Borough of Lambeth
New London Architecture Award 2012,
Transport for London ‘Better Streets 2’ 2017:
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/better-streets-delivered-2.pdf
This project demonstrated that streets can be remade into better places for people, not just for driving and storing cars; they can be places where children play, people sit, talk and garden. Shape brought the ‘Van Gogh’ theme to the fore here with a plant palette and pattern based on the artist’s use of colour and brush strokes, and introduction of sculptures (also to be used for play) referencing his paintings.
Borough of Lambeth, London 2013
A good fit was achieved with this play area, both in terms of how it sits within an existing green, and how it responds to community needs. Extensive consultation in advance of design confirmed preferences for location and for the type of play to provide. Equipped and natural play are combined within a small space, which particularly to a child’s eyes appears larger - filled with hills and hollows, lines of big rocks to climb on, log forests and forts to wander through, a small swing, and a tree house with a slide and sand pit to explore.
Adults have plenty of room too: several places to sit and socialise, and to store scooters or buggies. As in all Shape play areas, the design is an attractive addition to its setting, so the public can enjoy it, too.
The tree house and benches are bespoke Shape products, built by Southern Landscape & Construction.
Borough of Lambeth, London 2015
This small triangle of open space is a stone’s throw from London’s Southbank, in a neighbourhood experiencing meteoric residential and commercial growth. Renovation required unpicking a tangle of longstanding antisocial behaviour, underinvestment, management by community groups with competing interests, and vocal opponents who disagreed with the Council promoting increasing use. Shape’s strategy for achieving consensus relied on a three-part approach, in turn based on our initial analysis of the existing site. Formal seating would only be provided near the busy pavement, but more convenient access points would be provided. Internally, some paths would be removed so the central lawn could be expanded the full length of the site; raising levels and giving it undulations made it more attractive to sit on and conversely not suited for playing football. At the back of the site, the existing quiet woodland character was enhanced with of low growing, shade tolerant underplanting
Matter Architects, 2017
This five storey block - the first stage of a two part buildout - will rehouse fifty elderly residents currently living in poorly-built 1970’s flats. With the client’s brief requiring reduction of the development’s footprint to a minimum; the available landscape and rooftop space had to work hard to provide residents with amenities and privacy for ground floor residences; the project also aims to set a benchmark in Ealing for ecological sustainability, and it must meet London Plan requirements for attenuating rainfall runoff.
Phase One’s narrow south facing garden was divided with hedging into a series of spaces with varied uses and treatments; the north side’s landscaped strip combines traditional street tree planting with a SUDs swale that separates private from public space. On the rooftop, a single bespoke planter module is arranged to make a barbeque- centred social space and a more intimate garden.
At Phase Two, on both sides of a quiet residential cul-de-sac, Shape’s outline plans (and b/w sketches for Matter to photomontage) show this as a shared surface accommodating visitor parking, planters, pedestrian-only routes to both buildings, and SUDs drainage.
Shape provided drawings and text for the Planning application, and a fully functional parking and vehicle movement plan for the transport strategy. Shape also contributed to soil testing and ecology briefs, and led on the storm water containment strategy.
Shape were appointed in June 2022 to work alongside architects Grounded Practice on PlaceCapital’s refurbishment of a large 1960’s estate, for Lancaster City Council.
Our Stage 1 services included:
- reviewing road, parking, and open space route arrangements, to encourage active travel and build a green infrastructure framework in and around the estate
- considering sustainability matters such as habitat protection and Sustainable Urban Drainage, in advance of specialist ecologist and civil engineering appointments
- suggesting doorstep and estate-wide resident amenities that encourage a sense of community through shared use of outdoor areas
- framing approaches to landscape grading and planting.
Westminster City Council, 2021
Shape are part of a team assembled by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects and appointed by Westminster City Council, to renovate the Lillington and Longmoore housing estate’s community centre.
Shape proposed an ambitious outdoor extension of the centre’s main hall. This would require considerable excavation but significantly expand the range of activities and events which could be held there. In addition it would address security issues arising from limited surveillance, by only allowing access to the new garden whilst the community centre was operating.
Shape’s brief also includes a comprehensive assessment of communal areas thoughout the estate. These gardens and routes are shared by residents and the public, and provide the setting for the estate’s architecture, which Grade II* Listed. The report is a practical document; assessments provide the basis for a list of potential projects with civic, social, play or environmental benefits.
Camden Council, 2017-present
The important role that local parks play in community life was very clear during Covid-related lockdowns. Before the pandemic and since, Camden have turned to Shape to help renovate several local parks, providing as much play value and community use as possible on very constrained budgets. Community consultations and conversations with local residents help us get the general approach and furnishings correct for each place. Whether cleverly adapting existing facilties or completely rebuilding them, the aim is to improve the appearance, widen appeal, and increase use.
The Kings Cross site benefits from a decorative perimeter treatment; the Holborn site from a dragon-themed climber, popular exercise bars and a vivid colour scheme. The West Hampstead playground was given a much greener setting, and with reduction in the size of the MUGA, more room made for exercise, seating and picnicking, and a dog run. Another site, with a reputation for after-hours ASB, required balancing retention of an endearing ‘overgrown’ character - which children loved- with shrub clearance to improve surveillance.
Thames Water/Borough of Bexley , London 2007
Combining habitat improvement with encouraging more visitors to these southeast London grazing marshes was the brief from our clients. With advise provided by Thames Water’s ecologist, ditches were extended and reprofiled to suit water voles, and several new wader scrapes were made for estuarine birds. At the same time paths, bridges, viewing points, way finding markers, and interpretative exhibits were installed to attract and inform visitors.
Respectful recreational use of the area was encouraged through a series of programmes for local Thamesmead youth. Conceived by Shape and run by Groundwork London, these included artisitic, educational, and athletic themed events, all focusing on the ecology of local rivers and marshes.
Concrete pilings and timber carcassing found on site were combined with galvanised steel gratings for an industrial aesthetic which suits the brown field character of the site.
London Borough of Southwark, 2008
Shape are frequently asked to upgrade worn or neglected problem outdoor spaces, re-imagining their role and renovating to be attractive and better used by people of all ages and backgrounds.
At Wyndham Estate, concrete air shaft columns on a podium level plaza were demolished and replaced with low benches and decking; by improving sightlines and encouraging social use of the space, fear of crime has been reduced, and the plaza now supports activities. The solution was developed from consultation using models at a residents event. Shape designed organic candy coloured seating in response to residents preferences, using only two modules cast in industrial strength fibreglass. These provide welcome distraction in otherwise bleak Brutalist surroundings. The seats are now in commercial production from supplier Sui Generis.
The Old Kent Road regeneration, led by Southwark Council, will see this area of London undergo massive change over the next decade. One of the first sites Council is bringing forward is this triangular shaped lot, facing both the notoriously unpleasant A10 and a proposed Gasholder Park.
Shape were appointed by the architects dRMM to advise on urban greening and community amenity for the mixed use site’s outdoor areas, comprised of a podium level, roof garden, and a small ground floor service and events Yard - bounded by the 12 and 20 storey dRMM building, a five storey freestanding workspace by Okra, and a Victorian block to be refurbished by MICA.
Shape provided grading and drainage plans, planting and paving treatments including shared surfaces linking the building and park, and proposed play provision. Southwark’s requirement for accommodating the latter entirely on site led dRMM to boldly raise both towers with pilotis, making a free flowing community and play area with all weather appeal. dRMM also championed the community garden component, including a glass house in their plans.
(CGI image and podium perspective courtesy dRMM)
Croydon Council, 2017
Shape worked with Tyrens UK landscape architects, and place economists Fourth Street, to deliver masterplans and supporting studies for six Croydon Council parks, each park typical, but differing in scale and type. The aim of the study was to develop models which might make them more responsive to the needs of a diverse and growing population, and financially sustainable. The team worked collaboratively throughout, but led on different aspects of the overall masterplanning process, with Tyrens UK as lead designers.
Shape led on the community engagement, and authored the study’s equalities impact assessment – both very influential to the master planning process and of great importance to the client. Prior to commencing, Shape reviewed previous Croydon studies to identify their reach, and representation of their resident population; sites were also visited and their neighbourhood demographic data (gender age, ethnicity, social grades) reviewed – as this influences the ‘typical’ activity in parks and patterns of use, things that are not liked, and the likelihood that dislikes will impact on the frequency of visits.
Shape suggested format and content for a three-tiered approach to consultations which achieved input from over 3,000 residents and stakeholders : first a set of targeted interviews with Council members, officers and significant community stakeholders to gain insight into issues and opportunities, then two visioning workshops with community and friends groups soliciting ideas and looking for appropriate guidance from exemplar projects nationally on park use and park management, followed by face to face engagement on draft masterplans with residents in and around each of the six parks accompanied by an online engagement process using the same questionnaire surveys and illustrative plans.
In tandem with landscape design proposals, market research and financial analysis (by Fourth Street), engagement provided an avenue for discussing the highly emotive topic of how Councils are to provide and maintain parks, sports facilities, nature areas, and gardens in an era of severe economic constraints.
Design for London, 2011
Shape mapped a large swathe of northwest London for DfLs ‘Green Grid’. This strategic plan identifies potential projects on open spaces available across several boroughs (mapping boundaries were based on watersheds), which when linked up would have a widespread regional effect, improving ecology, recreational opportunities, and stormwater management capacity. Strategic thinking, mapping, and project tracking were provided within DfL’s standardised framework.
Borough of Southwark London, 2009
Many of Shape’s parks incorporate lawn-covered landforms. Manipulating the ground plane adds interest. as moving through a landscape with changing groundform keeps shifting our sense of perspective and scale. We use hills and level changes to make places inviting, suggest places to sit, and separate one area from another. Sometimes this can be done in perceptably dramatic fashion - its effects are amplified with the addition of furnishings and planting - and at other times the treatment is subtle.
At Chumleigh, three bands of triangles were alternatively lifted and lowered to make a series of hills and dips which were in turn pierced by paths linking the Aylesbury Estate with Burgess Park and the Chumleigh Almshouses. Moving from the estate and into the park, the size of the triangles decreased, until reaching a plaza, cafe terrace and fountain. Landforms and the walls and ledges that slice through them suggest opportunities for play and for congregating.
London, 2004 - present
Playgrounds are essential places where children and parents alike can consolidate a collective, community identity and make friends. They should give children opportunities to be active, offer an array of social activities and interactions, and let them experience the out of doors in a safe and welcoming environment. A well designed play area is one children ask to go back to, and we recall with fondness years later.
In 2014 Peabody acquired much of the land and infrastructure in the 1970’s new town Thamesmead; it expects to greatly expand the town’s housing stock – capitalising on the imminent arrival of high speed rail service to London.
Between July and December 2015 Shape and the design collaborative Leitsystem assessed Thamesmead’s extensive but underused car-free walking and bicycling network, reporting on how it might better connect residents to local places, and help improve the town’s image.
A variety of interviewing techniques drawn from social science and market research - questionnaires, observation, guided walks, photoshoots, interactive digital mapping in schools and interviewing elderly residents, user profiling, drawing mental maps, and asking for directions – were used to check residents’ current awareness of the network and methods of getting around town.
Based on these investigations, Shape proposed several interventions in central Thamesmead that would make navigation simpler and safer, and test a more intuitive route and destination-finding signage system developed in conjunction with graphic designers Hato Studio.
Historically, local retail centres had important social roles as well as economic ones. This has been disrupted by several factors, one of which - the disruptive influence of an unnecessary amount of traffic - designers and Councils can actually do something about.
Shape’s first large commercial success was a pedestrianisation scheme in Llandudno (1999- 2002). Our company remains involved in making spaces that renegotiate the balance between space given to people walking and bicycling, and to vehicles - and in the process improving the local business economy and the environment.
Our outline schemes:
• accomodate short term parking and goods deliveries,
• widen pavements,
• make crossings safer,
• reduce vehicle speeds,
• improve legibility, and remove clutter,
• address any anti-social behaviour
(e.g., street drinking, illegal parking),
• introduce greenery,
• recommend SUDs.
We use a proven two-stage consultation process using models, visualisations, and questionnaires to introduce and then refine concepts that are in concert with what local residents and businesses want, as advocates for accomplishing community goals. Shape have a good track record obtaining LIP funding and getting things built: at Ladywell Village, Emma Cons (Waterloo), Lower Marsh, and the Sandhurst shopping parade in Lewisham.
In 2013, a team pairing Shape and forward-thinking transport engineers Civic, developed traffic calming and space-making proposals for several central Brixton sites. visually, these would reflect its history and character.
This large suburban estate was constructed by the GLC on low lying land near Farnborough in the 1960’s, to rehouse east Londoners living in ‘slum’ conditions. The estate has no civic or commercial core, and vehicular and pedestrian routes around the estate are segregated; these factors, and a shift in resident demographics over time have led to a negative public perception of the area as isolated and blighted. The estate’s resident group, working alongside Rushmoor Borough Council, was awarded a £1m Big Lottery Grant in 2014; part of this was aimed at agreeing environmental improvements, which were to be resident led.
Shape’s report included an assessment of existing conditions and recommendations – for a new park and civic space, riverside path, and two streetscape pilots – to be taken forward to consultation.
A common theme was encouraging more regular use of shared outdoor space. Streets and car parking take up a lot of space; while cars are integral to most residents’ lifestyle, most like the estate’s green spaces and may respond positively to provision of a wider range of activity and amenity in them. Easier and safer access – good sight lines, places to sit and rest, or to cross roads – is also needed to encourage more use, more often.
Another project strand is provision of better wayfinding aids: simple and clear route finding and signage that assists visitors or deliveries, and makes it easier to follow walking and cycling paths.
This unrealised scheme demonstrates how a typical London street - given adequate political will, a modest investment, and a commitment to ongoing maintenance – can be remade into a more widely shared community resource.
It was offered to Vauxhall Estate Resident & Tenants Association in response to their open call for designs that would turn Tyers Road – a wide swathe of bitmac cutting across the centre of their estate – from a worry into an asset.
The current, traditional street is a cut-through used predominantly by non-residents (car ownership in the area is very low, at nr. 35%) and residents have campaigned for years for a walking and bicycle-friendly street that would be more of an amenity. Shape took this as a starting point, making it a linear garden with extensive planting, places to sit, and an occasional play space.
The plan is based on a ‘low cost’ build out and uses only Lambeth Highways property, simply cutting away and removing sections of road, requiring only minor changes to existing drains and pavements.CAMDEN PARKS, 2018
On the basis of a proven track record working in public spaces with a reputation for entrenched anti-social behaviour, Shape was appointed by Camden Council to assist with small scale (under £100k) renovations at two parks near Kings Cross.
While acknowledging the importance of increased policing and social services presence, Shape was able to demonstrate wide community support for basic landscape design alterations that would make these spaces less intimidating to enter and use.
Changes proposed included realigned and more open entrances, provision of alternative through routes, and new uses encouraging more constructive activity – including more seating and expanded play provision.
Shape ran a three-step consultation process, with detailed reports documenting results of each stage: informal conversations providing some familiarity with the area and its issues. This was followed up by interviewing local residents and businesses assessing the viability of a proposed general approach; then, a revised detailed design was publicised and commented on.
Judd Street construction is expected to be complete at year end 2018.
LB Southwark, 2018
This replacement of a deteriorated trail network and access road at a scenic hilltop park in LB Southwark was supplied through a design/ build contract with Warwick Landscaping Ltd.
The steep hillside made access difficult and tree cover constrained machinery use; Shape suggested modular step construction (concrete kerbs and edgings), and reducing the path width – allowing all the new work to be done within the existing alignment.
Dark-toned slip resistant porous paving and simple, robust step and handrail detailing make the new paths more sympathetic with the forested setting.
Design scope included renovation of the 3.5m wide access road, with a reinforced downslope edge and flush kerbing.
Sanctuary Housing, 2016
Shape were brought on board by the design build firm Bennetts to address a planning Condition requiring a detailed landscape plan for this 6 storey, 24 unit infill building (with Community Centre and four low rise housing units) on a 1930’s London estate. Bennetts were also keen to firm up and reduce costs. Shape reviewed the plan produced by architects KCA to identify areas for possible savings, and then worked alongside them to value engineer the works whilst retaining a quality finish.
Shape produced a package which met Council requirements (including wildlife enhancement and protection of mature trees), and also a subsequent sheet with levels for the entire site and a brief specification - sufficient to allow both pricing and installation.
Aberconwy Borough Council, Llandudno 2002
Making places for people by rebalancing the amount of space given over to cars has been a consistent theme in Shape’s twenty years.
We were instrumental in obtaining £2m from the HLF for Aberconwy BC, using flood protection and tourist amenity projects already on the Council’s books to leverage funding which made Llandudno’s entire town centre its subject - renewing underused public spaces and gardens, restoring original features, and prioritising the pedestrian experience. The grant was the HLF’s first ‘Townscape Heritage’ award, made a year before the name and the programme were formally introduced.
Prince Edward Square, at the north end of Llandudno’s Conservation Area and next to its Victorian pier, had degraded over time into a car and coach park. The redesign employed radical roadway realignments to unblock popular walking routes between the town’s commercial centre and pier. A planned coastal defence wall was re-envisaged as cast-stone seating, bending respectfully around the Cenotaph. The existing green was expanded, and a quarter mile of ornamental, salt and wind tolerant planting installed along the seafront Promenade.
St. Mungo’s Southwark, London 2006
Shape’s portfolio of largely public spaces means we are familiar with situations where antisocial behaviour, crime, and fear of crime affect park use. This churchyard, in central London near Waterloo Station, suffered for decades from a reputation as a homeless persons’ base, and a known hangout for drug and alchohol users.
Shape’s analysis suggested that in addition to the presence of drinkers, lack of visibility into the park, narrow paths and absence of alternative routes past occupied benches discouraged most people from even entering. With a simple, and inexpensive pallette combining earth modelling and inexpensive materials, the framework for a new garden was delivered in four months.
Planting was then undertaken by St. Mungo’s ‘Putting Down Roots’ programme; which enlists street drinkers’ help installing and maintaining gardens - in quality, comparable to any in London. This in turn improved the behaviour of their colleagues, positively influencing public perception of both the space and of street drinkers.
With the assistance of regular visits from Lambeth’s Street Wardens and social services, and the involvement a newly formed Friends group, St. John’s was awarded Green Flag status two years after re-opening. It has become an oasis in a very built up area, where workers and students come to eat lunch and enjoy the surroundings. Mobile food vendors arrive at mid day, seasonal fetes are held here, and Southbank’s Fringe Festival theatres take up a two week’s residence every summer.
L&Q Housing Brent, London 2012
Unusually shaped sites present design challenges, particularly when trying to accommodate several different activities. This long, narrow site was an anonymous unused lawn, now animated with a busy under 12’s play area, gardening space, designated kickaround pitch and exercise stations. Potential conflicts between uses have been avoided by providing two different circulation routes (one bypassing the streetside childrens’ play) and putting the gardening in the middle of the site, where it separates the two more active use areas. Separation has been further emphasized with subtle level changes; these are not so extreme as to reduce visibility from the street, but significant enough to provide seating opportunities and a satisfying sense of arrival. Biodiversity has been greatly enhanced with meadow planting to three sides, pockets of berry-producing shrubs, an orchard, and a traditional hedgerow. A mixed shrub and flowering perennial bed along the street is offered to passers by as well as park users.
On the basis of a proven track record working in public spaces with a reputation for entrenched anti-social behaviour, Shape was appointed by Camden Council to assist with small scale (under £200k) renovations at two parks near Kings Cross. While acknowledging the importance of a police and social services presence, with community support Shape suggested some basic landscape alterations to make these spaces more welcoming.
These included realigned and more open entrances, provision of alternative through routes, and new uses encouraging more constructive activity – including re-located seating and expanded play provision.
Shape ran a three-step consultation process, with detailed reports to stakeholders and updates for local residents. Construction was completed at year end 2018. Visits confirm visitor numbers and length of stays have markedly increased.
Waterloo BID London, 2004
Shape find the Continental and Mediterranean model of a simple, paved square compelling; variety and interest is provide by changing activity and character through the the day and seasons, and the number and nature of its occupants. This renovation by LB Lambeth started with Bridget Snaith’s speculative proposal to the Waterloo Business Improvement District: pedestrianisation a very visible junction in a Conservation Area behind the station; the idea was developed through consultation with market traders and businesses.
The study area was dominated by taxis and cars, the market’s rubbish compactor and a disjointed assemblage of materials; in contrast, the design suggested a single surface treatment - shared by cars, the market and pedestrians - inviting shoppers to enter and linger in Lower Marsh with clear sight lines, places to sit, and high quality, durable furnishings. While not progressed due to lack of funding, plans for renovating the plaza and Lower Marsh itself were realized when the adjacent Old Vic Theatre emerged as a high profile cultural destination.
This unbuilt project is part of a Shape bid responding to a University of East London brief for improving the appearance of the main entrance to campus. Students and visitors arrive via a walk underneath a massive elevated roundabout and up a long ramp, entering a relatively bleak and empty courtyard flanked by four storey buildings.
Shape's proposal provides the attractive perennial border in the courtyard that college executives requested, but it also addresses more fundamental issues of visitor orientation and circulation, and encourages more social use of the space.
Lowering the height of the planter next to the entry ramp opens up a currently constricted view into the space; this makes the arrival experience more enjoyable and presents the new planting better. Through movement is improved, and combined with provision of more seating, the area becomes a spot at which to meet people and linger.
Replacing paving with planting makes the plaza a more comfortable space in sunny days, with glare and ambient temperatures reduced. Planters allow rain falling on the plaza to soak into the ground rather than run into storm sewers; to support the work of the university's Sustainability Research Lab, underground storage of rainfall from adjacent rooftops was also suggested.
2002 - Present
Consultation is an essential part of Shape’s scope of services as it assists in the development of appropriate designs and increases the likelihood of successful outcomes. Involvement of local people can reduce the incidence of vandalism and anti-social behaviour and lead to a sense of ownership - in some cases, resident involvement such as involvement with ‘Friends of’ groups, or acting as a ‘project champion’.
Clear and accessible consultation materials:
- diagrams
- models
- perspective illustrations
- structured questionnaires
- lightly scripted conversations help us obtain useful information and check levels of support before commencement, and as designs are progressed.
Shape are also keen on evaluating the performance of completed projects, visiting these in the weeks, years, and (in a few instances) decades following their installation.
Site B is part of an ambitious Waverley Borough Council scheme rebuilding a neighbourhood of small interwar homes, to modern standards at a higher density, but retaining the small-scale 'village' atmosphere.
Shape provided landscape design services to Stage 3, preparing documents for release of planning Conditions. With assistance from architects PDP and engineers JMLA, Shape was able to narrow road widths, allowing more tree planting and reducing the visual impact of car parking. Shape reviewed the draft levels plan, for Part M compliance and minimising flood hazard; we agreed with Council a traditional, durable shrub and groundcover planting palette that provides seasonal colour with only modest maintenance requirements. Particular attention was paid to quality of life issues such as reducing the visual impact of timber boundary fences with vine and hedge planting, and providing sufficient patio space for a table and chairs.
Environmental aspects of the scheme are a priority; these include on site rainwater storage with permeable surfaces, cycle storage, bird and bat bricks, bug hotels, hedgehog friendly gaps in fencing, traditional hedgerow planting, and low intensity lamps on street lights. Shape also advised on creation of a community gardening club.
London, 2013-present
Lack of funds should not prevent the realisation of good ideas; Shape provided this not-for-profit community group with guidance on a staged route to making applications for grants and for Planning approvals, over a three year period. As small pots of money became available, diagrams, illustrations, and cost projections were produced, and initial consultations undertaken. The latter included both major stakeholders (the site a Grade II* Listed building in Brixton town centre) and the general public, identifying and prioritising both issues and opportunities. Shape produced the Design and Access Statement for the planning application, which is pending.
2002 - Present
Public gardens can delight our senses, build communities with a shared experience, and provide opportunities for relaxation or exercise; they can also have an important ecological function in providing habitat and food, capturing rainwater before it enters the stormwater sewer system, and reducing the ‘heat island’ effect in urban areas. Successful gardens require sensible and safe circulation, benefit from new uses and attractions (some providing a revenue funding stream), and an appropriate level of management and maintenance. While larger pots of capital allow use of higher quality materials and more extensive planting, the availability of revenue funding and the skill level of maintenance staff are key influences on design.
Shape can offer high quality site organisation for court and pitch construction projects, adding value by attractively arranging buildings and grounds, fitting these uses onto the site and considering options such as phased expansion, adjacent ancillary uses (parking, play areas, picnic areas, multi-use lawns), and providing a perimeter buffer. The pictured projects were all built to a high specification to qualify for Sport England funding.