27 May 2008

Choices for Grahame Park announces design team competition winners for regeneration project

Choices for Grahame Park (CfGP) has appointed a design team led by architects Jestico + Whiles for a key phase of its £95m regeneration gateway Phase 1b project.

Key to the ground-breaking development will be a new library, park, community centre and shops for Grahame Park, as well as over 500 new homes. Construction work is due to start in 2010.

Five architect design teams were shortlisted from thirty Europe-wide entrants to prepare design proposals for the three main mixed-use buildings and the new town square.

Residents played a key role in this process. The Grahame Park Residents’ Design Panel assessed the shortlisted teams before they were further assessed by the CfGP Evaluation Team which included Barnet Council and Countryside Properties. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) managed the competition process and provided a specialist architect adviser.

The evaluation panel assessed Jestico + Whiles as “superb leaders for this project” and, together with their team members, Rivington Street Studio and Peter Barber Architects, were considered “brilliant designers” for addressing the challenges and opportunities of Grahame Park’s Phase 1b.

The next steps are for the Jestico + Whiles consortium to join the technical team to begin the process of developing the design proposals. This will involve consulting with the community, working up ideas and liaising with the Council’s Planning and Highways departments.

Anne Dufton, Chief Executive of Choices for Grahame Park, part of Genesis Housing Group, said ‘CfGP is again bringing excellent architects into Colindale. Our expectations and those of the Grahame Park residents have been raised by this enthralling competition process. We had so many great ideas presented to us by some extremely talented teams of architects and are delighted with our choice, the Jestico + Whiles team.’

Heinz Richardson, Director of Jestico + Whiles, said “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen for this important regeneration project, particularly given the extremely high calibre of the shortlisted teams. We look forward to working together with Choices for Grahame Park, and in particular the residents of Grahame Park, to create a truly inspirational and sustainable place to live, which is above all humane”



Grahame Park Architects : Jestico + Whiles

10 March 2008
Shortlist announced -
Phase 1b of the Grahame Park Regeneration Project

The shortlist is announced for the selection of an architect, or team of architects, to deliver Phase 1b of the Grahame Park Regeneration Project, Colindale NW9.

Choices for Grahame Park Ltd (CfGP), part of Genesis Housing Group, is working in partnership with Barnet Council to deliver the flagship regeneration of the disadvantaged 1970’s, GLC-built Grahame Park Estate. This aims to transform Grahame Park into a thriving, 3,400-home mixed tenure community. Phase 1b is a £95m scheme which will involve demolition of 200 plus homes, the construction of c.600 new homes, together with new community facilities, retail and public realm improvements.

The Jury Panel, which consisted of representatives from CfGP, Countryside Properties Plc and Barnet Council, together with John Lyall (John Lyall Architects Ltd) acting as the RIBA Architect Adviser, faced an embarrassment of riches in selecting the shortlist.

The five teams (in alphabetical order of the Consortium Leader) selected are as follows:

Hawkins\Brown with Proctor & Matthews Architects and Cartwright Pickard Architects.

Jestico + Whiles with Rivington Street Studio Architects and Peter Barber Architects.

Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands with de Metz Forbes Knight Architects Ltd, Alison Brooks Architects Ltd, Riches Hawley Mikhail Architects and de Rijke Marsh Morgan.

Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects with Amin Taha Architects, Ash Sakula Architects, Niall McLaughlin Architects and Tonkin Liu.

White Arkitekter AB with PCKO Architects.


The Jury Panel selected teams which they felt had the resources, experience and design flair to generate ideas for the landmark mixed use buildings, central piazza and housing, with the capability to see these economically translated into the built form. Teams needed to have responded to CfGP’s aspirations for Grahame Park and to demonstrate how they might work with the local community and other stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of Phase 1b, which occupies a key gateway location to both the regenerated estate and other developments in the surrounding area.

Anne Dufton (Chief Executive, Choices for Grahame Park Ltd) commented: “We are delighted with the interest shown by a wide range of excellent architects in our project. This phase provides a tremendous opportunity to transform the public perception of Grahame Park as well as to create a successful heart for the 3000-home regeneration scheme.”

John Lyall (John Lyall Architects Ltd) commented: “To have a shortlist of five teams of such extremely good architects working in collaboration is adventurous, challenging, and delightful. We have high expectations for exciting and practical designs which will take Grahame Park into a new era of sustainable quality.”

The eventual winner will need to have the skills and resources to deliver CfGP’s commitment to produce a high quality urban environment, with homes and public buildings that are safe, secure and promote integration of the Estate with the wider locality.

Teams will be invited to present their initial design ideas, approach and thinking at a meeting of the Grahame Park Residents’ Design Panel and attend a final interview with the Jury Panel in late April 2008.

Architecture Competition

Info from RIBA : 24 Jan 2008

Expressions of Interest sought -
Architect for Phase 1b, Grahame Park Regeneration Project, London NW9

The RIBA Competitions Office is pleased to announce the launch of a selection process on behalf of Choices for Grahame Park Ltd. Architects, or teams of architects, are invited to submit Expressions of Interest for a mixed tenure housing development with community facilities, retail and public realm. Choices for Grahame Park Ltd (CfGP) is a wholly-owned special purpose vehicle, that was set up by the Genesis Housing Group to work in partnersship with Barnet Council to deliver the flagship regeneration of the 1,777 home Grahame Park Estate, Colindale NW9. Genesis Housing Group is one of the largest housing association groups in Europe and consists of a number of non-profit making Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

The 1970s, GLC-built Grahame Park Estate was designed to Radburn principles and is generally considered to be failing, creating an unsafe and unpleasant living environment, that is now characterised by a population with considerable social disadvantage. The regeneration will involve the demolition of 75% of the existing housing stock and aims to transform Grahame Park into a thriving, 3,400-home mixed tenure community.

CfGP wishes to select an architect, or team of architects to design and deliver Phase 1b of the regeneration programme. Phase 1b will involve demolition of 200 plus homes with the construction of c.600 new homes (the majority for sale); 2,000m2 of shops; a library; community centre and housing office, public square; a small park and play area (4,000 m2), together with the relocation of a road and its establishment as a boulevard. The indicative construction works budget (1Q 2008) is anticipated to be in the region of GBP £95m. Phase 1b’s location at the south of the Estate means that this will be a key gateway location for the overall regeneration project and other developments in the surrounding area. It will be a hub of activity for the area and CfGP envisages a series of landmark buildings in this location, together with properties that will maximise sales values for cross-funding the overall regeneration.

The successful architect will need to have the skills and resources to deliver CfGP’s commitment to produce a high quality urban environment, with homes and public buildings that are safe, secure and promote integration of the Estate with the wider locality. Since the construction work will take place alongside retained property, consultation with stakeholders, neighbours, prospective residents and tenants will also form a significant part of the commission.

From the initial Expressions of Interest, up to five architects / teams of architects will be invited to develop sketch ideas to outline their approach, preliminary thinking and response to the site, Masterplan and cost constraints for part of the development (involving major mixed use buildings and the public square). Each short-listed team will receive a payment of £3,000 (+VAT).

The Expression of Interest deadline was 13 February 2008.



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