Last week, together with Southwark Council, we revealed the six shortlisted teams for our ‘Revive Bramcote Park’ competition. The shortlisted teams’ proposals can be viewed below or at a local exhibition at Links Community Hall (353 Rotherhithe New Rd, London, SE16 3HF). The proposals will be on display until 12 December, in order to gather feedback from the local community and residents, ahead of the selection of the winning design team. 

 

If you're planning to visit the exhibition in person, then you can do so at the following times:

Friday 3 December, 17:30 – 20:00PM

 

Saturday 11 December, 12:00 – 15:00PM

 

In keeping with our mission to harness the talent of London’s architectural and creative community, the aim of the competition is to bring fresh ideas to improving the built environment in Bramcote Park, and act as a valuable demonstration project for similar sites across London. 

 

Organised alongside landowners Notting Hill Genesis and Optivo, the competition invited architects, landscape architects, designers and artists to submit innovative and creative design ideas for a new masterplan for the park, which is currently split into two disjointed sections of the Bramcote Park Estate by a traffic-heavy main road.

 

The competition was born from engagement with the local community, through the Bonamy & Bramcote Liveable Neighbourhood project. Many requests to the engagement specifically highlighted the need for investment into Bramcote Park, to renew the play space and tackle anti-social behaviour. It also highlighted the potential for more planting and greening and improvements to make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists and encourage sustainable travel.

 

The exhibition offers the opportunity to learn more about what each proposal hopes to deliver for the area. Take a look below. 

 

 

‘People don’t need to be expert designers to play a meaningful role in shaping their neighbourhood park. Our team’s approach to the improvement of Bramcote Park will be to learn from and work together with local residents, children, manufacturers, trades and community leaders at all stages of the design and making process. We will work with Southwark Council to get to know the area and its communities better, building on existing community networks and making new relationships. There will be opportunities for focused groups to participate in meetings, workshops, and activities at moments in the process that work best for them, including: a forum of local community champions to review the brief and share local insights and knowledge; play events in the park; life-size on-site testing of design layout; hands-on workshops for young people to make features for the park; planting and gardening volunteer days.’

 

 

‘There are many elements in the park that already exist, but some just need a bit of care and to be celebrated. Rather than proposing to completely remove things, we want to take time to identify all the different pieces (such as bins, lampposts, swings, benches). We want to work out what can be retained, restored and improved upon. In some cases, this might be a fresh coat of paint or a new surface to play on. In others, it might involve moving things around or upcycling things to make it useful again. However, we know that sometimes things can’t always be recycled and reused, and you simply need to introduce something new. And in these cases, we’d try to be careful and considered in our approach to use local makers and resources.’

 

‘The park is re-imagined as a welcome community space with activities for people of all ages. Currently divided by Verney Road, it will be united by a broad and colourful crossing. Bramcote Park will then be conceived as a whole, sharing design concepts, routes and materials. We have envisaged the park as a patchwork - a rich composition of diverse activities, materials and spaces that bring the park together. Rather than a separation of ‘play’ and ‘nature’ spaces, we suggest a variety of ecological and play elements be drawn throughout the whole design - creating a range of areas that are enjoyable and surprising. Sculptural features - constructed by re-using the existing railings and metalwork - emphasise continuity across Verney Road and signal to drivers to slow’.

 

 

 

‘In the spirit of Ada Salter, Mayor of Bermondsey from 1922, who planted trees to foster healthy relationships and beauty on underused sites in the community, we see the potential to Revive Bramcote Park as a sustainable environment and biodiverse habitat that promotes health, happiness and well-being. Through workshops with residents and local schools we will initiate conversations and bring people together to explore personal stories and histories about Bramcote Park. The narratives and stories of people and places are key to how we understand and engage community stakeholders in the design process and this dialogue will inspire and inform our approach to the park masterplan.’

 

 

 

‘Home Grown proposes a framework for designing and making parks that supports local community involvement at all stages of the process, from designing and building to planting and growing. Our approach places particular focus on providing local young people with opportunities and skills training, through free activities and paid work placements, to help them shape the future of a park at the heart of their community. Our approach is underpinned by a sustained period of research and engagement, including programming activities at the park and workshops in the local area to get to know local stakeholders and ensure that the whole community, including young people, typically harder to reach groups and NEETs, are brought into the project.’

 

 

 

‘We will work with residents, Southwark Council and all other stakeholders to tailor the design for the revival of Bramcote Park. We have considerable experience preparing presentation material for several public community orientated projects and have refined ways of communicating architectural ideas that encourages engagement and inspires conversation. We will work with existing community groups and their events. We believe you get far more interaction if you bring a proposal to an already popular and regular event, than if you try to establish your own event without an established user group. This also creates the opportunity for repeat feedback and interaction.’

 

 

Public feedback will guide our expert panel of competition judges, including: Aida Esposito (Founding Director, creativethinking), Rosa Rogina (Director, London Festival of Architecture (part of NLA), Sanjiv Sangha (Head of Technical, Design Quality and New Homes, Optivo), Colin Wilson (Head of Regeneration, Old Kent Road), Laura Schofield (Membership Development Manager, Landscape Institute) and Conor Sullivan (local resident).

 

The winning team will be announced in January 2022 and once appointed, will continue to develop the presented exhibition ideas with local residents based on the outline engagement approach. It is anticipated that the improvements will be delivered in late 2022.

 

Which design concepts do you think have the potential to create an imaginative, coherent and engaging space for all? To give feedback on the designs, click on the button below.