South Gardens, Elephant Park

Churchman Landscape Associates has won the 2018 Landscape Institute President’s Award for its South Gardens project, which forms part of the new Elephant Park in south London. Landscape Institute President Adam White said, “It was difficult to single out one project from so many brilliant winners, but I have chosen a project that places the community, wellness and ecology at its heart.”

South Gardens 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 and was in great need of redevelopment. The scheme consisted of three plots within the masterplan and borders the Larcom conservation area to the south. The plans will ultimately include the provision of 3,000 homes, 50 new shops, and a two-acre park, the largest new green space in central London for 70 years. This £3bn regeneration is due for completion by 2025.

Churchman’s brief was to design the residential amenity areas, including three communal courtyards, two communal roof terraces and 11 green roofs. Starting from the principles set out in the approved masterplan, they undertook concept design and engagement with key stakeholders and the local community. This extensive and imaginative stakeholder and community engagement included ‘walk and talk’ events and design workshops, which helped to shape the successful delivery of the amenity spaces. White commended this approach, saying: “The level of community engagement rather than just tokenistic consultation should be praised.”

South Gardens provides an attractive sanctuary in Zone 1 London – one which responds sensitively to the surrounding architecture and its designated setting. The landscape architects have created a variety of conditions within their planting designs for the courtyards and green roofs aimed at being resilient to climate change. Strategies for insect, bird and bat habitats are embedded covertly into buildings or as conspicuous sculptural objects. The benefit of SUDs has been incorporated through the use of rain gardens and lessons have been taken from permaculture techniques by planting Nitrogen-fixing trees and companion plants near productive fruit trees. 

White noted the importance of this project to landscape architecture: “South Gardens is relevant to our profession and the sector as it provides a flagship case study of how a residential landscape can become an urban sanctuary – inclusive and ecologically rich – with a philosophy that places the community, wellness and ecology at its heart. It was also refreshing to hear acknowledgement being given to the landscape contractor, Gavin Jones, who also worked closely with the landscape architect to fine-tune the arrangement of trees, shrubs and boulders.”

An inventive mix of property types was created, making the scheme feel like a collection of homes in a small village. These new homes each have a garden, terrace or balcony surrounded by inclusive and accessible green spaces. Sustainability is at the heart of the project and the aim is for it to be the UK’s first Climate Positive development. White noted: “The courtyards link into healthy new streets, encourage strolling, and offer places to pause in horticulturally rich gardens with opportunities to forage fruit or grow fresh food. Opportunities for creative play by children weave through the courtyards and the planting responds accordingly. Biodiverse green roofs have been designed to mimic locally rare habitats with maximised species diversity.”

This is an outstanding and innovative project that has fully complied with the project brief to deliver a liveable, engaging, playful and residential amenity landscape with intrinsic ecological value. As White concluded: “The scheme is an exemplary urban residential landscape; achieved through genuine place-making, environmentally sensitive planting and meticulous high-quality landscape design.”