Fore Street Good Growth Project
Enfield, Greater London
Civic Trust Awards Citation
The "Good Growth for Edmonton" regeneration strategy stands out as a holistic approach to addressing the social needs of the community through innovative design and community well-being.
This multi-faceted strategy encompasses four key strands that collectively aim to build capacity for local residents to benefit from significant long-term estate redevelopment. One notable aspect of the initiative involves the inventive retrofitting of the local library into a community Living Room, providing a welcoming space for residents to gather, engage, and connect. This opens onto the street of a new school which is closed to cars and adorned with planters and play equipment. This has enhanced safety, encourages walking, imaginative play, engagement with nature, and improves air quality.
Defunct garages on the site have been transformed into workspaces for young enterprises at Angel Yard, fostering a supportive environment for local startups with affordable rents and a strong sense of community. The existing parking garages, once a location with social issues, have undergone a remarkable transformation. New timber vaulted roofs have been added to the existing brick/block walls, creating individual studio spaces with glazed fronts that offer passive oversight of a semi-enclosed semi-public space. This versatile area can be used for events and opens up as a new route from the adjacent housing estate to the primary school during working hours. The impact of the Good Growth for Edmonton initiative is evident in the positive feedback from tenants. Those who grew up in the local area express delight at the opportunity to stay in their community, afford studio spaces, and actively participate in the forming community among tenants. The scheme has not only eliminated a problematic high-crime zone through clever design but also fosters new routes, integrates the physical community, and supports social principles within Angel Yard.
In addition to its social impact, the project contributes to the economic growth of the area by nurturing new businesses through training and support. The thoughtful and beautiful architectural design of the project creates a joyful and positive physical environment, showcasing how even small-scale initiatives can have a profound and multifaceted impact on a community.
Judges’ Comments: “Fore Street Good Growth Project is very simply, but beautifully designed architecturally and is creating a very joyful and positive physical environment.”
Photography Credits & Captions
23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_002_mediumres.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard high angle view 23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_017_mediumres.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard overhead view 23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_013.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard street elevation 23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_024.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard workspace frontages 23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_033.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard communal hall entrance 23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_037.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobohuse, Caption: Angel Yard internal street view Angel Yard_FSFA event landscape_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Angel Yard evening event entrance 23 04 17 _JKA_Angel Yard_043.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard communal hall 23 04 17_JKA_Angel Yard_041.jpg, Credit: Jack Hobhouse, Caption: Angel Yard kitchenette Angel Yard_FSFA event school street_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: View into Angel Yard from the School Street Fore Street_Grove Street_Play Street Event 01_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Play street party and design exercises for the School Street Fore Street_School Street_workshop 01_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd. Caption: School Street scavenger hunt Wild Street_landscape_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Children playing on the School Street Fore Street_FSFA event exterior_01_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Musical performer outside the Living Room Library Fore Street_FSFA event interior_05_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Evening event inside the Living Room Library Fore Street_Library_06_Stage_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Musical performers on stage in the Living Room Library Fore Street_ Library_16_Shelves Opening 1_Jan Kattein Architects Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Unfolding bookshelves at the Living Room Library Fore Street_ Library_03_Nook_Jan Kattein Archteicts Ltd_highres.jpg, Credit: Jan Kattein Architects Ltd, Caption: Quiet space for a small scale workshop in the Living Room Library Fore Street_Hannah Benihoud_Fisher Cheng Ltd.jpg, Credit: Fisher Cheng Ltd, Caption: Local artist mural transforming an undercroft into a wallpaperd living room Fore Street_Mosque mural_Fisher Cheng Ltd.jpg, Credit: Fisher Cheng Ltd, Caption: Local artist mural celebrating a high street mosque
Overall Result
Highly Commended
Application Type
CTA
Primary Use Class
Sui Generis
Secondary Use Class
F2(b) Halls or meeting places for the principal use of the local community
Credits
Architect
Jan Kattein Architects
Client
London Borough of Enfield
Main Contractor
Sullivan Brothers Construction
Project Manager
Flamingo & Oak
Quantity Surveyor
KMDimensions Ltd
Services Engineer
Watts
Structural Engineer
engineersHRW
Operator
Launch It