In the north of Gascoigne West estate in Barking, councilowned regeneration company, Be First, are delivering 386 new homes. With accessible spaces open to all, the scheme is set to improve the health and wellbeing of residents of all generations. Working with their wider placemaking strategy for the estate, White Arkitekter developed a landscape-led design for this key site which promotes walking, shared amenities and reinforces existing routes. The site acts as a gateway and a convergence point of routes; the ‘15-minute neighbourhood’ concept is upheld throughout the strategy, strengthening pedestrian and cycle routes and improving access to Barking Town Centre. A combination of tower blocks and townhouses are arranged around courtyards to create three main blocks. The five towers, conceived of as ‘a group of friends’, range between nine-20 storeys in a tenure-blind design, accommodating a mix of one-, two- and three-bed homes with four-six units per core. Apartments at lower levels are accessible with projecting balconies, while apartments higher up feature recessed balconies for better microclimate. Of all the apartments 79 per cent are dual or triple aspect, with two- and three-bed apartments featuring corner views from kitchen and living areas. The scheme provides secure indoor cycle parking for all residents, plus visitor spaces, and an underground refuse system reduces HGV traffic on site. The landscaping of the site is designed for resilience, integrating green infrastructure as well as promoting urban nature and biodiversity. The Residents’ Hub accommodates concierge, community use and a 24/7 delivery access point.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. The buildings ‘plug into’ a wider energy and district heating network and achieve a ten per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to Building Regulations for energy efficiency alone. The buildings are optimised for minimal energy consumption through their geometry and orientation, and the façade design optimises natural light whilst reducing heat loads. The towers feature green roofs and solar PV panels to maximise renewable energy generation. The green buffer of trees and rain gardens along St Pauls Road incorporate SuDS as well as enhancing urban nature and biodiversity.

In terms of future uses the residential design is relatively fixed, while being supported by robust shared amenities that are designed with futureproofing in mind. The ground floors have been designed to accommodate a series of good-sized bike stores that could be adapted for the use as small business or office space in the future, should the demand on bike storage change.

Working with existing trees, topography and routes helps ground the scheme in the context of extensive regeneration. The development centres around a new 1,500 sqm park, a generous shared space for community activity and socialising. Overall the scheme includes more than 4,500 sqm of play and public space within public realm including informal play spaces and pedestrian-priority streets, allowing for a safe zone close to the homes.