South Gardens
by Maccreanor Lavington
Client Lendlease
Awards RIBA London Award 2018
This project delivers the first 360 new homes of Lendlease’s Elephant Park Masterplan, to replace the former Heygate Estate. Built in 1974, the estate had fallen into severe disrepair.
South Gardens consists of three plots within the masterplan and borders the Larcom conservation area to the south.
The project consists of a clever mix of types of properties in terms of storeys and size, so the scheme feels like a collection of homes like a small village.
The project includes nine buildings, including three storey townhouses, seven to ten storey mansion blocks and a 16 storey tower all with their own garden, terrace or balcony surrounded by flourishing green spaces.
A strong placemaking philosophy was used in the design of South Gardens which led to a variety of architectural forms and typologies being employed that provide each of the nine buildings with their own distinctive character. For example each building uses different brick colours so can be read as a individual while also sharing one or two brick colours with adjacent buildings.
The various designs evolved so they sat happily within the streetscape together as a family of buildings, so they harmonise the new scheme with its context. For example where the new scheme sits opposite an existing terrace street with bay windows, a modern take on the bay window has been mirror in the new scheme.
The landscaping strip between the buildings is charming including children play equipment, bug hotel as well as the expected hedges, planting beds and trees.
There is an architectural and material coherence across the site, an architecture of street facades that are predominantly made from brick, with crisply detailed and carefully proportioned openings.
Internal Area 35,841 m²
Contractor Lendlease
Structural Engineers Robert Bird Group
Environmental / M&E Engineers TÜV SÜD
Landscape Architects Gillespie’s
Access Consultant David Bonnett Associates
Passive House Consultant Warm
Landscape Consultant Churchman
Community Consultant Soundings
Planning Consultant DP9
