We Made That

The recently completed Burnt Oak High Street works have been long-listed along with 35 other projects for the RIBA MacEwen Award for ‘the common good’. The judges included Julia Barfield, director of Marks Barfield; Yuli Cadney-Toh, architect director of BDP Bristol; Anisha Jogani, placemaking team leader of Croydon Council; Kathy MacEwen, town planner; and Hugh Pearman, editor of the RIBA Journal. 

The works in Burnt Oak were an outcome of the ‘Burnt Oak Looking Forward’ Town Centre Strategy, which was commissioned by the London Borough of Barnet and produced by a team comprising We Made That, Retail Revival, Maddison Graphic and Stockdale. The strategy provided a set of projects for Burnt Oak town centre, which were shaped to be delivered through the GLA’s High Street Fund. A series of ‘Hot Spot’ interventions, which have been delivered as the first on-the-ground actions from the Town Centre Strategy, include a distinctive news kiosk, upgrades to the Burnt Oak Library entrance, and a suite of coordinated improvements to pockets of public realm combined with building frontage improvements.

We’re looking for the very best people to join our growing team. You should be talented, ambitious and tenacious. Right now there are several roles we’re hoping to fill to work on exciting new projects:

• Senior Urban Researcher (Projects leader) [job description pdf]
• Project Architect (+3 years post part III)  [job description pdf]
• Architectural Assistant (Part II)  [job description pdf]
• Urban Research Assistant  [job description pdf]

Deadline for applications is 17th February 2019 and details of how to apply are in the job descriptions.

Thinking about it? Drop in and visit us any time between 4pm and 7.30pm, Wednesday 6th February. Meet the team, hear what we’ve got going on! LEAVE YOUR PORTFOLIO AT HOME.

At this time of year, we like to prove that We Made That can actually make some stuff. For this year’s creative Christmas extravaganza, We Made That returned to Blackhorse Lane to learn about leather making at Blackhorse Workshop.

Mia Sabel and Colin Coutts from SABEL Saddlery provided our team with an introduction to the basics of traditional saddlery, including leather preparation, double-stitching and hand-burnishing. More information about the Mia and Colin’s workshop here.

Festive wishes to all our clients, collaborators, friends and colleagues!

Holly and Melissa both spoke on the subject of industry in London at recent events, for Estates Gazette and RTPI London respectively. 

Melissa spoke at EG’s Industrial and Logistics Summit, on the subject of the light industrial uses in London, alongside Hawkins\Brown, Colliers, CAG Consultants, Marchmont Investment Management and Maples Teesdale. The panel covered issues of investor confidence and demand for industrial stock, the implications of the New London Plan on industrial floorspace supply, and what future industrial workspace delivered through intensification schemes might look like, drawing on We Made That’s recent work on industrial intensification for the Greater London Authority. See more of the discussion at #EGSummit. 

Holly also spoke at the RTPI London Summit about the challenges of delivering on the Mayor’s vision for ‘Good Growth’ in London’s suburbs. Inevitably, this brings the use of London’s industrial land into question, particularly when boroughs are faced with intimidating housing numbers. Speaking alongside Heather Cheeseborough of LB Croydon, Jane Custane from LB Waltham Forest and Rob Kryzyszowski from LB Brent, Holly advocated for careful consideration and intensification of London’s industrial areas in the face of development pressures.

A series of bespoke high street projects in Burnt Oak have been delivered including: shopfront improvements along Watling Avenue, a news kiosk for Burnt Oak Station forecourt, and a community noticeboard to Burnt Oak Library. 

The delivered projects were an outcome of the ‘Burnt Oak Looking Forward’ Town Centre Strategy, which was commissioned by the London Borough of Barnet, and produced by a team comprising We Made That, Retail Revival, Maddison Graphic and Stockdale. The strategy provided a set of projects for Burnt Oak town centre, which were shaped to be delivered through the GLA’s High Street Fund.

Holly joined Alma-Nac, Finn Williams of Public Practice, Alison Killing and Douglas Murphy to launch the latest issue of AD Magazine.

The issue, titled ‘New Modes: Redefining Practice’ is guest edited by Alma-Nac, and explores how a generation of architects - including We Made That - are leading the way towards new forms of practice by challenging conventional ideas of ‘The Architect’ and reclaiming the notion of architecture as something public that should work ultimately towards the collective good. 

Buy your own copy here. 

We Made That and Hatch Regeneris are currently working with Hackney Council to understand more about value of creative industries, cultural, community and third-sector organisations, both to the Hackney’s economy and its communities. The work aims to establish a detailed understanding of the rapid economic change which has been experience in Hackney over the past decade, and examine the implications for this for the borough’s places and communities. 

The study includes detailed economic profiles of each of Hackney’s key employment areas, detailed workspace mapping, and a social value study of the borough’s creative, cultural and community sectors. The study uses this research to propose a new social value framework for Hackney Council to use to track the economic, social and environmental value of the borough’s economy over time. This study will help to inform development within Hackney in the future, including the borough’s emerging Local Plan (LP33).

In February 2017 the Mayor of London in partnership with South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) launched a bold new vision - the Thames Estuary Production Corridor: a future facing vision which aims to make the Estuary a global centre for digital, cultural and creative production, leading global innovation, developing talent and cultivating world changing ideas. We Made That has been working with Hatch Regeneris and Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy to develop this vision into a strong case for investment to deliver on these ambitions, supported by a detailed evidence base of creative production activity across the estuary. This work has included on-the-ground mapping and engagement with production facilities and creative studios across east London, North Kent and South Essex. 

One of these creative studios is Clayspace in Margate, where We Made That recently visited on an office day out to experience the craft of pottery. Clayspace Studios is a not-for-profit social enterprise set up to offer a professional ceramics studio space and teaching facility for the whole community. Their aim is to provide inspiration and support for anyone wanting to work with clay at all levels of ability and experience. They run a regular programme of classes, short courses and drop-in sessions from their studios in Margate.

We recently received our hand-made pottery and are pleasantly surprised with the results! Thanks again to Bridget and the rest of the Clayspace team for a wonderful day!

We Made That have been collaborating with 5th Studio to produce an area framework for New Cross on behalf of the London Borough of Lewisham, TfL and the GLA. The team have been working closely with local stakeholder groups to produce a strategic vision for the area which advocates for better connectivity and public realm, support for growing the local economy, and protecting the distinct culture of New Cross whilst identifying appropriate development opportunity.

The final draft of the Area Framework will be out to public consultation until 14th December 2018. 

There are three ways to view and comment on proposals:

• Visit the window display at New Cross Learning from 1st December
• View copies of the document at New Cross Learning, Deptford Lounge, Pepys Community Library, and Catford Library 
• View and comment on the document online

Address of exhibition:
New Cross Learning,
283-285 New Cross Rd,
London 
SE14 6AS

Opening times: Tues 10am-5pm Weds & Thurs 10am-7pm Saturday 10am-5pm

Commissioned by Transport for London (TfL), the Sutton Link project develops proposals for a new public transport route between the London Boroughs of Merton and Sutton. In partnership with Hawkins/Brown and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects, We Made That are developing the Urban Design and Placemaking Strategy for the scheme which has already helped to identify three route options, currently open to public consultation via TfL. 

Taking consultation feedback on board, the team will begin to develop a strategy for the public realm and landscape design for the preferred route, working closely with TfL, as well as transport engineers, environmental consultants and business planners.

Once complete, the Sutton Link will create a much-needed connection between Sutton and Merton town centres and beyond to Central London, encouraging people use more sustainable modes of transport. With reference to the Mayor’s Healthy Streets Initiative, the design team will develop proposals which radically transform busy traffic corridors into places where priority is shared across modes of transport and environmental considerations take the fore; creating a credible urban environment to support good growth. 

Halton Borough Council is seeking expressions of interest from developer-led teams for the implementation of the Masterplan and Delivery Strategy for the Runcorn Station Quarter. Runcorn as a whole is one of eight key impact areas identified in its Mersey Gateway Regeneration Plan and is regarded as a key regeneration priority for the Council.

The Masterplan, produced by a team led by We Made That, now provides a coherent plan for driving forward the regeneration of the Runcorn Station Quarter. It is regarded as a high profile, vibrant and welcoming gateway into Halton and the Liverpool City Region, which will raise confidence in the area and kick start the wider implementation of the Runcorn Old Town Vision. A significant amount of work has already been undertaken by HBC and its partners to develop this Masterplan. 

The Council is now seeking to appoint a development partner who will work with them to develop options for taking forward the masterplan.

​Holly will be speaking as part of the ‘You Are Here’ exhibition and series of events in Brussels on 06-11-2018. 

Over the past decades, the renewal of the European city has gone hand in hand with the rapid growth of the services and knowledge economy. But in our attempt to make the city an attractive place in which to live and work, we have also driven industry out of the city. The evening will explore this theme as part of the World Transformation Sessions; a series of twelve public debates where innovative practitioners speak up.

If you happen to be in the city, why not join us by booking a ticket, 19.00–21.00, World Trade Centre I, 23rd Floor, Boulevard King Albert 28-30, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, EU

More information about You Are Here, here.

Work has been completed on public realm and shopfront improvements along East Street in Walworth.  The project, which was commissioned by the London Borough of Southwark, includes light touch shopfront improvements to a number of Southwark Council-owned properties along the street - as well as a new bench and signage to the Dawes Street entrance to the market. The works are part of a wider project that also delivered new market stalls, moveable market furniture and new market branding for East Street Market. 

The projects stem from the What Walworth Wants strategy which was co-developed with local stakeholders.

Melissa and Nisha spoke at the recent UDL ‘Going for Growth’ workshop. Alongside the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, GVA and others, we presented a range of different projects exploring and improving London’s industrial places. The workshop covered London-wide ambitions for industrial intensification and the importance of planning for productive industrial sites in London’s future. Amongst other projects, we presented our recent Park Royal Centre Masterplan work along with early insights from our Industrial Intensification Study which we’ve developed for the GLA along with Savills. 

We Made That and Hatch Regeneris recently developed an evidence base and action plan for the London Borough of Croydon to support their bid to become one of London’s first Creative Enterprise Zones. Croydon’s creative sector has experienced strong growth over the last five years, with a 93% increase in the level of employment. This is the highest growth rate of any of Croydon’s sectors, with more than 1,100 jobs created in five years and 120 more businesses operating than in 2011. The proposed Croydon Creatives CEZ will nurture this growth with a consortium of local creative and cultural organisations, educational institutions and development partners at its helm.

More info: Creative Enterprise Zones

​We Made That were invited by the Municipality of Flanders and Mark Brearley to participate in a workshop proposing ideas for the future of the Bordet area of Brussels. With a varied context of small scale high streets, 80’s-style business parks and global security infrastructure (NATO), the team proposed a series of tactical interventions to integrate Bordet with its surroundings. These included introducing new micro business units and expanding ‘ZEMU’ mixed use designations (Zones d’Entreprises en Milieu Urbain) to include existing high streets and protect mixed use areas.

We Made That have been appointed alongside Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy for a research and development programme to support the growth of the creative sector of the economy across the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership area, embracing arts, design, media and digital. The project is led by the Centre for Culture and Creativity at Lincoln University, together with local and regional partners including Lincoln City Council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Lincolnshire County Council, Arts Council England, Lincolnshire Economic Action Partnership and Investors in Lincoln.

The work will culminate in a feasibility study for the development of a creative production hub in Lincoln and set of recommendations for other parts of the county.

We Made That are leading a team to develop a Cultural Infrastructure Plan for Thamesmead, along with Regeneris and Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy . The first Cultural Infrastructure Plan will become Peabody’s blueprint for what cultural facilities they should be providing to create a culturally rich and vibrant new town for London with over 100,000 residents by 2030. This will include developed proposals for the buildings and spaces where culture is produced and consumed, from artists’ workspace, to theatres and music venues. It will be supported with robust evidence on why these facilities should be provided, what local jobs they will provide, and include a practical toolkit on how Peabody will deliver them.