Repurposing underused urban pavements
Baylis Road is a busy urban road close to Waterloo station with a hard landscaped environment unattractive to local residents and workers. As part of wider plans by Lambeth Council to redevelop Baylis Road to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, the local business improvement district We Are Waterloo identified an unused patch of land to repurpose. Located adjacent to a pub garden with a large change in levels, the space had the potential to be transformed into a small pocket park, just five minutes’ from our London Studio.
Delivering new green space for residents
Our competition winning design consists of modular timber planters which weave and undulate across the site to frame a new pathway, bringing people into the pocket park and closer to nature. Due to the proximity of the site to the adjacent pub garden, our design needed to have its own identity, and be a clear and obvious space for local residents of all ages to enjoy.
We worked closely with a small, local team at We Are Waterloo to bring this project to life, this included using local business for the supply of materials. We held a number of community planting days where we participated alongside local businesses and residents to learn about the new plants and deliver the finishing touches to the scheme.
Sustainable Design
The project is shaped by an environmental and social sustainable ethos. Timber was sourced from a local merchant and discarded single-use plastic bottles cleaned up from the Waterloo streets were repurposed as a drainage layer below the soil. A selection of perennials, annuals, shrubs and herbs have been incorporated into a diverse and well-considered planting schedule to promote biodiversity and ensure the park remains animated, fragrant and colourful throughout the year.
