New Cross Gate, London

Client New Deal for Communities New Cross Gate
Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley
Environmental engineer Max Fordham
Consulting engineers/structural engineer whitbybird
Landscape architects Grant Associates

Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects won the competition to design a sustainable living quarter in London’s New Cross Gate in February 2006. The New Deal for Communities New Cross Gate sponsored the design competition based on a brief to provide health, educational, community, creative and performing arts facilities together with a new public square and residential units. The project is one of the Mayor's 100 Public Spaces Programme.

The development plan (click for larger image)	Access routes (click for larger image)	Places and space usage (click for larger image)

The sustainable living quarter and healthy living centre is part of a larger regeneration project, with the brief for the physical regeneration including healthcare, fitness, educational, community and creative arts facilities, residential and retail units and a new town square. The design places the community facilities on the ground and first floor with residential units situated above in differing storey heights creating a dynamic skyline.

The residential elements of the building structure use sustainably-sourced, prefabricated solid timber panels while the community elements are formed from reinforced concrete to ensure flexibility of use and to maximise the use of thermal mass in controlling temperature swings. Once occupied,10 percent of the energy required to run the development will be generated on site from renewable sources. This will be achieved with the use of solar thermal panels to pre-heat water and ground source cooling for the gym.

Green planted walls and flowering trees will provide animal habitats and a quiet urban oasis. Wind turbines will generate electricity to irrigate the trees with stored rain water.

The scheme proposes 76 residential units surrounding a large public square planted with mature trees. At ground floor along the perimeter of the square are a doctors’ surgery, dentist, pharmacy, community hall, performance space, crèche and community café. An adult learning centre and library are raised into a prominent civic building on New Cross Road. Under this civic icon, a wide pedestrian connection is made between the public square and the activity of New Cross Road.

The square aims to put the built and natural environment on an equal footing. Green planted walls and flowering trees will provide animal habitats and a quiet urban oasis that will change with the seasons. Wind turbines will generate electricity to irrigate the trees with stored rain water. By defining the square with buildings of differing architectural languages, the square establishes itself as a public space for the entire community rather than one limited to this single development.

Lord Rogers of Riverside, the Mayor's Chief Advisor on Architecture and Urbanism reviewed the New Cross Gate NDC Centre proposals in January 2007. Lord Rogers said: 'The architectural and urban design principles presented are very strong and together with the potential improvements to the local traffic system, could transform this part of New Cross which is now dominated by noisy and fast moving traffic into a pleasant place to live and work and play. I strongly support the NDC's ambitions for the area and look forward to reviewing the proposals as they develop'.