Walking the streets

insight: Sally Lewis

A recent concept design for a high density mixed-use project on the Old Kent Road gave us the opportunity to test our #walkthestreets mantra

With 30+ storey towers it’s easy to obsess with shape, form and skyline and forget about what happening on the ground, so we decided to challenge every design decision by testing how it may affect a simple pedestrian journey. The result was a landscape rich celebration of the pedestrian experience with built-in breathing space and co-located uses enlivening the high street.

Working from the ground up also means walking the streets to find local collaborators. We made some fantastic connections with local Old Kent Road heroes including Nicholas Okwulu and the wonderful Southwark Young Advisors and look forward to joining up with these inspiring local champions again.