What_if_projects

What if: projects selected for GLA/TfL Architecture, Design and Urbanism Panel
In October 2013 What if: projects were selected for the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Transport for London (TfL) Architecture, Design and Urbanism panel in the category Community Engagement and Local Regeneration. The panel will be used for City Hall and Transport for London contracts and is available for use by all public sector organisations in the capital.
Building Design
GLA

What if: projects are working with the Carpenters Estate TMO and the local community on developing a Neighbourhood Plan for the area.
next workshop in April (date to be confirmed) 2014, 7-9pm
Carpenters Arms Pub, Carpenters Road, E15 2JH
All local residents and businesses from the area of the Greater Carpenters Neighbourhood are invited to come to this planning workshop facilitated by architecture practice What if: projects. In this 2nd workshop we will continue to discuss ideas for immediate and long term improvements of the area. Will you become a member of the proposed Greater Carpenters Neighbourhood Forum and support the development of a Neighbourhood Plan? Come along, find out more and join in!
For more information contact:
The Resident Steering Group
Warren Lubin - RSG Chair
c/o: Carpenters TMO, 17 Doran Walk, Stratford, London, E15 2JL.
Tel: 020 373 2750

RAINHAM STATION: forecourt

In February 2013 What if: projects Ltd have been commissioned by the London Borough of Havering for the improvement of Rainham station's forecourt. The project creates a new hub for cyclists and pedestrians visiting the historic Rainham Village or heading off into the wilderness of Rainham Marshes'and the Thames Estuar. Works is scheduled to start on site in April 2014.

RAINHAM: Viking Way

What if: projects has been commissioned by LB Havering to improve the public realm of the Viking Way in Rainham. A consulation with young people at the Royals Youth Centre in March '14 started the process.The project is scheduled to be completed in May 2014.

HACKNEY: Nisbet House gardens

What if: projects are working with Hackney Homes on improving the public realm at Nisbet House in Homerton. First consultations with residents took place in March 2014.

OCTAVIA'S ORCHARD

moved from Southbank Centre, Festival of Neighbourhood to 4 housing estates in London

In September the orchard was relocated from its temporary location on Mandela Walk adjacent to the Royal Festival Hall to its permanent location on housing estates in London. As part of the Festival of Neighbourhood at the Southbank Centre urban communities were invited to adopt sections of the orchard for their own grounds and four estates were selected. To help create these new orchards the community groups have been twinned with National Trust places to gain support and training from their expert gardeners. The project is aiming to bring the National Trust treatment of green spaces to the housing estates in London.

Sutton House and Breakers Yard is twinned with the Pembury Estate and Trelawney Estate in Hackney. Osterley Park and House in Isleworth is twinned with Albert Barnes House in Elephant&Castle. Morden Hall Park is twinned with the Phipps Bridge Estate in Morden. Each housing estate received 5-10 trees and 1-2 benches for their new orchard. The galvanised Chamberlain bins typically used on multi storey housing estates will be reused for temporary greening projects on Peckham Rye Lane (Peckham Pocket Places) with Sustrans and in Brixton by Brixton Green.

Photo: Inge Clemente
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The orchard will reappear in front of the Peckham Plex in April 2014.

As part of the initiative Peckham Pocket Places started by Sustrans and Southwark, the underused space in front of the Peckham Plex will be greened and transformed into a space for socialising. For two years the installation developed by What if: projects is testing the potential of this public area and will inform future permanent improvements. On the 7th June the project is part of a Chelsea Fringe event with music, food and performances taking place across all four Pocket Places on Rye Lane.

ISLINGTON: Towpath garden

Pupils at Hanover School have adopted a neglected stretch of land along the Regent's Canal, turning it into a garden. The project, developed in collaboration with the Canal&River Trust and Hanover School attracted Pocket Park funding and was constructed by carpenters in residence at the Crafts College.

The VACANT LOT project makes the most of neglected communal spaces. Since 2007 over 800 allotment plots and 21 new spaces for socialsing and play were created on housing estates in the centre of London. Now the project is expanding to address the many underused community centres and internal spaces on housing estates.

What if: projects initiated the VACANT LOT program with the aim of transforming neglected and unused spaces on inner city housing estates into environments that provide neighbourhoods with the most basic of requirements: outside space, a place to grow food and a place to socialise. Projects investigate forms of neighbourhood engagement and aim to start processes of sustainable change. In deprived urban areas across London small pockets of vacant land have been made accessible and are now occupied by bespoke design elements that enable new communal use.
The What if team has been working in partnership with Groundwork, Social Housing Providers, volunteers and construction teams.

VACANT LOT is part of the Carrot City touring exhibition

Become a FRIEND of the VACANT LOT

What if: projects took part in The Architecture Foundation's Street to Doorstep project in Thamesmead.
What if: projects focused on the "eye of the needle" entrances to the Moorings in Thamesmead and developed a series of proposals for the currently unused arch spaces and a tunnel underneath the flyover. The proposed Crosswayproject envisages the flyover that currently devides local communities as a cultural spine within a parkland. Delivered by construction trainess from Thamesmead the project would be started by setting up a construction workshop in one of the arches and would further extend to address the flyover spaces as well as construct furniture for the Thamesmead parkland.
Architecture Foundation
Architecture Journel

Charterhouse Road Club has won the Sustainable Housing Award 2013 in the category Transformation and is shortlisted for the Urban Intervention Award Berlin 2013 in the category Built.

mprovements to the communal spaces at the Samual Lewis Trust Estate/Amhurst Road were kick started with the Vacant Lot allotment in May 2011 and have been extended to the refurbishment of the Community Hall and the play space and outside gym. Charterhouse Road Club was offically opened on the 22.05.2013.
Photo: Inge Clemente
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