Princes park 18: Little Angels Nursery And Pre-school
VRONHILL CLOSE
PO M
CL OS E
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BONHAM ROAD
BE RK LE Y
RO
BACK KELVIN GROVE
SE N CLO AIDA
CLARIBEL STREET
TA C E
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WI ND SO R
Another contributing factor to the success of Princes Road is the variety and height of its buildings, particularly those that face directly on to the street. The buildings are set back 7.5-9m on the North side of the street & 9-10m on the South side, with a strong regularity. A few buildings on the South side break this regularity, being set back as much as 20m to accommodate additional parking. This negatively affects the relationship of the buildings with the street as the building height to street width ratio is one of the key elements that makes Princes Road work so well. Most of the buildings on either side of the road are 3 storeys high with generous floor to ceiling heights, roof pitches, chimneys etc making them seem 3.5-4 storeys in places. On the North side the uniformity is particularly strong with every block bar two consisting of 4-5 houses of 3 storeys. These town houses are likely to be separated into multiple flats but from the street they read as one building with one entrance. The South side of the street has more variety but is still almost exclusively 3-4 storey town houses in blocks of 9-20.
17 AD
KELVIN GROVE
MADELAINE STREET
7: Crawford House College 8: Love Assembly 9: Princes Park Methodist Church & Centre 10: La Manne Cachée Church (Evangelical and pentecostal Church) 11: Methodist Youth Centre 12: Somali Welfare
AD RO
GA TE RO AD BE VE RL EY
PRINCES AVENUE
LOUDON GROVE
FR ET
HILLABY CLOSE
CHARLECOTE ROAD
RE
Comparison - building heights
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CL O SE EL AR
UN D
BE AC O N SF IE LD
CROXTETH ROAD
PRINCES ROAD
PIMHILL CLOSE
VALENCE WOOD ROAD
CR ES CE N T
ST RE ET
CL O SE
8
UPPER WARWICK STREET
N O LD
CELTIC STREET
UPPER HILL STREET
CL O SE
GWENT STREET
POMFRET STREET
100m
VALENCE AVENUE
JE RM YN
RO AD M IL LE N N IU M
FO LD
ST R N OR TH BR O OK
14
AD
R O A D
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RO
BECONTREE AVENUE
RI AL TO
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TF ES
VERNEY GARDENS
UP
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BUSHGROVE
R IN G TO
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Y RE CA
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Different types of 2/3 storey housing on streets behind Princes Road
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WINDSOR ROAD
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3 storey, buff brick housing along Princes Road
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AD GIBSON RO
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Y
SIMMONS DRIVE
1: St Margaret’s Church 2: The Kuumba Imani Millenium Centre 3: Life Changers Empowering Centre 4: Princes Road Synagogue 5: Merseyside Deaf Centre and Social Club Ibo Community Centre 6: Welsh Presbyterian Church
In many ways, this is what makes Princes Road special; not its physical or spatial characteristics as a street, nor the quality of its buildings, as much as its role as a connector, knitting the surrounding fabric together, offering a meeting place, providing views into other streets, other neighbourhoods, housing places of congregation. This is what Valence Avenue lacks in my opinion as it shares many of the physical characteristics of Princes Road without having the same atmosphere. As a result, my project aims to improve the permeability along Valence Avenue, connecting it to existing institutions such as Valence House, and locate new civic spaces along it to further encourage participation from across the surrounding area. This could take many forms including placing new civic spaces along the central reservation, new pedestrian and cycle ways to improve access, potentially even the removal of a small number of existing properties to create new access routes to neighbouring streets.
RO AD
ALEXANDRA TERRACE
CA RT ER
3 storey, red brick housing along Princes Road
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EY S AX EN M RD A G
PRINCES ROAD
GIBSON ROAD
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y
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E
GR AN B
PRINCES AVENUE
AL EX
Finally, the permeability of the street adds much to its atmosphere. In total there are 21 access points on to the street from adjoining streets, with 9 being pedestrian access only, placing less prominence on vehicular movement other than that which is passing through. This street formation allows people living nearby or visiting to make a visual connection to the street at many points, in turn encouraging them to enter on to it. In comparison, Valence Avenue has only 12 access points across a similar length, with only 1 being exclusively for pedestrians. This is significant in making the street feel closed off, with little visual connection from surrounding streets and encouraging passage along and through rather than across and lingering. This makes Valence Avenue feel more like a bypass, a place simply to allow passage from point A to B, not a place to be in its own right.
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S CE IN PR
ST RE ET
IL LE N N IU M
ST R H AT HE RL EY
RA V
PRINCES AVENUE
2
EM ER SO N
N ROA D
H AR RO W BY
SELBORNE STREET
5
M UL G
PRINCES ROAD
HITHERFIELD ROAD
WARRI NGTO N SQ UA
c Lu
T ST RE E ER Y RO SE B
3
ST RE ET
ST RE ET H AM PT ON UP PE R
4
W AY
SL EY
PO RT
BENTRY ROAD
1
PA RK
Princes Road - typical building types:
AR RI
ST RE ET
KI N G
ns Gd
E OS CL GRAFTON ROAD
BENTRY CLOSE
BE RK LE Y
M
NE
GRAFTON ROAD
Secondly, whilst still being predominantly residential, there are many more community & religious buildings as well as public green space and educational facilities, giving the area a much stronger civic sense and variety. This mix of uses also attracts a mix of people to the area for a mix of purposes, giving a vibrancy and reason to linger to the street lacking on Valence Avenue. However, Valence Avenue is well placed, with several existing civic institutions nearby, including Kingsley Hall Church & Community Centre, Everyone.Everyday, Valence House and The White House. Better connectivity is needed to make these places more visible from the street.
CL O SE
CL O SE
SE LB OR
LE Y
CL O SE
ST RE ET
CL O SE
BLOMVILLE ROAD
HA TH ER
CL OS E
AV EN UE
Whilst Princes Road & Valence Avenue share things in common, such as being almost identical in length and being in heavily residential areas, there are some key differences that make Princes Road a much more pleasant street to walk down. Firstly, the layout of the central reservation, whilst rundown, is far superior, with gas lamps in the style of the originals, dedicated paths for walking, benches and mature trees on either side. It feels like this area is designed to be walked along whereas on Valence Avenue it feels like merely a separation between two carriageways. Activating this area on Valence Avenue will go a long way to encouraging people to come to and use the space.
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SE AP O RT
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Princes Road, Toxteth, Liverpool
EV ER SL EY
ST RE ET
H ER B CL HI IE O GG SE I N S
ER S
Comparison - non residential uses
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Valence Avenue Site Elevations
Looking East
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2
1
2
6
7
Looking East
Looking West
Looking East - Pt. 1
Looking East - Pt. 2
Looking West - Pt. 1
Looking West - Pt. 2
Valence Avenue Site Sections
The two sections below are taken through Valence Avenue, one at its very beginning at the junction with Wood Lane, and the second 100 metres further north along the road. They show the typical condition along this road, of a central grass reservation flanked by a dual carriageway on either side (4 lanes of traffic), a footpath flanking these and then terraced hoses to either side with a driveway or garden to the front and a garden to the rear. What I find striking is the uniformity along this mile long road, its lack of significant level changes across its width, the jumble of street furniture (railings, telegraph poles, bus stops, street lights etc) and the dominance of hard surfacing as well as vehicles (both on the road and outside people’s homes).
Terraced corner houses
Unused green space
Footpath
Dual carriageway
Central reservation
Dual carriageway
Footpath
Unused green space
Terraced corner houses
17932mm
9267mm
4904mm
5700mm
9000mm
6400mm
4400mm
10200mm
18100mm
Datum +0mm (Start of Valence Avenue)
Section AA - 1:200 @ A1
Back garden
Terraced house
Driveway
Footpath
Dual carriageway
Central reservation
Dual carriageway
Footpath
Driveway
Terraced house
Extension
Back garden
18165mm
7685mm
7453mm
5177mm
5700mm
9000mm
6400mm
4377mm
7401mm
7685mm
8603mm
5889mm
Road +700mm Datum +0mm (Start of Valence Avenue)
Section BB - 1:200 @ A1
B
A
B
A
1:500 @ A1 8
9
Council owned Property along Valence Avenue
Creating pedestrian links through residential blocks 1:1000 @ A1
1:1000 @ A1
Number of Council owned properties between Wood Lane & Becontree Avenue (within a block adjacent to Valence Avenue): 111 Number of non Council owned properties between Wood Lane & Becontree Avenue (within a block adjacent to Valence Avenue): 262 Council owned land (including house, front/back garden)
Moat
Currently there is a serious lack of access to Valence Moa t Avenue apart from main roads and junctions with high traffic levels, making East to West travel through the estate and across Valence Avenue difficult for pedestrians. By mapping Council owned properties it is possible to identify where there are two or more council properties back to back which could be removed to create new streets and pedestrian access, vastly improving the permeability of this area.
Moat
The removal of people’s homes is a drastic proposal but in my scheme any houses that are demolished would be balanced out with new social housing of better quality for the existing tenants to move into. This new housing could be located in the central portion of Valence Avenue, allowing these families to stay in the area without increased rents.
N
In short, a small number of council tenants would be asked to vacate their homes but in return would be re-located to a better new home in the same location and the surrounding area would benefit greatly through new, high quality public realm and increased permeability through the estate, opening up access to places such as Valence House Museum and Park. This would not be possible with privately owned properties in the area.
Council owned land (including house, front/back garden) Existing link zone between streets Potential new link zone between streets Existing through link across Valence Avenue Proposed through link across Valence Avenue
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10
11
Masterplan phase 1 1:1000 @ A1
Moa t
The first phase of redeveloping Valence Avenue focuses on creating strategic new connections on to the street, highlighted with orange arrows, to increase visual and physical permeability. 9 new East/West access points have been added; 6 on the Eastern side and 3 on the Western, in addition to 3 existing crossing points, bringing the total to 11, plus one new North/South access route into Valence Park. Secondly, the removal of two lanes of traffic; one on either side has allowed a new 2000mm wide cycle lane to be implemented on both sides of the road. This North/ South cycleway joins up with the existing network at the junction with Wood Lane. The condensing and simplifying of travel lanes has allowed a nearly 17m wide continuous stretch of public space to be created in the centre, the design of which will be phase 2.
Moat
3
3
Bus stops and road crossings have been re designed, taking inspiration from highly effective systems used in the Netherlands, a world leader in cycle use and traffic integration design. “Floating” bus stops separate traffic from cycle lanes and reduce conflict between pedestrians and cyclists without creating unnecessarily complex cycle path layouts, and the same principle applies to “floating” crossing islands for pedestrians at junctions to allow separation of vehicles and cycles whilst maintaining a simple hierarchy and legibility for all users. This system allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross at the same point and gives them precedence above vehicles, vastly increasing safety.
New dedicated cycle lane
New pedestrian link formed by removal of existing dwellings
3
3
1
Re designed junction with “Dutch style” cycle lane layout
2
New cycle & pedestrian shared crossing
3
New bus stop
N
3
3
base rights 2020 Ordnance Survey (100025252). FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.
Scale 1:2500 Projection: British National Grid
Outline masterplan proposal:
2
N Existing green space to be upgraded as part of centenary celebrations
Total Council properties to be removed: 36
1
Host site for Becontree centenary celebrations 2
1:1250 @ A1 Council owned land (including house, front/back garden)
New link zone between streets 12
2
2
Site for new community building 13
Urban greening strategy case study I conducted a study into an existing section of the neighbourhood to examine my strategy towards landscaping and public realm along the new links streets I propose to create. It is intended that each of these link streets would have its own function and layout within an overarching template of materials, plant species, street furniture and lighting. I have studied the one link street that is existing and is the first one you come to walking North along Valence Avenue, known as Groveway. The drawing below highlights the issues I have identified with the existing street setup that I feel could be improved upon. The main issue is a general lack of maintenance, both hard and soft landscaping and a profligacy of railings. A lack of clarity of function is also an issue in parts, mainly the dual use as vehicle and pedestrian route with no hard or soft division between the two.
1 Unused grassy areas due in part to poor maintenance and intrusive railings
Proposal
2 Poorly defined obstruction bollards
The drawing below shows my proposal for this section of the neighbourhood, the majority of which can be replicated on other streets that connect to Valence Avenue. Broadly speaking my strategy revolves around the introduction of wild planting requiring low maintenance, the formalisation of existing green space to house new functions, and providing new lighting and seating to encourage people to use this space more frequently.
3 Single surface road for both cars and pedestrians - no definition or separation - discourages walking
1
bleed into the pedestrianised areas
5 Dual carriageway encourages car use 6 Overgrown and underused central reservation - no clear function
intervals and alternate (1 row of trees every 8m, 1 row of lights every 8m). They have also been configured to allow each house to maintain an accessible car parking space 2.5m wide. The positioning and spacing may need to be adjusted during detailed design to guarantee sufficient access
2 Existing single surface road re paved and divided into 3 sections of 2.5m.
Different surfacing for the road and 2 footpaths will delineate car and pedestrian spaces. Allows people to still access their driveways and maintain current 1 way street whilst giving more priority to pedestrians
7 New Bikehangar cycle storage
3 New wild planting, including in simple wooden planters, to add low mainte-
I have divided the existing road into 3 sections of 2.5m; a traffic lane flanked by two footpaths. These will be paved differently to delineate the different functions. By doing this I give more space to pedestrians whilst allowing people to still use their cars and driveways under the existing one way system. New small street tress and catenary lights give rhythm and structure to the street, providing a sense of procession and care. This formality is offset by the wilder nature of planting, all of which is designed to be cheap, low maintenance and have a sense of “overgrown” accommodated in the design aesthetic as an acceptance of the difficulties and costs of high maintenance levels. Finally, the existing grassy areas are to be formalised into seating areas and a playground to encourage to stop and use the space, not merely pass through.
4 General lack of separation between public and private - driveways
6 Positioning of trees and lighting - trees and lights will be spaced at 4m
New neighbourhood play space for children and seating area - aims to give definition to unused grassy areas and encourage use
4
nance greenery to the street, softening it and encouraging use
8 Footpath narrowed from 5m to 2m to accommodate new cycle path
New planting of small trees such as “street parade crab apple” to add greenery and shading without being too intrusive. Also helps provide some privacy for residents on the street
9 New 2m wide cycle path
5 New street lighting - catenary cable lights suspended between slender poles
10 Dual carriageway reduced to single carriageway
to provide soft overhead light and interact with new trees to create dappled patterns. These will be spaced alternately with trees to avoid lights becoming tangled in the branches
11 Central reservation widened to 17m with a row of London plane trees on either side
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Axonometric of existing neighbourhood street scene - 1:250 @ A1
Axonometric of proposed neighbourhood street scene - 1:250 @ A1
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Final Proposal: Abstract
Festival Programme
Funding mechanisms
Life after the Festival
Masterplan
The Becontree urban room & centenary festival A civic playground to mark 100 years of the Council Estate
The Centenary Festival will be arranged around a number of themes that explore the needs of the local area today, the history of the area & Becontree Estate, visions for the future of the borough including the new public realm works and commercial centre around Valence Avenue & larger issues tackled in these proposals such as climate change, estate regeneration, community cohesion etc. Within these 4 categories will be a series of spaces, indoor and outdoor, temporary and permanent. A preliminary list of these is as follows:
It is estimated the costs of delivering the 4 week festival and long term public realm improvements will cost in the region of £10-15 million. Finding appropriate funding sources and correct management and maintenance structures will be essential in keeping this figure as low as possible so planning for this must start now. Although costly, the benefits that could be released through this project are potentially very significant, not just economically, but socially and politically too. The project aims to access as many funding streams as possible to maximise viability. A list of potential funding streams are listed below (Most likely/ priority funding streams in green):
Following the festival it is crucial planning is in place for an efficient and positive legacy, overused as this term may be. As the festival sits within a wider plan for estate regeneration the planning for this is somewhat already in place, but ensuring issues of maintenance, responsibility and ownership following the festival is key to the success of implementing this wider strategy. The long term vision for Valence Avenue is for it to develop into a mixed use high street, becoming a key node in the Becontree estate that encourages further investment, regeneration and community participation to foster a sustainable community moving forward. Delivering this vision relies on securing initial investment, particularly in commercial units, as the rents from these will help fund maintenance of the wider area. The increased footfall generated by new commercial spaces will also attract further investment and enhance the cultural offering along Valence Avenue.
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My thesis project responds to the issue of estate regeneration through a study of one of Europe’s largest & oldest; the Becontree estate in Barking & Dagenham. The centenary of this estate in 2021 allows us to take stock of the notion of mass housing, what it meant in 1921 & what it means today. Perhaps more importantly, it allows us to consider the role of infrastructure within mass housing; civic, transport, commercial. Set in the heart of the estate this project aims to deliver a space free for all to engage with and chart the development of their local area through a museum of urban planning, or “urban room” and to challenge the notion of a museum as a place of learning & history, but one also of play, noise, urban life.
Festival schedule The Becontree Centenary Festival will take place 19th July 15th August 2021, a month long celebration of 100 years of the estate, its past, its place in history and unveiling of plans for its future. The regeneration of Valence Avenue and its immediate surroundings will consist of the following elements, running parallel to each other over the next 2 years: - Becontree Centenary Festival - July/August 2021 - Valence Avenue public realm remodelling, traffic redesign and commercial development - May 2020 - Summer 2022 - Public realm estate regeneration works - May 2020 - June 2021 - New social housing for displaced existing tenants - May 2020 - Summer 2022 A breakdown of each of these elements can be found below: 1. Becontree Centenary festival & Commercial space delivery - May 2020 - July 2020 - Open design competition for temporary structures - August 2020 - Winners announced - September 2020 - June 2021 - Construction of temporary festival structures (marquees etc) - October 2020 - December 2020 - Open design competition for permanent commercial and community buildings - January 2021 - Winners announced - June 2021 - July 2021 - Delivery to site and erection of temporary structures - July 2021 - August 2021 - Festival - August 2021 - dismantle festival - September 2021 - Summer 2022 - Construction of new commercial and community structures, adapted from temporary festival structures
Local needs/current state of the area - Explaining the vision for Valence Avenue - Highlighting existing community venues and what they have to offer - The need to reduce cars in the area/benefits of public transport - A resident engagement forum to discuss issues and solutions
- LBBD Council - Arts Council grants - National Lottery grants - Mayor of London: - Mayor’s Air Quality Fund - Good Growth Fund - Stronger Communities Fund - Housing Innovation Fund - GLA Grant Funding - National/International funding: - European Social Fund - European Regional Development Fund - Crowd-funding - Private investment through partnerships: - Developer investment to help delivery of social housing - Deposits on commercial units - Fees for stall pitch charges
Local history - History of local clubs/organisations in the area such as Dagenham Film Club - Showcase of Everyday Futures/archival work by Verity Jane Keefe & Valence House - Large scale model of the estate showing its development over time, like the model of London at The Building Centre by NLA - A living museum for people to share their memories of the estate in which can become a permanent, continually updating exhibit of life in this area Visions for the future of the borough - Resident forum - suggestions for the future - Exhibit of recent examples of successful investment and regeneration in the borough - Council policy plans such as the CEZ, estate regeneration etc
The first stage in the regeneration process is to identify the properties for demolition that will yield the most benefit, thus limiting the number of demolitions. The map to the right shows the new pedestrian links created following the removal of identified homes (shown in black). The removal of 28 homes allows 9 new East/ West links to be created, connecting to Valence Avenue, plus one North/South link into Valence Park. In addition to 3 existing crossing points, this brings the total of access points on to Valence Avenue up to 12, greatly increasing the visual and physical permeability. 6 of the new openings are on the East side of the road, with 3 on the West. In addition to existing links, this gives 7 access points from the East and 6 from the West. These links have been strategically identified to give an access point no more than every 100 metres, with the average distance between access points of 75 metres.
Homes to be removed: Council owned: 12 Privately owned: 16 Total: 28
Demolition of homes: £10,000 per home Total: £280,000
Costs: Purchase of private homes: £350k per home (based on current market values) Total: £5.6 million CPO costs: 10% compensation payment per home: £35,000 Legal costs: £5,000 per home Total: £560,000 + £80,000 = £640,000
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Identifying businesses to move into the new commercial units ahead of time is important and will form an integral part of the process. Equally, attracting cultural & community organisations to the area will play a big role in creating a vibrant place with a balance of services. Support will be given to local businesses and groups who display an interest in occupying any of the newly formed spaces, as this will help the scheme to become rooted in the borough, helping to guard against accusations of gentrification or overlooking existing residents. The borough will take on ownership of all public space, along with responsibility for its maintenance, though alternative methods of maintenance, such as Friends of Parks associations and Co-operatives are being explored to spread this responsibility.
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The festival forms a crucial part in showcasing the area and new vision for it, in turn attracting investment, economic and social in the estate. Revenues from the festival will also contribute to financing further elements of the wider regeneration. In turn, the short term capital investment required to fund the festival is intended to be absorbed long term through revenues generated from the wider regeneration, particularly commercial activities. Striking the correct balance between all these priorities is fundamental; investment from outside sources is necessary to fund the project as a whole but this outside investment must contribute more than just capital to ensure the regeneration is successful. The local authority is critical in managing this balance.
Wider issues - Environmental crisis, an exhibition - Extinction Rebellion? - The future of green infrastructure and transport - How to improve community cohesion & participation - The necessity of communal, commercial, civic & outdoor spaces for healthy communities
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2. Estate regeneration public realm improvements - May 2020 - July 2020 - CPO of identified private homes adjacent to Valence Avenue - May 2020 - July 2020 - Re-house displaced Council tenants locally - tenants given priority and choice of new home where possible - August 2020 - demolition of identified properties, both private and publicly owned - September 2020 - June 2021 - Landscaping/public realm works (paving, planting, lighting, signage etc) 3. Valence Avenue re-modelling - June 2020 - January 2021 - Removal of traffic lanes, roadworks to install new cycle lanes & junction layout - February 2021 - March 2021 - Widen central reservation & landscape (level site, laying of surfaces etc) - April 2021 - June 2021 - Tree planting, installing new street furniture, new lighting etc in preparation for festival 4. Social housing delivery - May 2020 - July 2020 - Open design competition for social housing July 2020 - June 2021 - Winners announced, design development, gain planning permission September 2021 - Start construction Summer 2022 - Completion
= Masterplan area
= Urban room N Project location within the borough 1:10,000 @ A1
© Crown copyright and database rights
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Total costs: 5,600,000 640,000 280,000 £6.52 million
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