We Made That

We are pleased to have been selected as finalists in the Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy category of the RTPI Awards 2019. 

This study for the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) comprised of three parts; an Economy Study, a Cultural and Creative Opportunities Assessment providing an overview of the opportunities in the cultural and creative sector, leisure and other night-time economy uses across the Legacy Corporation area, and a Retail Requirements Assessment providing an appropriate and robust evidence base for town centre policies. We Made That collaborated with Hatch Regeneris, Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy and Carter Jonas to deliver this multi-faceted study. We Made That were particularly responsible for detailed on-the-ground business mapping and surveying in order to build up an accurate picture of the LLDC’s local economy in 2018 that goes beyond the data. In combination, the Local Economy Study provides a comprehensive evidence base for key elements of the LLDC’s Local Plan review.

We are happy to share that Holly has been featured in The Planner as a ‘Woman of Influence’. 

Every year for International Women’s Day, The Planner publishes a list of planning’s Women of Influence. This year, 50 Women of Influence have been selected by a number of planners to celebrate the impact of women on planning and planners. As per the article, ‘some women are on the list because they’ve had a significant influence on national planning policy; others because they’ve inspired the planners who work with them.’

‘She [Holly] has led two landmark pieces of influential policy work that is shaping the built environment in London: High Streets for All (PDF), a study for the Mayor of London on the social value of London’s High Streets; and Industrial Intensification and Co-location design guidance for the Mayor of London, which sets out ambitious plans for retention of industrial employment space alongside new housing across the city. She is appointed as a Mayor’s Design Advocate for the Greater London Authority and CABE Built Environment Expert.’

We Made That are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Building Design Young Architect of the Year Awards 2019, with the winner being announced on 1st May! 

Click here to read the article, and keep your fingers crossed.

In a profession that is woefully lacking in diversity, New Architecture Writers is an exciting and dynamic programme that We Made That is delighted to support. 

Phineas Harper, Deputy Director of the Architecture Foundation, said: “We Made That have consistently shown themselves to be a forward-looking and deeply ethical practice. I am thrilled that they have chosen to support New Architecture Writers both financially and in-kind.

New Architecture Writers is a crucial project for bringing new voices into architectural discourse. In its first year, N.A.W. has mixed architecture lectures, building tours, public debates, written exercises, and one-to-one tutorials into a rich, programme with its alumni poised to launch the first BAME-only architecture magazine, Afterparti. None of this would be possible without the support of critical firms who believe diversity and equality are essential to the practice and discussion of architecture in the 21st century. Thank you, We Made That!”

We Made That have been appointed by Haringey Council alongside artwork curators Up Projects and lighting designers Studio Dekka for the design and delivery of public realm improvements to Penstock Tunnel in Wood Green. The tunnel runs under the Great North Eastern Railway line and forms a strategic link connecting Wood Green town centre and Cultural Quarter with Alexandra Palace and Park and Hornsey to the west. 

The proposals will seek to create better connections between the east and west of the borough with improvements including drainage, wayfinding, lighting and landscaping, along with an integrated artwork commission. The project is part of the wider Connecting Wood Green programme supported by the Greater London Authority’s Good Growth Fund.

The project will be rooted in a public and stakeholder engagement programme and we have recently completed a series of walking workshops to gain valuable feedback on the existing conditions and future aspirations of the site from local residents, organisations and businesses.

Join us to help shape ideas for public spaces and streets within Kingston Town Centre.

We Made That, have been appointed by Kingston Council, Kingston First BID and Kingston University to deliver a public realm strategy (looking at the streets and spaces) and project proposals for Kingston Town Centre, with supporting funding from the Greater London Authority. The strategy aims to celebrate Kingston’s unique historic and cultural character, whilst ensuring the town centre is inclusive for all by improving the public environment and introducing new activities. 

This drop-in event will be an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas at an early stage of the project. There will be further opportunities to input your opinions as the strategy develops. 

Please also feel free to join the Google Community to share any ideas and do share this with anyone you feel has an interest in shaping Kingston.

Saturday 9th February 2019, 1 - 4pm

Bentalls Shopping Centre, Ground floor (promo space)

In the context of the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan and potential plans for the Bakerloo Line Extension, We Made That have been commissioned by Southwark Council to update the Old Kent Road Business Survey that was undertaken in 2015 by the GLA. This earlier study had identified around a million square meters of employment space, however today change can already be seen - with the loss of railway arches after the untangling of lines into London Bridge and new developments that are already in progress, such as Southwark Studios. 

Enduring the bitter cold, initial mapping of businesses has now been completed. We are conducting detailed interviews with a representative sample of businesses and returning to other sites to make sure fine-grained mapping is captured. 

For details from both Lewisham and Southwark councils, go to www.oldkentroad.org.uk where you can also sign up for updates about Old Kent Road. Additionally, Vital OKR and the Urban Room Old Kent Road are both local organisations working to raise the profile and continue the dialogue around the plans for Old Kent Road going forward.

We Made That have recently completed refurbishment works and a new extension to East Street Library in Walworth. The project has been delivered as part of a wider ‘What Walworth Wants’ strategy commissioned by Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority to make significant improvements to the area. Along with East Street Market enhancements, the project is one of two ‘catalyst projects’ that have been realised as part of the strategy, with funding secured from the Mayor of London.

The newly opened bright red extension – East Street Exchange – now allows the library to boost activity and host a flexible range of new uses. It offers an affordable space for local businesses, entrepreneurs and community groups; provides a much-needed flexible meeting space for groups in the area to meet (bookable even outside of normal library opening hours); and makes space for homework club and peer-to-peer language assistance. 

We Made That led a multi-disciplinary team on the project, including engineering input from Engineers HRW and OR Consulting, Stockdale as cost consultant and artwork design by Maddison Graphic.

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.