NLA’s tall buildings survey has, over the course of its ten-year history, generated conversation around London’s planned and proposed skyline. The survey’s exposure, which includes hundreds of articles over the years, is emblematic of our nation’s fascination with building tall. In this current housing crisis, a key question that faces us today is how do tall buildings best serve our capital’s housing needs: where should they be built, and just how tall should they go. 

 

Our own experience at Ballymore has provided invaluable learnings, thanks to our long-term management and post-occupancy evaluation. Projects we have completed in the last ten years include City Island and Goodluck Hope: which together have transformed the former industrial landscape of the Leamouth Peninsula into a tight-knit ‘island’ neighbourhood, which includes tall buildings of up to 27 storeys and providing over 2,500 homes. Both projects have proven that people do indeed want to live in buildings that embrace bold colour and characterful sense of place. The architecture has played a part in nurturing the strong community that has grown there, of artists, musicians, makers, creators and English National Ballet. 

 

At Wardian on the Isle of Dogs, two towers of 50 and 55 storeys show how tall buildings can deliver a significant number of homes, totalling 767, on the smallest of sites. Inspired by biophilia and botany, the development delivers private sky garden space the equivalent size of an average London house, all of which contributes to improved air quality and support wellbeing.

 

We’re excited by the next ten years of tall buildings and our pipeline of projects to re-imagine the tall building. On the Isle of Dogs, our Cuba Street project will break ground later this year and it’s a fresh take on an old classic. The 52-storey tower is by no means a stranger in Canary Wharf, but this one comes with 421 new homes and the largest new public park for the Isle of Dogs since Jubilee Park opened 25 years ago. Our Mill Harbour scheme is close by and has consent to deliver two new schools, a theatre, and new parks, along with over 1,650 homes. 

 

We’re also in planning for two projects in more suburban parts of London, in Edgware town centre and in Ladbroke Grove. Both brown field sites will deliver a combined 7,000 homes; which would not have been possible without the considered use of tall buildings. 

 

Over the next ten years there will be challenges facing us on viability and sustainability, amid a tough economic environment, and on creativity of design – without compromise on quality. Changes such as the introduction of second staircases in buildings over 18 metres is going to demand fresh thinking on design and how we cluster homes around two cores to make best use of space whilst maximising daylight/sunlight inside homes, without impacting the wider community.  

 

Concerns about height and its impact on a locality come up time and time again in consultation and engagement, with local views often in conflict with Local Plans and housing targets. Together we have much more work to do in providing confidence and trust in quality of design build and management. Working with our legislative partners, we can and must present confidence in a shared vision to deliver the sustained volume of homes London sorely needs.