Fellowship Square Place, Waltham Forest - Countryside Partnerships and LB Waltham Forest

Where is the project located
Forest Road, London E17 4JF
 
Who is the developer/client of the project?
Countryside Partnerships and London Borough of Waltham Forest
 
Who is on the project team? 
Metropolitan Workshop, ArchitectMacCreanor Lavington,Architect ; Gort Scott. Architect ;StanTec Civil Structural ; Engineer, Transport, Heritage,Acoustics,Ecology,Economics,Health  ; AWA, M&E ; Gross Max, Landscape Architect ; Ashton Fire,Fire Consultant ; Barton Willmore, Planning Consultant ; Storey Civic Building Project Manager ; Aecom, Sustainability  

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people?

Fellowship Square, Phase 2 will create a vibrant new neighbourhood in the heart of Waltham Forest, providing a modern, energy-efficient civic headquarters, together with new commercial space and major improvements to the public realm. 

The residential development, known as Hepworth Place, is made up of five residential blocks consisting of 433 high-quality homes for local people, with 50% affordable. The scheme includes the redevelopment of the land within the setting of, but excluding, the Grade II Listed Town Hall and Assembly Hall.

The development will create a truly exceptional place that will bring together civic, cultural, workplace, residential and leisure uses and redefine the sense of placeat this unique and historic civic site. The masterplan has been designed to provide an open and legible site that is pedestrian friendly, green, and accessible to all.

Key moves that have driven the proposal are as follow:

• Wayfinding is emphasised to ensure that the new streets offer identity and character that allows navigation through the site comfortably, stitching together this new mixed use neighbourhood and protecting the character of the existing Grade II listed buildings

• Pedestrian and cycle connections tap into the existing infrastructure linking the development seamlessly with Chestnuts Fields, opening up this valuable green space and making it accessible to all

• A pedestrian friendly neighbourhood that drastically reduces car reliance and promotes active travel

• A sensory garden designed to be fully inclusive, supporting residents with autism and dementia

 
Please describe your approach to this future place and its mix of uses. How will it function as a vibrant place? How does it knit into, and serve the needs of, the wider area?

An architectural language has been adopted that employs a rich but subtle materiality, a language that closely reflects the Town Hall and Assembly Hall. Design of the New Civic building will complete Philip Hepworth’s original vision for the campus with materiality and structure creating a modern building yet in keeping with its historic and Grade II listed neighbours. 

A vibrant neighbourhood will be created by transforming former car parks into residential blocks with intimate streetscape and landscaping. The New Civic building will have an all-day restaurant and café, attracting the wider public on to the site who will enjoy the existing fountain square. A nursery and other commercial space will be delivered which, along with the existing Assembly Hall, will add to this vibrant mixed-use space.

Improved, direct access to Chestnut Fields will ensure this green space becomes an essential part of the campus masterplan and maximises its usage for informal sports, exercise and outdoor activities. Fellowship Square improves the local public realm by allowing seamless movement through the neighbourhood, providing key routes and adding legibility from new access points.

The design has allowed for intuitive movement through the campus with seamless connections between new and existing communities.

Fellowship Square will be a 365-days-a-year cultural venue and a unique setting for a range of community events for the benefit of local residents. Summer and winter markets will be held throughout the year and the council’s culture and heritage team is developing a cultural programme for when the development is complete.

 
What is the environmental impact of the project? How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated? What is the sustainability strategy?

Fellowship Square is driven by key sustainability goals; to target net zero operational (Part L regulated) carbon emissions and aspirations to exceed minimum requirements for water efficiency. 

Optimisation of the building fabric will create a communal heat network with a hybrid energy system including electric air source heat pumps (ASHPs) and generated renewable energy using roof-mounted PV panels. These measures will result in a 61% reduction in carbon emissions from the baseline.

A Circular Economy Statement has been prepared to address waste flows on site during construction and will ensure construction impact targets are met; by diverting waste from landfill to a minimum of 95% for construction waste and 95% for excavation waste.

The landscaping strategy has been developed to ensure that suitable habitats are retained on site. Existing trees and woodland will be supplemented by additional planting and installation of green roofs to provide a biodiversity net gain. Usage of native or drought resistant vegetation within the landscaping strategy will lower water used for irrigation. A hybrid pond, permeable paving and swales will provide sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).

Healthy indoor air quality will be ensured through specification of materials with low volatile organic compound (VOC) content and design of mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) systems to control pollutants and provide fresh air to the dwellings. Visual comfort has actively informed design to ensure dwellings and new Civic building receive good daylight. Acoustic performance will be managed through installation of sound absorption and impact sound insulation where appropriate.
 
Describe the social impact of the project: How will this future place contribute to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of its citizens?  

In addition to 433 new homes with 50% affordable housing, Fellowship Square will provide its residents and the wider community with a new Civic building, a community café, commercial space including a nursery, enhanced green space and a Sensory Garden. 

The development will increase the net usable open space land by removing car parks and pedestrianising most of the development and will improve access and usability of Chestnuts Field, along with new play and exercise equipment to improve the health and well-being of all citizens. Initiatives will be put in place to stimulate the ownership of the public realm spaces with volunteer and children’s wildlife activity groups.

Accessible streets and green landscaped zones are weaved through the development with strategic planting and seating areas providing spaces for the local community to use the public realm to its fullest potential. Biodiversity will be supported through the development, planting over 200 trees, sustainable urban drainage, a sensory garden and the introduction of bird and bat boxes across the development.

The development will create over 1,000 new jobs and employment opportunities through new commercial spaces and through the construction and supply chain phase. Work experience placements and high degree apprenticeships will be offered to local people through existing relationships with colleges and schools.

EV charging points will be accessible to both residents, Council and commercial operator employees. 1,000 secure cycle spaces and discounted membership to an e-car club will support vulnerable residents and those with limited transport options.